Take yesterday for example - a normal day. The girls and I spent most of it in the garden. It was quite hot and we were dog tired by the time we bundled inside. As we all flopped on the bed to read some books and rest, I recalled vaguely that I hadn't given the steers their usual treat of hay yet, and wondered if they would miss it. They have fifteen acres of grass to eat, I reasoned, and decided they wouldn't miss one day of not getting handfed some hay.
Imagine my suprise then when I walked over to the kitchen window and noticed that my apple tree looked shorter, there was cow manure all over my watering can, and who's cows were they out on the road?? These menacing brutes, as it turned out, had bumped theselves up against the gate so much in their determination to get their hay, that they actually broke it. I know who the ringleader was, I have dealt with him before - he is a cunning piece of work. Upon breaking free of the paddock gate, they had all piled into my yard where a feast was to behold - daisies, geraniums, a selection of fruit trees, agapanthas and more than a few new cuttings all got chomped on. It was the annual pruning, at twice the rate!
After feasting on my gardens, the steers had wandered out onto the road, and it occured to me I had better get myself out there and round them back in. That is an interesting concept when you have three little girls in tow and you need to round up six big steers from the road and you dont have anyone to help you.. So there I was, my youngest in her backpack on my back and the older two skipping along behind me as I attempted to scare these beasts back into my yard, but I remembered one thing - they are not scared of me. I have handfed them since they were little calves, the fact that I am walking along the road waving my arms does not deter them from their new mission one bit.
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