This is a picture of one of our calves. She’s growing up well and has become one of our favorites. I am new to owning and managing our small herd of cows. Many of you have coached, supported and laughed with (at at) me over the last few years. When all is good, you can sit on the back porch and watch the cows graze with a good cup of coffee in hand, enjoying the sunrise. I have always loved driving through the countryside and watching these beautiful creatures as they graze peacefully under the glow of a Texas sunset without a care in the world.
If you have had any experience with cattle, then you know well that this is just not always the case. Over the last couple weeks our little cattle operation has been more of a headache and much less a peaceful cup of coffee at sunrise.
One of our neighbors recently has been clearing some land along one of our fence lines. That fence line is old and beat up and now has openings that were once filled with briar and underbrush. Cows will do what cows will do. In the last two weeks, we’ve tried to do everything we can to keep them close but they are always looking for new places to explore so I have had the pleasure of chasing them down more than once. They know my voice and the shaking and banging of a feed bucket and will come with haste if they can hear.
Monday evening I left our house and enjoyed a few moments watching them graze and decided to feed them when I got home. When we arrived home I called and called but total silence. They usually come running from all corners of our property for that call. Tuesday I got up early and drove around our property calling and banging the bucket around every corner of our land. Still nothing, not a peep. All day we hoped they might show up like they normally do but I knew they had to be far off.
We have good neighbors. Usually we call one another when we see each others cows on our property. I was expecting a call but it hadn’t come so the worry begins to build. I hopped on the tractor Wednesday morning determined to find them. I drove to the fencelines and walked them, shaking and banging the bucket and calling out, “COOOOOWS… HUNGRY?” “COME ON… COOOOOME ON.” Still nothing. I called for an hour and walked through briars and even onto neighbors property to look and call. Discouraged, I walked back to the tractor. Pulled my phone out and still no calls or texts. Drove back to the house and when I went inside I pulled my phone out and saw a missed call from my neighbor. Relief flooded me paired with anticipation and hope that I could get them back soon.
Sure enough he said he thought some of mine were in with his. So I jumped in the truck and drove straight to his place with my red bucket of feed and called out. I heard my cows’ voices. They may just sound like “MOO” to most but I know my crew’s moos. I counted cows and the calves, they were all accounted for. Relief. They were happy to see me and I was happy to see them.
I’ve still got a lot of work to do, fences to mend and build but I do somehow enjoy caring for these silly cows. If God made me to care about and chase down an animal such as this, it just reminds me that if we’re lost, he’s chasing us down, calling us out and he will use any means necessary to find us. So… be a good neighbor. Be kind without exception. Be the neighbor that calls and cares for things that are not your own. Our neighbors are amazing. Kindness is free so give out all you can.
Wade