“Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” Robert Frost

Not! At least not when your neighbor cuts the fence down. I try not to complain (operative word…try! LOL), but seriously people I need a place and some friends to vent to today!

First, the back story.

About 2 weeks ago, one of my neighbors (we’ll call him Bubba for lack of a better name) came over and let me know that I couldn’t leave my cows in the pasture with our pond and the one leading into it. Why? Because he was going to take his fence down if I didn’t put up my own fence (not sure if it’s his fence or if the fence is on my land…). His reason? Because the people we bought our farm from had horses that leaned against his fence and stretched it out. Number one…I’m not those people. Number two…I don’t have horses. But he said that now that we had cows it’s what I had to do. My problem with this? The pond is the only way the cows get water, I have to let them in those two pastures.

Fast forward two weeks:

Saturday, one of our cows had a calf. 2 months early. That’s not the problem, just the backstory. Monday July 4th, David had to leave to go back to Ohio for work. He left about noon and called saying that he got there around 8:30 pm. We had a really big storm , so 8:30 pm, I took a shower, put on my pj’s and settled in to watch some TV and maybe do a little sewing.

Sometime around 9 pm, David called and asked if the cows were in the pasture. I said I didn’t know, but would check. So I put on a pair of capris and sneakers, drove up the driveway, but didn’t see any cows. David said someone had called to say the cows were out. Dangit…they were! All over the place. My neighbors from all down the road and a deputy sheriff were trying to get them into one of their pastures when I got there. I counted nine of the ten we have. Mama cow and calf were not with them. The story goes downhill from here!

Because of all the fireworks, dogs barking, and the sheriff flashing his lights and blowing his siren to keep them off the road, the cows were panicked and running from one field to another. (Remember it’s dark-thirty!) About 11:30, we lost them. . . could not find them anywhere! In the meantime, “Bubba” and his mama started yelling at some of the men as they walked up their driveway to see if the cows were there. Real redneck thing to do…right? The sheriff’s deputy went to see what the problem was. “Bubba” and his mama told him that they had called me tonight and told me they were cutting the fence. (I found this out later that night and no…there was no phone call). When I got back to my pastures to see if maybe they had come home, sure enough **@?! Bubba had cut the fence down.

Now…since it was midnight, all my neighbors told me there was nothing I could do until morning, but they would come back and help me find them. Everyone was hopeful they would come home in the meantime. Also, David was on his way back from Ohio. Which meant he would be driving 17 hours that day.

Morning:

David got in at 5:30 am. I had no sleep. We went to the pasture to see where the fence had been cut and “Hallelujah” the cows were there…the nine that got out, plus Mama and her baby!

So…all’s good that ends good. Except we have to get an attorney, have a survey (we had one during the sale, but may have to pay for a new one), and get a restraining order to keep “Bubba” and his family off our land! The upside? I met some really good people!

David left on his third trip to Ohio since Monday. The cows are in the other 3 pastures (we have 5). All’s quiet on the home front for now.

How was your weekend?

Later,

Debbie

PS: Thanks for listening!