Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Bad Cow Disease

Fiona and Friends
Emma's friend Kathy from Ohio visited us last week.  Of course she wanted to meet Fiona.  Everybody does.  That cow has her own fan club.  Anyway, I realized when I looked at the pictures I took of Fiona and the girls that having that wily bovine in a headlock is about the only time I can relax.  I am ready to install a 24-hour surveillance camera in her pasture.

Yes, her wanderlust continues.

Most recently, Emma discovered her missing just as my sister and brother-in-law had arrived for a visit from Birmingham, and just an hour or so shy of sunset.  We had no idea how long she had been gone.  I thought I had seen her the day before, but I wasn't sure. Emma had been sick, so she hadn't been out to the pasture.  Our only clue was a signature "pie" that looked pretty fresh.  My mom remembered seeing it there in the parking area that morning and wondered what it was.  She thought maybe it was a dead cat.  This must be a genetic defect, because that is always my first thought when I spot an unidentified inanimate object--why I don't know because we never find dead cats around here.  Dead possums, yes.   If Mom and I took one of those ink blot tests, I bet we would think each image was a dead cat.

Back to the discovery of Fiona's escape: It was "Hi" and "Bye" to our visitors.  Emma donned her boots and hurried across the 40-acre field to search an almost-dry pond, and I jumped in the car and drove to the pasture where Fiona had spent an afternoon with three beef cows the last time she made a run for it.  I did not find her, but I talked to the homeowner, and he remembered Fiona's last visit.  I left him a napkin with my name and phone number in case Fiona passed by.

I met Emma on the road back to our house and picked her up.  We decided to go to the house on the west side of ours where Fiona had run, literally, once before.  (At least that time we had her in sight the whole time.)  This was the house where she put her ornery head down like a bull and tried to butt the homeowner's dogs, all three of them, when they came out to defend their territory.  This time, Emma got out and talked to the lady of the house.  She had not seen Fiona.  We left another napkin.  I need to get "WANTED" calling cards made up with a picture of Fiona and my phone number.

We drove on, stopping wherever someone was outside, talking to them, and leaving a napkin.  We met some mighty nice folks we would never have met otherwise.  We traveled a semi-circle around the region north of our house.  The sun was setting as we turned back onto our road, Fiona-less.  About a half a mile from our house, Emma said, "I think I see her!"  She had spotted a cow in a back pasture.  I pulled into the driveway of  the property.  Luckily, two women were on the porch.  Emma got out and explained about Fiona.  One of the women approached the car and said, "I knew somebody would come after that cow!  She showed up here this morning, and I saw that halter, and I thought 'that's somebody's show cow or pet, and they're gonna be lookin' for her.'"  Her husband had taken one look at Fiona and said, "That cow's pregnant, so she ain't here lookin' for a bull."  Then he took her by the halter and put her in the pasture with their cow and horse, where from all reports, she behaved herself with her best company manners.

The man took Emma back there to where Fiona was socializing.  Emma got the lead rope on Fiona and started to walk with her when all of a sudden, Emma fell to the ground.  She regained her feet but had to tug Fiona away from her new friends.  When I asked Emma about it later, she said that she fell because Fiona stepped on her.  Thank goodness for boots.

We thanked Fiona's gracious hosts and departed, repeating the now familiar routine of me following Emma and Fiona in the car, but this time there was a new twist.  The sun had set.  So I drove with emergency flashers and high beams, which starkly illuminated Fiona's round belly. About halfway home, it finally began to do what a lot of Texans have been praying for.  It started to rain.  Perfect.

Emma flew with Kathy back to Ohio on Monday.  I'm stuck here with Fiona Houdini until her return next Wednesday.  Please pray for me.

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