Cows and Polka Dot Pajamas

I had planned a Farm Photo Friday for today's post, but I have something better for you...a true story about our cows.  A story that unfolded this morning.

First, let me start with the back story...

The cows were eating and rubbing against the pine trees!  Uugghh...those precious trees that we paid good money for and precious money to have them planted.  Now, keep in mind there are larger, established pine trees that they have access to...those the cows are 'allowed' to mess with.  But, nooooo - they prefer the new, delicate ones.

As a quick fix, Hubby and youngest put up t-posts and a couple strands of barbed wire to keep them away from the trees.

It worked for a while, but in time the cows got back over to the trees.

Of all the pasture...

                and the sweet mix...
            
                                and the hay...

                                             they prefer pine trees...

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So...hubby and daughter split the pasture in half with fence.  The cows were in the section that did not have the line of pine trees.

In time the cows made it over one section and strolled over to the pine trees yet again.

So...hubby put up barbed wire on top of the strung fence.

It has been working...

                     but, the grass was really getting high in the section of the pasture that they weren't on...

We have planned to install electric fence to protect the pine trees, but have not had time to do so yet.

So, me, the brilliant cow farmer that I am (HA!) decided yesterday to open the middle gate and let them eat down some of the pasture that was getting high.

I said to myself  "they won't go near those pine trees, they have all that good grass to eat to stay occupied."

And here is where today's story begins...

It was a typical morning...

                          I fed and watered the chickens...

                                            watered my flowers and herbs...

                                                              fed and watered the dogs and cats...

I fed the cows, but they didn't come happily trotting as they normally do each morning.  I was putting water in their trough, but they still weren't there...

...hhmmm...  

Those ungrateful little boogers!

Of all that pasture...yep, they were back at the pine trees!

Those cows are getting big...they are intimidating and get too close to me when I am near them in the pasture.

So what does this brilliant cow farmer do?

I wake up my children!  They were sleeping in because it's summer break of course ;-)

...it's the second day of summer break and I wake them up and tell them to get their muck boots on and meet me at the barn.

Imagine if you will...

                            we are in our pajamas...

                                                     and muck boots!

What a sight...  

       I'm dressed in polka dot pajama pants and pink muck boots...

                                

                         on a 4-wheeler...

                                    

                                       with a broom as my defense weapon.

I told ya I was a brilliant cow farmer...I have the clothes to prove it!

One daughter at the outside gate to let us in...

One daughter on the 4-wheeler with me.  She's got the broom...

My thought?  We'll convince them (with the broom, of course ) to get away from the pine trees, step over the fence, and calmly walk through the middle gate and we'll close them back off from that section...

Those cows just stared at us...

and munched a little on the pine tree of choice.

Plan B:

Daughter take food scoop and shake it and bang against post near where I feed them...

...certainly they will go eat.

Nope!

Plan C:

We'll try Plan A again.

Nothing!

Plan XYZ:

We'll patiently wait for them to mozy away from the pine trees.  Certainly they will go eat or get a drink soon.  We'll be ready to close the gate.

It didn't take long and that is what happened...

                   They moved away from the pine trees, eating some tall grass along the way...

They got to the gate...

                        they stopped...

   

                                      they stood their for a while...

                                                     eating some grass...

                                                                     and looking at us...

They were probably thinking something along the lines "let's play with her just a little longer before we cross over to where she wants us."

And that is what they did! 

They stared at us...

        they ate some grass...

                      This went on for a couple minutes, I'm sure.

The sun was warming up our pajama pants at this point.

In their time, they lumbered back to the section that I desired.  They mooed a little something like "now what are you going to do crazy woman?"  

Once they were on their way to eat, daughter closed the middle gate, other daughter opened outside gate to let us though, and closed it back.

We put the 4-wheeler away and went to have our own breakfast.

As frustrating as it gets sometimes on our little farm, I wouldn't trade it...I love this life!

Oh, in case you're wondering...I pulled these pictures from old posts...I was not in a picture taking mood amongst this mornings happenings!