Cow tales!

Friday, July 14, was National Cow Day. This made me think of a story. Here goes.

Did I ever tell you about the time George and I were volunteering at Wildlife Waystation in the mountains north of Los Angeles? The Montrose Mountain Search and Rescue Team had signed up and brought three RN's with them, all Rescue Wives. I was asked by the sexy blonde French owner Martine Collete to go out in the cow pasture to the storage shed there and pick up some burlap bags for her.

Well, as I approached the pasture where the shed was, I passed a horse's head lying by my path. Gee whiz. I finally made it to the big pasture gate, opened it, and was surrounded by VERY hungry cows and goats. They thought I was bringing them something to eat! They surrounded me and vocalized loudly all the way to the shed, about fifty yards. I walked fast and finally made it to the shed, unlocked the padlock with shaking hands, slipped into the little door, and locked it from the inside quickly. While I was finding the burlap bags amid shelves of animal feed in the dusty gloom, the whole shed shook and banged because the cows and goats were butting the door hard! Scary! I was not sure I wanted to emerge from that shed, flimsy as it was. Finally I ratcheted up my courage and opened the little door, jumping out fast and slamming it shut and locking it.

The cows were especially persistent as I walked fast back to the big gate. They thought my burlap bags had feed in them, I think, and were trying to stop me when I decided to try to scare them. I made myself big and tall, spread out and waved my arms, and ran at them, yelling loudly! They scattered, allowing me to get to the gate and escape! Whew!

But that was not all that was scary that day. When Martine asked me to feed raw meat to the lions through a small opening high up in their cage, I did so, but the lions eyed me and sprang at me roaring at peak volume. Scared the HELL out of me!

Later, Martine asked the men in our group to move a mama bear and her cubs from a small, flimsy portable cage through the entire property to a new big safer cage way up on a hill. She warned us that the bears might get out and attack us and told us where to "hide" in the ante-cage of two lions cages. The path between them was very narrow and the guys could hardly pass through there with that flimsy cage full of bears. The lions were right NEXT to that, and jumped on their cages and roared, trying to get at those bears! More scary!

Lastly, we were invited to join the regular staff for lunch at picnic tables. After we served ourselves chili and had seated ourselves, suddenly a beautiful Bengal tiger jumped up on the table and walked along its entire length scaring us volunteers half to death. After lunch, I asked Martine where a restroom was. She told me to go to Cabin 6 and use that bathroom. I found it, and walked right in, surprising a couple doing something very private on the bed.

What a day!