I suspected they were out there. I could see their tracks around the water tubs, but they have stopped coming up to eat. We've gotten some good rain and the grass in the back twenty acres is shamrock green, and about shin high. It's very simple. We no longer have any leverage with our pitiful little feed buckets.

Last night at feeding time I could see them, way at the back of the grove, and was reassured that they hadn't found a hole in the fence and left us for good and all.

"There they are, Fred." I pointed.

We stood side by side, staring at them while they stared back at us.

"I sure wish they'd come up here so we can look 'em over." He said.

"I have a feeling you're getting as a good a look as you're going to get without a tranquilizer gun." I replied. "Maybe ya oughta go get the binoculars."

He scoffed and stubbornly banged on the feed bucket...

"Come on cows!"

I was embarrassed at the blatant disdain of the cows towards him. One of them looked right at him and yawned. Fred took it in his usual good manner. He cussed. A lot.

"Look," I said, "there's always the winter time. Eventually they will have to come up here for feed, and that's when we'll have them."

We both pretended to take solace in the theory. The cows turned their plumps behinds to us and waltzed into the woods. I guess we can just take pleasure in the fact that the creek is full and running and they have shade and tons to eat, and before long they will all drop their calves and we'll have eight instead of four cows ignoring us. Ya just gotta take your pleasure where you can find it. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]