Herbie wakes at 3am to go to work these days. I sleep with ear plugs to cut the noise. When I wake in the morning, I read the 2 papers I get digitally, my e-mails, FB and play my 2 games on the phone. This morning thses peaceful morning routines were abruptly halted upon investigating why Boytjie was bellowing - he was out the pasture, between the trees below the back lawn. I was outside before my clothes were properly on :/. Couldn't get him back in. He is so intent on making sure he faces me all the time, pawing the ground, making scary noises that I can't push him towards the open gate.
Opened the veggie garden so the other cows could go eat some weeds / grass etc happily growing. After not having any success, let Dolly out thinking I could get him to follow her back in as she's tame. Nice thinking, but didn't work as she lumbered straight over to the gate down to the lower barn - ready for milking ! Couldn't budge her. He went charging down the side to the back pasture. I was now chasing him in the buggy - he still has respect for the buggy. Turned around as I couldn't get past him and came back to feed the other animals. Saw his hoof marks in the front garden, wonder how long he's been out ?
Checked the fence, it's not working. Went to the barbed wire enclosure and untangled the electric wire from the barbed where it was caught, checked the fence, should be working. Wonder if it was hit by lightening, the box isn't working. Checked the cords, all seems good, but it's still now working.
Tried again to get Boytjie back inside, nope, but did manage to get Dolly back in. Came inside to make a cup of Earl Grey tea. Watched him rub his head and neck on the hammock. He wasn't a happy bull, he wants to be with the others, just doesn't want me making him do it !
Saw him coming up past the chicken yard towards the house so went to intercept him and he jumped the leads behind the chicken house, going back down the woods side. Can't follow him down there so left and waited for him to make his way back. At least I know he won't go wandering, he'll stay as close to the girls as he can get.
Other than the puddles on the back lawn, there isn't water for him to drink, so I'm relying on his need for water to get him back inside. All the other cows are in the veggie garden, so I opened the gate and went to close the channel gate to the water. And the alpacas both left the pasture !!! Damn. Tried to herd them back in, but no, they were too excited to be out and ran after Boytjie. Well, while I was out there, I'd go close the back 2 pastures so that all this good rain could make it grow. On my way back, saw Boytjie was in the pasture ! Yippee. This fat, old woman ran as fast as she could, climbed through the fence, ran down the side yard, climbed over the fence I'd rigged to stop Boyjie goind down their earlier and shut the gate. Still had the alpacas out, but they're easier to move. Boytjie was close to the back of the pasture, facing me, pawing the ground again. Re-opened the gate and chased the alpacas back in. Whew, 12:30pm but I did it !
Now I can get something to eat. Pulled my arm again somewhere in these procedures, another damn. During all this, was playing phone tag with my dad. Got to eventually chat with him, he's probably coming next week, bringing the replacement transmission for the Honda and will stay a week or so and work with Herbie to put it in.
That will be nice as the last 2 days I've been truckless ! Need to do some shopping as we're out of salad stuff and Coke.