Saturday, October 1, 2011

Of a Mad Cow and a Yellow-bellied Dog....


We went up to the mountain to cut wood to heat our cabin for the winter the other day. We go up into the woods on the back side of the mountain across from the lake, where we can get a permit from the Forest Service to cut dead trees. The trees are mostly aspen, with some tall spruce. We cut a truck load of Aspen, then one of spruce. We have to cross a creek that feeds the lake, but it is easily fordable at this time of the year.


Booker is very sensitive to sounds (actually, you can read that as "Booker is scared to death of anything loud, that he isn't familiar with.") He hates the chainsaw. So, to keep him from hunkering down in the truck like a big chicken the whole time we were in the beautiful fall forest, I decided to take him for a walk down the road while my husband was cutting down the first trees. Booker and I walked a short ways, then heard a huge crashing and bellowing sound coming from the thick undergrowth at the side of the road. I thought for sure it was a rutting elk, but looked and saw a huge black cow crashing towards us, bellowing her lungs out. Mercifully, the thick undergrowth and close trees slowed her down a bit. My great protector and guard dog took off so fast toward the truck, I didn't even see him go - just saw a yellow blur flash past me. When I got back to the truck, he was trying to jump up and climb in the window. I got to the truck just before the cow raged into the clearing. I was with Booker on this one; sure she was going to ram the truck, Booker and I jumped into the cab, and I yelled at my husband to warn him, but the mad cow swerved away from the truck and around my husband back into the woods, just at the last minute. I've never seen a cow act that way! I don't know if she didn't like Booker, who totally ignored her until she started running and bellowing at us, or if the sound of the chainsaw upset her.


At any rate, Booker the Brave-hearted hunkered down in the truck the rest of the day.


Here is a small sketch I did of the fall colors from the day in my 4"x5" sketchbook.




- Posted from my iPad

5 comments:

Jeanine said...

Hello. I tripped upon your blog while researching the word "tapestry". We were out riding in the country today. Stopped at an old junk store and found 2 burlap sacks. Tapestry is what came to mind so I bought them. That is how I came to researching the word and came to your sight.

I love your paintings and color choices.

K Spoering said...

Jeanine, I'm glad you found me! I see from your blog that we share a love of the outdoors!

Theresa said...

Oh my! Was it a bull? They can be awfully aggressive esp. one that has been left out with the girls free range to breed.
But oh what a gorgeous day!

K Spoering said...

I'm not sure about the gender. There were no horns but the other end was either in the bushes or moving too fast for me to check it out. Aggressive, though. Yep.

Mary said...

Maybe it should be Booker the Sensible.
Love your pictures, we don't have such spectacular autumns here, the eucalypts are evergreen, the autumn colour we get is from imported trees mostly but we have enough to have some beautiful places to visit.

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