In the Dark

This afternoon, the power went out for a while.  But the phone still worked.  We got a call from the Ranchers' Daughter.

"Juanita?  Bill?  Can you guys do me a favor?  I have a friend with a couple cattle at the rodeo grounds in Estes, and they only have one days' worth of hay left.  I told them they could put them with my cattle near the town of Ward.  Only I can't get to Ward to check on my cattle.  I haven't seen them in weeks.  Can you guys see if you can find them?"

"Sure!  Beats sitting around here in the dark!"

So, Off we went in search of "Eleven or twelve of them."


Past the National Guard roadblock.

(We gave them cookies this morning)

And off to the mountain side the cattle were supposed to be on.

We parked by the catch pen, and climbed through the fence.


We hiked back into the area for nearly an hour.  Up and down the rocky terrain, through heavily forested areas looking for likely pastures.  A little bouldering to the high spots mixed with wading through bogs in low lying areas and fording new, small streams.  It got dark enough we couldn't see 20 feet away.  We gave it up and hiked back out.

It was jet black by the time I hit the barbed wire fence.  And yes, I hit it.

Damn.

As I was untangling myself from the barbs,

*SNORT*

Um, what was that?

*SNORT*

That was not a horse.
I don't know if it was a cow.
What kind of sound does a p!ssed off moose make?

*SNORT*

Juanita suggested we at least get the fence between us and "it".  Sounded like a plan to me.  We climbed through the fence and into the minivan and snapped on the headlights.

Eyes.

The damm cows had gone into the open back gate of the catch pen, and were waiting for us.

Right where we had started.

Sometimes, I feel I understand horses, at least a little.

But I just don't "get" cows.

Bill