This is how it all started. Curiosity - not minding your Mama.
It is one of our better days, weather wise - sunny and not quite so humid. Junior and I, along with Betsy, Ms. Aggie and the herd, start down the fence-line trail to the big house. The air is crisp and the hum-click from the electrical towers that dissect the pasture mark the rhythm of our steps.
Junior's Daddy has taken the lead in hopes of being first to reach the big hay ring set out by Old Man Booth.
Even though it's a big open pasture, we always go single file in an orderly fashion, keeping to the path. Except for a young bull-calf or two who briefly venture off to explore.
"Lola," Betsy said, "Junior's hanging with the older calves - aren't you concerned?" "Not really, He's just like his Daddy - with a mind of his own and pretty good with a problem. Why, just the other day he encountered a fire ant bed and it didn't take many bites for him to decide to leave it alone," Lola laughed.
Betsy, enjoying girl-conversation for a change (and a welcome break from her little one), decided to-heck with single file. She fell into step beside Lola and they went along talking about the joys of motherhood and the pain of their milk letting down.
The rest of the morning is spent contentedly munching hay. Junior and the other calves clumsily fight for a spot at the fence where Melissa and her grand kids have gathered. The kids poke in a bottle filled with sweet-milk and argue over who gets to hold it first. Junior's pushiness pays off when he lunges for the big rubber nipple and he comes away with an adorable milk moustache.
At last, the afternoon sun is hot and our instincts tell us to head for shade. We make our way to the tree line, coaxing Junior and his playmates away from the giggling curly-headed kids. "Stay close now, Junior."
Plod, plod, hum-click, plod, plod, hum-click.
Plod, plod, hum-click, plod, plod, hum-click.
Plod, plod, hum-click, plod, plod, hum-click.
"I just turned my back for a second!" Lola is frantic -
Junior has squeezed into the neighbor's pasture - separated from her and the herd.
Junior is in a bind.
