"Let everyone in the world sweep their own doorstep
and the whole world will be clean"
Von Goethe
He caught me at a bad time. The farmer with the cows that destroyed my garden called this morning. Two days after I left a message he returned my call . I had just come in from the garden, and was not in a great mood after assessing the damage.
The farmer with the cows is not our neighbour, he rents the pasture, and his cows getting out is a regular occurrence during the summer. He does not maintain his fences.
This morning I was just fed up.
So while I have been praying for world peace, I just threatened to shoot the next cow I found on my property.
My husband cracked up as he heard my side of the conversation.
The only gun I've ever fired was years ago, when my dad let me fire the German handgun he has willed me. Knocked me flat on my ass, and my ears rang for a week. (I did however hit the target)
I'm a sucker for animals, I won't even give those cows a good smack on the rump as they are pulling up my carrots. so the whole conversation was really just stupid on my part.
Thus the quote:
How in the heck can I pray for world peace, and declare war on my neighbour?
12 comments:
I was raised by the "farmer whose cows always got out", the "farmer whose water pump was always broken", the "farmer whose barn was breaking down", the "farmer whose tractor always broke the day seeding needed to start", so though I'm sorry to hear about your ruined garden, a part of me can't help but wonder if that farmer just feels worn out by life and can't seem to find the time in the day to fix his fences. The day of my dad's funeral, there were cows out on the road, and someone assumed they were Dad's, because they were almost always Dad's, and that person got annoyed at us, not knowing Dad had just died.
Sorry, not trying to side with the farmer, just wondering if there's another story behind it. On the other hand, he might just be an idiot who's lazy and doesn't fix his fences.
Heather, thank you for your wonderful perspective. I know alot of these men and women. I have a lot of respect for farmers. We always try to help where we can. Our community is great this way. This man, however is a thirty something distant relative of the 88 yearold landowner. He's a hobby farmer who hasn't looked at the fences in years.he's just plain lazy and inconsiderate.
However, that does not mean I would ever shoot the poor cows.
An hour ago a pickup drove through the field with some fence posts in the back, so i think he got my not so nicely delivered message.
I am SO laughing right now. Your cows, my rap boy...when will it ever end?
I'm sorry that this is off topic... I just wanted you to know that i sent an email to you.
Are you going to take "before and after" pictures of the fence?
So hard when neighbors, even those who rent and don't own, are not neighborly.
Hope, you're just feisty, and that's all there is to it!
I had a quote from Goethe on my high school senior page.
"To know someone here or there with whom you can feel there is understanding in spite of distances or thoughts unexpressed...that can make of this earth a garden".
I still love that quote.
Great post...I have Goethe hanging in the bathroom...
because world peace for you is a cow not getting into your yard ;)
Amelia
So just change your prayer to "whirrled peas".....then put them right next to the prime cut of beef you just harvested from your garden! :)
I knew you would snap someday.....I just knew it!! Who would have thought a cow would send you over the edge.......
My husband and I received an unexpected surprise from the neighbor's frequent "cow escapes" into our pasture. The neighbor had a prize bull visiting her herd...but he must have been lured over by the cow-vixens in our pasture! We have a bouncing baby bull to document the visit!! Woo-hoo!
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