From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Abbotsford, B.C

Wow. I was really really lucky today. Actually, it's more like something mildly bad happened but something really bad didn't happen, and I was lucky that that bad thing didn't happen.

I was out for most of the day doing things, and I got back at shortly after nine o'clock in the evening. The sun had set about half an hour earlier, and it was starting to get dark out. As usual, I measured the main vine pumpkin on my 670, then I went to measure the other pumpkin on the secondary, when I notice these really weird indentations in the ground. It looked at first like some small animal had gone crazy making these six inch holes everywhere, but then when I looked again, I realized there was no dirt turned up. These were footprints!

Some quick detective work quickly ascertained that these must be cow footprints. The awful footprints were all around the 845 Bobier plant, and came about three feet from my prize pumpkin! Following the trail of destruction, I came across a snapped 845 Bobier main vine (luckily AFTER the pumpkin; PHEWPH!), a big path through the weeds, and some snapped vines on the acorn squash vines in our vegetable garden. Following the trail further back, and a quick phone call later proved that a cow had indeed escaped from it's enclosure earlier that day.

I just want to say thank goodness it wasn't worse than it was! That cow could have been potentially devastating, but for some reason or other it decided not to go trampling through my prize plant, though it came close.

And as a warning to others: If you live around cows, you'd better be aware of the dangers associated with these beasts. This isn't the first time that this cow has escaped; so far I have been lucky that it hasn't come to my patch before!

Cameron Carnegie

8/18/2006 12:50:45 AM

Abbotsford, B.C

Sorry, just to clarify, my "prize pumpkin" is my largest pumpkin on the 670 Daigle plant that is close to the 845 Bobier plant.

8/18/2006 1:07:31 AM

Taber, Alberta

Hey Cameron, I feel your pain. I had a group fo cows get out in July and mingle around the pumpkins patch. They came inches away from the main vine on my 744 Swarts squash plant and just missed the base of my 670 Daigle. It was sheer luck for me that my season wasn't over then.
Go to McDonalds (or something classier) and enjoy some beef!
Alan

8/18/2006 1:48:24 AM

Abbotsford BC

Good to hear the cow did not decide to tramp your plant. Putting up with all the pitfalls of growing (insects, diseases, splits etc.) is bad enough--nevermind having to worry about a stray cow!

Good luck
Tony

8/18/2006 1:54:45 AM

ENGLAND

Cameron. Just mention to the farmer, who owns the cow, that you have lots of room in your freezer for steak and beef cuts and you have just bought a box of hollow points for your rifle. LOL

8/18/2006 2:10:58 AM

Simi valley, ca

I understand !!! I had 2 cows & 2 bulls come in patch in winter & man did they do lots of damage ! they pulled most of avacado trees down from 10 ft down, ate several other fruit trees & broke pipes , misters , stampeeded my just tilled & planted with winter rye patch, & ate other bambo & lots of other damage ,,I estamated aprox 8000 dollars damage ,, The owner strung me along for lont time & said hes gonna pay his share so i stayed paticants with him but in end he offered 500$ so i got pissed & let him know , im sure i would have won in small clames but it was causing stress on family so i decided to eat it some for sake of family he chocked up 1750 finily not neer enough , but its over , im not sure if it happens again ill have that kind of patince, if you have trouble in future than take care of problem any means possable , if you know its wright !!!

8/18/2006 2:14:07 PM

Abbotsford, B.C

WOW, Fissssh, you have had it way worse than me! This was just one cow that decided to walk around a bit then headed back the other way. I can't imagine what it would be like to have that much damage done! Yikes.

Cameron

8/18/2006 4:03:08 PM

Salmon Arm, BC

and to think I used to let these beasts out of the local rendering yard for fun! eeeeek..seeing the potential ramifications of my silly teenage pranks now! Hope Karma likes me!

8/19/2006 3:56:15 AM

ENGLAND

Deb. So it was you that caused the Leamington Spa Stampeed in 1980 LMAO

8/19/2006 11:25:49 AM