Maw, the Cows are Out

City people don't get calls like I get at work in the middle of the afternoon. When you live in a city, your husband calls you at work and says things like


"Can you pick up some milk on the way home?" or
"I think a light burnt out in the kitchen today" or even (if you're really lucky)
"What do you want for dinner tonight?"


But no, I live in the country. And my husband is full-time stay-at-home-dad as well as full-time farmer. I get calls like this.


"The truck died. I'm 3.5 hours away from you and have a full trailer full of just-processed frozen chickens." 

or
"I never did get around to chainsawing today because there are 3 fire trucks here from my unplanned prairie burn"


2008 Unplanned prairie burn

or this last Friday at 3:30 pm
"Everything got out. Cows and sheep, and I can't get them back in. I need more manpower!"


At that last one, echoing in my ears I heard with a nice hillbilly drawl, "Maw, the cows're out." 

This isn't our land, by the way. This is our neighbor's land. 

Did I mention it was freezing cold out? 


This is what they did to the portable netting when they got out:

They snapped the support post. Sigh. 


I keep thinking that after a few years, I won't get these phone calls at work anymore, but I'm beginning to think they are just part of the deal. 


I'm still glad he calls me when he needs help.