A couple of weeks ago I heard a commotion in our driveway and went out to find a yearling cow with two ropes on her running down our driveway, followed in hot pursuit by two of our Costa Rican neighbors.
You would think I could mind my own business and let them handle the cow. But NO, the cow stopped just above the turn-a-round in a little patch of coffee and I decided to help out and proceeded to grab the rope in an effort to stop the cow before it got below our house into the really steep coffee fields.
I don’t know what possessed me to think that a 70 year old man could hold a 1000 pound cow, and when I gave a tug on the rope the cow took off and ran into our carport. In the process I was jerked through the air about 6 feet onto the cement driveway, Fortunately, I landed on my feet and for the first time used a little sense and let go of the rope.
The cow stopped in our carport and just about then Mary came out of our house to see what was making the ruckus. As Mary came out the door the cow raised her tail and let go with a large cow poop. If you are not familiar with fresh cow poop it has a tendency to splatter. This was a pretty good load and splattered all over the carport, in the process getting a little on Mary. Needless to say she was a quite surprised with the greeting she received and beat a hasty retreat, leaving the cow and the poop on our carport tile.
By then the two fellows reached us yelling “disculpe, disculpe.” (I am sorry) and got hold of the ropes. With much difficulty and bloody hands from the rope they managed to pull the cow out of our carport and eventually by levering the rope around trees coaxed the cow up the road, back to the pasture.
That left me with a chagrined wife, a large pile of cow poop on the carport with splatters for about 15 feet in all directions.
Knowing Mary’s aversion to animal excrement I got the shovel and cleaned it up.
This episode reminded me that I am no match for a cow and that every day in Costa Rica affords a new adventure, some more pleasant than others.
Pura Vida
Fred and Mary
Next a new website and “Gardening in Costa Rica”
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