#ILoveBeef but I'm kinda pissed at our cows

Two days ago, I headed up to our mountain pasture because Husbeast had a suspicion that our cows had busted out. His suspicion was spot on.

When I found our cows in the jungle of willows you see below, I could count 40. Translation: There were 80 in there.

We had to wait for a break in haying to get them and that came today.

This may not look like much, but here's the truth. It sucks. Where you see them, up on that bench is the decent part. But they have to come through all of those willows to get back to our water gap fence to go back where they belong.

The nearest we can tell is that there was a bull who actually belongs on that side, who discovered our cows. Wires were snapped and posts were bent, indicating that maybe he and our bulls got into it over who belonged where and with what cows, and everybovine won.

Weebeast and I had to take the look out where I'm standing above, while Husbeast and Bonus Daughter K headed to the back fence to make sure they were around all of them. Bonus Daughter L was guarding the neighbor's meadow and waiting for further action.

We sat and watched and waited and pointed while Husbeast brought the cows to the willows. My dog was thoroughly unimpressed with the fact that she was on the waiting committee with me.

But! That moment came when Husbeast whistled and hollered and asked me to come down into the willows and flank while he shoved and beat brush. Obviously the dog was thrilled. I knew, however, what was in store. You see, horses don't come on this trip. The willows are so thick, that I even wonder how the bloody heck the cows even make it through some of these trails. I crouch walked my way to 11,000 steps today. I hit my head on more willows than I can count. I walked into and through stinging nettle and thistles. Husbeast was doing the same thing on his side.

Cows were bawling at calves, the girls were yelling to us to let us know where the cows were, we were hollering at cows and whistling at dogs, Weebeast was guarding trails and we slowly crashed and mashed our way to the fence.

Husbeast had cut the remaining wires so we could put the cows back in a spot we knew they were aware of.

From my vantage on my side of the "jungle" I finally saw cows headed up the hill on our pasture. They weren't real happy about it, but they knew that was where they belonged. They kept bellering at each other and drew the remaining cows out of the brush.

We only had to circle back around once, to get a cow and two of our bulls who missed the memo.

Some of the trails opened up to some kind of nice hidey-holes and Weebeast decided he wants to have his birthday there. Not sure how I feel about that. It smells an awful lot like cow poop.

We did manage however, to come out of there clean. We even scooped up two of the neighbor's cows and the bull we can blame for the day's adventure.

We also managed to find our sense of humor, deep in that jungle.

The longest part of the day came when we had to put the fence back together. Lordy, they made a mess out of things. We added a special touch this time and put a solar panel up.

Not gonna lie...I'd kind of like to be there when that first cow hits that hot wire with her nose...