As dusk fell, I trudged over to feed the ducks – they were clustered around their water container and I figured that they were probably hungry. Amy generally feeds them of a morning, but I don’t remember her asking for help with the pellets this morning, so the ducks were hungry.
A little bit of back story:
We have access to water from the river, pumped right to our doorstep. This water waters the garden, keeps the tank for flushing the toilet full, waters the trees and keeps the duck containers full. In effect, we have a giant hose running from one end of the paddock to the other, being dragged to wherever we need water next.
The tap for this hose lives in the paddock next door, which I can just reach with my hand if I pop my arm through the fence and strain.
Anyway.
So as I wandered over to the ducks, I noticed the last little bit of light glinting on a … puddle?
A puddle? That’s odd. We haven’t had that much rain.
As I got closer, I noticed that the hose was running and oh wow, the back of the paddock was flooded.
I fed the ducks and grumbling about my forgetful partner the whole time, traipsed back to the house to growl at him for leaving the water running.
‘Nat! Why is the hose running?’
‘I don’t know.’
His face doesn’t have the characteristic glint he gets when he is fibbing to me.
‘The hose is running. You must have forgotten to turn it off!’
‘No. I didn’t turn it on. When did you fix the duck’s water last? You must have forgotten about it.’
‘No. I remember turning it off, because I hurt my shoulder doing it.You certain you didn’t forget to turn it off? Remember I asked you to do the ducks water yesterday afternoon?’
‘Well yes, but I forgot. So it wasn’t me.’
‘Maybe the farmer?’
‘Maybe the farmer.’
‘Surely he wouldn’t.’
‘Hmmmmmm.’
‘Anyway, I’m going to go and turn it off, duck’s water should be full now.’
As I walked over to the other side of the property I looked for clues – were there tyre tracks leading up to the tap? No? The farmer NEVER walks to the tap, he drives over, through the waist high grass.
Funny, the grass is all flattened.
I reached my hand through and ….
Oh wow.
That’s right. I remember seeing that.
The tap is covered in dry saliva.
The paddock is, at the moment, full of cows.
Well, steers anyway. (castrated males)
Half grown steers. Little more than weaned babies.
And yesterday, they were standing around the tap, mouthing it and using it to scratch their faces.
The tap was only turned on half a turn. The pressure is the same no matter how far you turn it on, but we turn it on all the way, just in case. Just in case of what? I don’t know, don’t judge me.
The cows, they’d scratched and mouthed so much that they’d turned on the water.
Wow.
Remind me to keep an eye on the hose from now on?
Love it! Hope the cows leave the tap well alone from now BG Xx
and who said cows weren’t the smartest of animals…or maybe they’re not that smart, flooding out their paddock. I like cows, even if they do silly things 🙂
Mystery solved. I’d been wondering if someone had been sleepwalking.
LOL at least you figured it out eh? 🙂
Clever cows!
lol
Hopefully it doesn’t happen again
LOL
As you say, you hadn’t had much rain lately…and rain makes grass grow… 😉
Is it weird tht I think thats actually kind of sweet? Like I fin the idea of baby cows suckling on a tap really cute?
Yes. It is weird. Don’t answer that. But I’m totally loving on cows right now because I’m hormonal and I watched four seconds of the Ohio Dairy Farm video and it was so horrible that even as someone who is all ABOUT the met-love, I kind of want to go sit in a field and hug me some cows.
Also, is there a more wonderous sight than ducks who have found a left-on hose? I used to leave a hose on for ours sometimes, watching a massive puddle form, just because they were so *happy* playing in the water. Now with the wisdom of years I can totally see why that pissed my mom off so much. Sorry, mom.
Also? That should read ‘meat-love’. Not met-love. I don’t love The Met. They do a fine job policing the streets of my city but I wouldn’t say I *love* them. We’re just good friends.
And now I’m giggling. Meat-love. he he he.
Hmmm, next thing you know they’ll be opening the paddock and sneaking out at night. Better keep an eye on those cows!
Haha oh that’s cool. shame it wasn’t spotted earlier
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