Sergeant Moo Moo

Does this cow look innocent to you? From a distance, the cows are great. However, lately the cows have been hovering around the trail between school and my apartment and they have been hanging out around the sidewalk to the study space. I just really don't like walking two feet away from the cows--I don't want to scare them---they have HORNS!! Here is a picture of the trail with cows nearby from a few weeks ago. Lately, they' ve been eating the grass right next to the trail. Note that the cement ends after a 100 feet or so then it is just dirt---they've been eating on the trail too.

Last night, we were leaving our apartments to go to the study space. Before leaving, Farley warned me that there were flying bugs, I don't know what they are, outside my door. I had a plan of attack: I put on my glasses, turned off the lights had everything packed and ready to go, then I rushed out of the house, while pursing my lips, and ran toward his door. I managed to get inside before too many bugs did. After we made our escape plan, we exited his house and ran with the fury of a t-ball player, who after making contact with the ball was rushing to first base. I thought we were safe, however, I was wrong. The cows were out. There were two (with horns) about 15 feet from the sidewalk leading to the study space. As we walked past the Ross University Housing toward the study space, we noticed about ten cows walking toward us--probably five feet from us. I would, under oath, tell you that these cows appeared to be in formation. Do you remember the movie, "The Mighty Ducks"? I think these were the mighty cows in slightly flattened out version of the "flying V"--perhaps it was the "walking M." Now, Farley on the other hand, says I'm being silly and that cows are not in the military nor do they move in formation. But, I still think there is a Sergeant Moo Moo out in my back yard.

After we dodged the cows, and their new calves--which makes cows extra feisty, we had to walk under a short light and again had to resume the closed mouth, closed eye run to avoid the insect. YUCK! Upon finally reaching the study space, we realized that there were insects ALL over. Just buzzing around and flying into people. I say that they were attacking, but Farley likes to remind me that these bugs don't bite people and suggested that they are just stupid and fly into people by accident. None of this matters to me: I hate insects! Farley kindly suggested that we should go home because I wouldn't last even ten minutes in the study space (he is correct--I'd probably last two minutes). This means that we had to cross the insects and cows again!


We managed to get through the insects using our time tested approach of pursing lips, closed eyes and running (it is one of the few times I have run in my adult life). If you want a complete visual image, remember I'm caring a 20Lb backpack, carrying a travel coffee mug, and I've never been graceful. Anyway, we passed the swimming pool and were in the homestretch, when I saw the heard of cows lining the sidewalk. Yes, about a dozen cows were all two feet from a two-foot wide sidewalk. I'm not afraid of the cows, but I respect them. They are HUGE and just had calves, which they are very protective of. So I begged Farley to walk around to the other entrance of our apartment complex. By the time we walked around, some of the cows had moved down towards us. We stomped, shook our keys and made a bunch of noise as you really don't want to accidental sneak up on a cow, especially one with horns and calves!


Farley didn't see this, but two of the calves were playing after we walked past them and bumped into their Mom. When the mother cow bumped the two little cows away from her with her hip. I just about fell over laughing (while not opening my mouth, as the bugs were back). I really don't want a several hundred pound cow bumping me with her hip so I will happily keep my distance form them.


Okay, back to my studies. The ten tests in two weeks starts this Thursday, August 7, 2008. Keep me in your prayers!!