Does Anyone Speak Bull?

Living in the country, having horses and cattle for neighbors is quite pleasant. They're quiet most of the time, don't stay up late at night partying or even make huge unsightly messes. We do have to deal with an occasional "down-wind" smell, but it's tolerable, especially when I compare it to hogs. That is something that would definitely ruin an evening of outdoor entertaining with friends and family.

Most of the time the cattle just stare at us from across the fence while chewing their cud. The only real excitement we see from them is when the hay truck arrives and they go running as fast as they can toward the what truly drives them, food. Other than that it's quiet. That was until the bull came...


Mr. Bull is HUGE! With only barbed wire and cattle fencing between the back of our property and him, I'm really putting a lot of faith in its strength. Will it hold? Will it only discourage him? How close to the fence will he allow me to come near him now? Hmmm He's docile most of the time, thankfully. I've seen his owner go in and out (in some sort of truck or tractor) keeping safe, but I still have reservations about him.

You see, Mr. Bull at times paces and makes almost a crying sound. He goes on jags of this for hours and hours at a time. For me, who doesn't speak bull, senses stress of some sort. --or maybe that's my own stress that I'm sensing! Anyway, he's a good neighbor except when I see this.


Now, in steps the cattle neighbors from across the road in front of our house... With one of the recent rounds of the bull's cries, the cattle across the road started gathering at the edge of the fence and responding to Mr. Bull. They were facing each other and began this long distance conversation I'm sure I will never understand. They could've just been neighborly things like, "How's the grass over there?" or "Did you see that coyote that ran through here last night?" or it could something more serious like a plan for a breakout or something. Like I said, I don't speak bull. Do you?