As we combined a field of corn yesterday, our dog, Clay, a.k.a. Red, was sniffing out all the best smells on the end of the field. I brought load after load of corn to dump on the trucks and Clay continued to sniff. During one cart run, I noticed a black cat on the end of the field. “I wonder if he’ll find her,” I thought.
During one particular run, after I’d finished unloading corn onto the red truck and started back to the field, I looked down and saw Clay going crazy. He was barking and shaking uncontrollably and at first I was worried he was hurt. One of my worst fears is to run him over with my tractor and grain cart’s massive tires. So, I jumped out of the tractor to inspect the situation.
No injuries, just a Red dog cornering a Black cat. As I leaned in to see if there were any escape routes, she spazzed out, sputtering and hissing with all four legs flying. Both Clay and I jumped two feet in the air. I carefully leaned in again and could see Black was safely in the undercarriage of the truck and Clay would have to try some serious maneuvers to make it to where she was. Not that I’d be opposed to him catching her. It’s nature at work, after all.
So I returned to my job as grain cart operator extraordinaire. On another trip back, I noticed Clay running after new smells and thought Black must have escaped. Part of me was glad. Less bloodshed for the day.
Later that night, when Farmer Husband came home, he told me he had a hidden companion on the ride back to the yard. He’d taken the red truck to be dumped at the end of the day and when he parked, off ran the Black cat. She had stealthily ridden the two miles in the truck’s undercarriage to her freedom in a new land.
Victory was hers and Clay was left to fight another day.
What adventures have your animals been up to lately?
God Bless You and American Agriculture,
Liz
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)
The Farm Paparazzi 
My dog hounds my steps trying to be sure I don’t leave for town without her. I am glad your dog wasn’t wanting to play with a snake!
Me, too, Lois! Or a skunk. Cats are fine.
Have a safe harvest!! We have taken cats off of the farm before, but never brought a new one in, that I know of. š
Stones has been doing all the normal Stones things… you know, making Christmas merry by spreading the decorations out in his mouth, sleeping on freshly washed laundry, trying to suffocate me by laying on my face while I sleep. You know, the usual :). Loved browsing yours blog this morning, my dear friend! You rock!
Well, sure, totally normal. š You rock, too, friend!