The Adventures of Little Brown Calf

It is that time of year again, when the calves refuse to stay in the barns a moment longer and squeeze through gaps too small for their mothers to follow.

This little fellow keeps catching me by surprise. I glance out of the window and think "Feck! That's a big dog!" Then I realise it's a calf and relax again.

First thing this morning he was busy chasing ducks around the moat. An hour or so later I spotted him with two of his bovine brethren, a tiny herd in the midst of the huge field they had found their way into.

I continued on my way and met the farmer. "Your calves are in the big field!" I cheerily informed him.

He was unsurprised. It transpires that this is a calf with a genetic tendency to explore.

"You know who his mother is?"

I pondered. Only one cow it could be.

"Is it Jumping Cow?"

"The very same!"

That explains a lot. Jumping Cow did much as her name suggests. She would simply leap over the fence, racing horse style, and head down to the ticket office. I'm not quite sure why she liked the ticket office so much, but that's where she'd go. Quite a talking point for the visitors.

There is also Cow Who Can Open Gates With Her Tongue. Now that is impressive. But inconvenient, when you want to keep the herd in the shed. Such behaviour always leads to a bout of cow whispering.