Rural Neighborhood Watch


There is all too often much to be said about head-butting and conflict between neighbors in rural communities.  In every one of the two or three homesteading forums or pages that I have belonged to on social media over the past 20 years one constant complaint is about neighbors; trespassing dogs, kids or other livestock, shooting, peeping toms, thieving...and whatever other annoying rural eccentricity you can name.  

Here, however, I am pleased to say that although we are all eccentric in our own ways, the Howards not the least, we form a pleasant community and are always ready to come together and lend a hand.  

Yesterday was a case in point.  

Young Zach, from several miles up the road, had acquired a new bull for his beef herd, but before he went home he had to stop by Keith's place across the road.  Keith does large equipment repairs.  Whilst Mr Headings was parked there, the bull decided he was tired of this nonsense and leaped out of the trailer somehow.  (The back half of the trailer didn't have a top on it)  He was fairly "tame" as far as bulls go, but when a ton of muscle decides he doesn't want to do something and is on the lam, it's not easy to get him back where he isn't keen to go.  

It was a few minutes after this escape that Ellen heard the dog barking and having a general fit.  I went outside and found half the neighborhood guys and the bull.  Keith had made a couple of calls and here came a few neighborhood men with a truck or on their ATVs to help.  In the photo above you can see how they'd all blocked off the road down to the creek bottoms with their vehicles, and were herding the bull into the corral back behind our milk barn.  

So kudos to Keith, Dan, Richard and his son for coming up to help Zach out, and to Gary, (who happened to be out on a well job and missed the whole show) for keeping our handy corral back behind the barn.  Zach was very appreciative and thanked us for all the help.  

It is a good thing to have neighbors you can count on to help out in a pinch.  And there wasn't one of us there who hadn't been in the same situation in one way or another; escaped livestock.  Helping your neighbor is just what we do here.  In a society that seems to be going crazy, it is nice to know that communities still care and support each other. 

Comments

Donna. W said…
Good news indeed!
May 30, 2024 at 6:55 PM
Calfkeeper said…
Yes. It's nice when everyone works together and it all goes smoothly.
June 1, 2024 at 6:41 AM
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