Adventures With Bob

Bob is in my feed room, in the barn, right now. Well, at least I'm hoping that he's still in the feed room, and hasn't jumped out, or otherwise smashed his way through. What an evening...

Upon going out at eight 'o' clock this evening to do chores, I found that Bob had crashed through his fence AGAIN, for what makes the 5th or 6th time. He contentedly grazed on the opposite side of the 6' woven wire horse fence. Oblivious to my presence.

I took care of barn chores first, before going to deal with the behemoth. By the time I got to him, it was 8:30, and the remaining sunlight was quickly melting into the western mountains. Bob knew the routine well enough to put up only a small fuss before walking me back to his pen (notice who is walking who, here!). I was slightly annoyed with him, but was used to this happening. I turned my back on him to close the gate and heard the sound of fence posts and fencing rattling. I whirled around just in time to see Bob wham the fence with sledge hammer force and escape back to the pasture! Aargh!! It really is impressive to see him down the fence though... He is such a monster that he may as well be knocking down a Lincoln Log structure. I pounded those fence posts in deep and wired the posts to the fencing. Heidi has always been my fence wrecker, but she couldn't budge this prison wall while trying to get to Bob today. 

Bob was retrieved once again, but I didn't know what to do with him now! Scratching my head in frustration, I tied Bob to a post in his stall, which happened to be the main source of support to the chicken coop/rabbitry wall. I began walking away, preparing to either fix the fence in the dark, or configure some sort of door to keep him in the stall overnight. I had barely gotten ten feet away when I heard the noise of wood groaning. I looked back and saw in horror that Bob was straining at his rope and the wooden wall was beginning to give way!! No! No! No! Don't do it Bob! Don't you dare break that!! I sprinted back to Bob, who knocked me flat on the ground before I could untie him. I got up again, and was this time bashed against the wall by his heavy head. My fingers couldn't seem to untie this knot! 

I finally managed to get the lead rope untied and tried to lead Bob into the barn. He plunged and reared ahead of me. It became a match of wills. Strengths pitted against each other in the darkness of the night... I was no match for him, so it became a dance. He reared and came down, trying to make his skull hit mine; I stepped back right before he made contact and side stepped him. We repeated that move three times before he gave up. We glared at each other and I harbored some very dark feelings towards him at that moment. I was in no mood to argue now. Bob, you follow me NOW! I put the lead rope over my shoulder and hauled. 

Okay... We're in the barn now, but what am I supposed to do with him here?? I thought about putting him in a kidding stall but that would mean he would have to go in the pen with the girls first, and I really didn't need him getting any rowdier! My eyes roved the small barn before resting on the feed room door... It was that or nothing.

  So what started out as evening chores, was now turning into a mad-dash cleaning spree! All the empty feed bags had to go out. The feed barrels came out, the old wire was moved. Everything came out while Bob stood in there crying his head off. 

  I finished my work and stood back. Bob tried slipping through the 8" gap on the bottom, but got stuck halfway. He tried jumping over, but his bum foot kept him from doing it. He tried bashing the door like he does the fencing, but it stayed. He sighed a deep sigh, turned around and commenced to eating hay.

Ha! Victory is MINE you big fiend!

But we'll see who gets the last laugh tomorrow morning... I still don't know what I'm going to do about that fence...

Oh Bob... What would I do without you? I would be so much less sore, and my mind wouldn't be so occupied with cooking up new plots of containment for you if you weren't here... I suppose I might be rather bored! But Bob, couldn't you at least be a bit more of a gentleman? Please? We'll discuss that more in the morning I guess, won't we big boy?

Bucks... Oy. I think I'll stick to AI on my goats from now on. I can handle a buck in a tank!