This week has been an interesting one with Gracie…to make things more interesting the heat here in Iowa is oppressive. Â Records have been broken for the “feels like” temperatures as they have surpassed 110 degrees.
Monday, in the heat, my hubby needed help locking the cattle out of the shed. Â He needed to put bedding in the shed to make the steers more comfortable and the only way to do that is to lock the cattle out. Â We had a horrible time. Â One pen of cattle did not want to cooperate at all. Â I was wearing my “outdoor shoes” which happen to be clogs. Â I was trying to stay out of the deepest poop….no luck. Â I sunk in deeper and my clogs filled with liquid poop. YUCK!! Â After that, I was running everywhere through the poop, still the cattle wouldn’t get out of the shed. Â The cattle would run and kick up their heels and poop would fly right at me. Â UGH!
Then Gracie decided she would help and ran into the pen…UGH. Â Now I knew this cattle adventure meant an immediate bath for me and for Gracie. Â Well the cattle are not used to seeing Gracie in their pen so they all turned away from the door and came to investigate the “new friend in their pen”. Â UGH…Finally I yelled at Gracie, got her out of the pen, and steers headed toward the door. Â Just as I thought they would go out, one doubled back. Â My mouth was open and piece of liquid poop flew at me, flew into my mouth and landed at the back of my throat. Â I started coughing and gagging….UGH. Â There were still 8 steers left in the pen. Â By now I was angry, very hot, and completely frustrated.
I took off my shoes and threw them out of the pen and ran through the poop barefoot.
Typically when working with cattle we can get the whole pen of 125 steers out the door in one big swoop. Â Not this time. Â I would run to the back of the pen while hubby watched the gate and we would fight to get one more out. Â I’d run to the back of the pen….and so it continued. Â Honestly, it was the worst time EVER!! Â In the heat, sweat was pouring off me. Â My bra, underwear and all my clothes were soaked with sweat. Â After a Gracie’s bath, my shower, and copious amounts of water I still felt like I could taste that poop in my mouth….After a sit down in front of the air conditioner, and two beers, I felt a little better.
Yesterday, it war still hot…hotter than the day before. Â I had to mow lawn. Â Gracie was having a blast! Â She was running all around the yard and sniffing EVERYTHING. Â I was out for an hour and a half mowing and she was running and hanging out the whole time. Â After that I was in the garden picking cucumbers. Â I heard Gracie in the cornfield on the sent of something running an barking. Â She didn’t come in the house for another hour.
I was gone in the afternoon and came home in the evening. Â Hubby said he had let her out and she was gone over an hour and he was worried about her. Â She finally came back and plopped herself in front of the air conditioning. Â Kalissa looked at her and realized Gracie’s eyes weren’t right. Â They were completely blood shot and one eye wouldn’t even focus. Â It was rolled back and looking VERY NASTY. Â Kalissa grabbed the camera to take a picture but I would let her. Â I could tell by looking at her that bright light would irritate her eyes. Â I worried and fretted. Â Gracie is never outside that much and typically she stays out of the cornfield. Â Hubby thought she could have injured her eye…I thought maybe too much sun. Â Either way, I was sure I’d be taking her to the vet today…
I woke up this morning and checked on her….here she’s a little squinty and you can tell her eyes are a bit sore….then I showed her a treat and WOW…her eyes looked much more like normal.
There’s still a little red in the white of her eye…but not bad at all. Â Last night…it was so nasty I started to worry if she might even loose her eye.
I swear…she is as a bad as having a kid. Â Today I’m keeping her inside….for the most part and letting that eye heal….Hopefully today won’t bring anymore “adventures”.
Doesn’t Gracie know that you arent supposed to stick out your tongue? (referring to first picture) I got soap in my mouth AT CHURCH for sticking out my tongue and Gracie does it and you blog about it! I swear you let her get by with EVERYTHING! I think you love her more than me mom!
If she was in the corn she might have caught a leaf in her eye–but I certainly understand the worry and relief. And your ordeal with the cattle brought back so many memories. My dad was a livestock dealer and I was forever in the barnyard barefoot when I was a kid–but I was never allowed to run at the cattle–it had to be quiet and peaceful–which mostly worked–at least I never got covered in manure!! :) Glad Miss Gracie is better!
Oh, what a rough day for you! Could Gracie’s eye have gotten scratched by the corn? Or maybe it’s an allergic reaction? Hope she is better soon.
You and Gracie certainly had a bad day – praying this day is better for the both of you. We sure worry about our pets – they’re family!
You’ve had a heck of a couple of days. And this miserable heat and humidity doesn’t help any. Whatever I don’t get done outside by about 9am just doesn’t get done. Whoever invented AC didn’t get paid nearly enough!!!
Poor Jo! Poor Gracie! I’m so glad that you both seem better after the heat and poop misadventures.
I also love seeing Gracie sitting on your Chain of Faith quilt from Moda Bakeshop. Thank you so very much for sharing that pattern with us! I just finished hemming mine and I love it!
What a tale…need more beer…I can still imagine cow poop in my mouth! So glad Gracie is recovering!
All I can say is…Yuck!, EEEWWWWW!, Gross!, AHHHH! and Hmmmm.
I’d have to drink a whole six pack!
you need to stay out of this heat, lady! running after the cows then mowing for an hour and a half! whew! when you first mentioned the cow pen i looked at gracie in the first pic and immediately saw those usually bright white legs of hers darker than normal and figured she must have been ‘helping’! i’m surprised miss gracie doesn’t take off for all nighter’s, being a beagle and having the fields to roam. glad her eye is okay. it’s hard to do, but sometimes i have to force myself to wait a little while before taking the dog or cat to the vet because they usually heal up by themselves pretty quickly. stay cool!
Lovely.
When Tony’s eye was red and swollen the vet told me to give him benadryl. He suggested four, but I would expect Gracie to need less. :D
Oh my gosh Jo, what a funny story you tell. Sorry it’s at yours and Gracie’s expense. The ending seemed to work out well though, both of you with TREATS! Beautiful quilt by the way. Sandi
We have had that happen to our beagle when they have chased rabbits a lot, especially in the heat. Dh thought it was from running through the weeds and grass. In Gracie’s case, probably corn. glad she is doing better. Oh my goodness, what a day you had! I am glad you finally got the cattle to cooperate. I didn’t realize that you are in Iowa. I am in Missouri, so we are neighbors. (grin) This has been the hottest and most humid year I can remember in a long time. The bugs have been horrible as well.
I just read your post about the cattle and laughed myself silly. I am not and have never been a farm person, strickly city girl all the way. Thank you for the chuckle. BTW I am Stacey’s MIL.
What an adventure…I now know I am not suited to having cattle! Thanks for the chuckle though…hope you see the humor now! Stay cool!
Glad Gracie is feeling better! And even gladder we don’t have cows!
I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time you were trying to get the cattle out but I laughed like mad at your story. A video would have been a sure hit on “America’s Funniest Videos”.
Glad Gracie is getting better – it’s always hard to know exactly what’s wrong when they can’t talk to you.
Keep cool – stay in the house and quilt!