the closest i've ever come to a cow was at a petting farm. but they're isolated and in a fence, so i know they won't hurt me. so today i was doing a site inspection (or field mission as jon would say) at this farm. the owner only used about an acre of this 50-acre property. the rest was grass. but as a responsible professional, it was my duty to walk the ENTIRE site. uck. at least it's nice out, although i don't appreciate the odor of cow dung.

how far to the edge of the property line? i ask..
see the cows? there's a fence there. do you see it? the owner says..
yes, i see the fence between me and the cows, keeping the cows on the other side. that's it?
yes. that far. you good? i go.

the owner only used about an acre of the site, which was fenced off and had chained gates. so i'm walking around all this vacant grassy land by myself and i notice the cows are moving...not just moving...moving towards where i am....i wonder how they hopped the fence and realized that the fenceposts were there, not so much the fence itself. CRAP. the cows are now RUNNING to where i am. mild panic. i don't like cows. they smell. and can they trample me? and i'm outside the safety fence (i had to climb over the fence). dammit. flash to me one minute later calling eric on my cell phone because i just totally ran from some cows and hopped a fence to safety.

i called the owner a couple hours later and asked if the cows were his. 'just beware of the bull, that's the only one you need to worry about.' gee, thanks. you'd think i'd get some kind of advanced notice. at least pay me more if i'm gonna have to run from stinky cows. needless to say, i didn't finish and i'm going back tomorrow with a truck.