Hastings Strollers: June 2013

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Stymied by three heifers and a bullock........

We had lovely weather for our Coomb Valley walk, and some lovely scenery, but the map was not to scale, which caused some deviations, and after redirection from a very helpful lady and her dog, we were held to ransome! There was a path running alongside and above a grazing area for cows. The above mentioned cattle had somehow managed to clamber up the bank and had taken possession of the path. We were wary about shooing them back down the bank, as we couldn't see where they had got up, and didn't wish to be responsible for some harm to them. As we tried to move past one, to be known henceforth as Hoaratia, she moved towards her mates, thus blocking our way to a gate. As we moved nearer, they moved nearer the gate. We had hoped some distant memory would occur to them and they would scramble down from whence they'd come, but it was not to be.

Horatia turned towards us, took up a stance, dropped her white face and said "Thou shalt not pass!"
And galling as it is to confess, we didn't! A friend later said in such circumstances she had pushed through the cattle and climbed over the gate, but I have to confess, at the time this didn't occur to us, and with one pair of arthritic knees, one pair of arthritic shoulders and a case of sever bovinophobia, I think our chances were small. And our main concern remained, the cattle mya have taken action and hurt themselves. However, it is comforting to find we are not alone! http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=19830.0

Obviously, we retraced our steps! This is my third attempt to grips with Coomb Valley, and probably the last!

I'm sure you know, but to view photos full screen, click on photo