As I was driving up our drive yesterday I saw something which compelled me to call my mom even though I was only a few feet away from the front door.

"Hello?"

"Hello," said I. "Why is there a grizzly bear in the turnout?"

It wasn't a grizzly bear, which I knew. But it sure looked like one. The biggest bull I had ever seen was pacing nervously back and forth in the turnout that didn't currently house any of our animals. I thought. My mom explained briefly on the phone. Lil' bit explained more later.

It seems that the neighbor's bull had escaped and had been running around in the street. So lil' bit ran out to the street just as a truck plowed down and managed to miss the bull (whose name happens to be "Sammy," apparently). My sister and I have already made friends with this bull. Last summer he chased us through the back field and treed us and my friend (who was pretty unhappy with the whole thing, I must admit). But in retrospect we realized that he had wanted cookies. Sammy is friendly and sweet and scary. He's the kind of cow that would kill you by accident and then apologize.

Anyway, there lil' bit was, calmly herding Sammy back down his drive with two sticks. "Really, Elly May," she told me later, "with a cow this size, you don't make him do anything. you just hope he agrees with your ideas." Sammy turned back into the streets again, so lil'bit finally decided to herd him down our drive where we have a gate to block his escape. She told me that people were slamming on their brakes and leaning out their car windows with deep concern.

"Oh my goodness! Are you alright honey? Do you need help?"

I guess you can't blame them. Lil' bit lives up to her name. She's very petite for a 14 year old and looks more fragile than she is. These people haven't ever seen her carrying 50lb bags of feed.

My darling sister assured all of the bystanders that she was fine and could handle this enormous animal. And she did, calmly encouraging him to go up our drive. My dad came out and together they convinced him that the best course of action was to wander into the turnout, which was where I found him, pacing nervously around and snorting, as I returned from classes.

The next day the neighbors came to retrieve their bull and we haven't seen him since and life on the funny farm has returned to normal. Whatever that is.