What a Load of Bull!

On my walk yesterday, I was strolling down a track, in between two fields when I saw a bull ahead of me. Over a bank, so not that clear. I continued walking and then started to wonder, is that bull in the field or on the path? I slowed down, the bull didn't. I was fortunate that I stopped next to a gate going into one of the fields because I could now see that the bull was not in a field, it was free! Talk about Pamplona: I did NOT volunteer for this and turning on my heels to run away did not seem to me to be a sensible option!

I squeezed through the gate into the field ... muddy, Glastonbury muddy! I felt safe now so took lots of snaps as the bull came nearer and nearer. The grunting, laboured breathing as it ambled up the hill even made me feel nervous: is that heavy breathing because it is tough walking up hill when you're a bull? Or was it the heavy breathing of a bull that is getting ready to attack? How little I know!

The bull slowed to a stop, just beyond the gate, my gate! It turned left and came back down to the gate! It pushed its head through the gate. I really was nervous, it wanted to come into my field, my refuge! I pushed the gate as if I could outweigh half a tonne of beef with attitude!

It tried twice to get through the gate and then seemed to remember that all it had to do was to go upward a little bit further and walk over the barbed wire fence: it just walked back into the field. I was astounded: this animal was free to wander and free to come into my field. I squeezed back out through the gate and back onto the track. The bull carried on to join its friends and I breathed again!

Here is my photo evidence of the above!!

DW

I have never heard the heavy, laboured breathing of a bull at such close quarters before.

At this point, when the bull was breathing its heaviest, it stopped and turned round to face me, I was worried! I can't remember concentrating so hard on anything, ever!

Now it wanted to get through the gate: through the gate!

Gone! It looked back at me once but then sallied forth away from me!