Page 25 - LIfesOuttakes1

A Load Of Bull l It started out pretty much like any other project. Old John needed to load his bull into the cattle truck. He’d had the bull for a couple of years, and the bull’s offspring were coming of age, so the bull needed to be replaced in order to put new blood into the herd. Old John backed his truck up to the loading chute and prepared everything. He herded the bull into the pen, and everything was going as planned, until the bull caught sight of the ramp into the truck. Now, whether that bull had seen too many of his counterparts take a one-way trip in that truck, whether he caught wind of something he didn’t like, or whether he had a major aversion to being in a small metal cage on wheels, no one will ever know. But once the bull saw the truck, the whole process ground to a halt. Old John tried everything. He put grain in the truck to coax the bull in. He got a whip and tried to convince the bull that the truck was a preferred alternative. He tried everything he could think of, but the bull planted his feet and wouldn’t budge. By this time, as often happens in our farming community, everyone driving by had to stop and offer some, not always appreciated, advice. Pretty soon a small crowd of farmers had gathered. Old John, a man of few words, never said anything, though everyone else had an opinion on how to get the job done. It was suggested that they put a board through both sides of the chute, behind the bull, and then everyone could push. They found the biggest board they could and stuck it behind the bull. Three men got on each side and commenced pushing. But a bull that weighs over a ton can 20