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Post by Toby Benoit on Jun 6, 2006 12:26:01 GMT 12.75
When I was a kid, my uncle EP had a monstrous bull that was half brahman and half holstein. He was a goliath!
His favorite "toy" was an old iron bathtub. He'd knock it around and get it on his head and flip it over his back, way up in the air. To a kid, it was mighty impressive and pretty darn scary. His back was higher than my uncles head and I wouldn't go anywhere near the bull pen!
However, despite my fears of his size and strength, he was gentle as a kitten. He'd come up and nuzzle my uncle until he'd give him a hung and scratch his ears. He really loved my uncle EP.
He went to the market though because he was too friendly. My uncle was getting up there in age and the bull knocked him down once and rubbed his head all over him, nuzzling, but that nuzzling broke six ribs and dang near killed the old fart!
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Post by othmar on Jun 6, 2006 16:08:30 GMT 12.75
You are all right. Bulls can be very gentle animals, provided they are treated well and feel to have to defend themselves.
However we should never forget that large animals can become quit dangerous, not because they nasty, but because of their sheer strength. Unlike humans, animals can not think that there are smaller and weaker animals and so they treat everything as one of them. Animal mother become gentle when they have young not because they think but because of a hormone that makes them more gentle during birth and raising of the young.
Many years ago I had similar experience as Toby's uncle. Wit the difference that my experience happen with elephants. The heard had me fully accepted as one of theres and one day I stumbled and fell. One of the elephants quickly came running to me and did what he would do with another elephant and tried to help me back on my feet. But in doing so and "thinking" that I am another elephant he used elephant force, in the process I broke my arm on two places and almost all of my ribs.
when people came to assist me the elephant stood over me as to protect me from "attackers". To any layman this must have looked like the elephant wanted to kill me, but fact is I knew the animal and how they behave and thus felt very safe in this situation from been trampled to death. As soon I could catch a breath I ordered the elephant to step back and let me go and that he did without hesitation.
I fully understand you Buck N' Beans. Many farmers I talk to will not believe that they are animal trainers when I tell them. And yet they are, they have their livestock perfectly conditioned to a time table and the cattle, chickens and even pigs will without being herded show up when the time to milk or feed is right. The beauty of such training is that it does not involve and whips and sticks. The animals natural curiosity is conditioned and thus no force is needed.
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Post by othmar on Jun 20, 2006 15:48:10 GMT 12.75
My back is feeling a lot better for a few days now and so I decided to go back to work and do some easy chores since we drown in work.
I stunned the cattle an worked the hide puller. Some of the young and new guys almost popped their eyes out of the skull. They could not believe that the "boss" can, or will, get down elbow deep into the dirt.
Everything went fine and I have no pain so I will go back tomorrow and do the same "easy" work and then gradually increase and I feel better still. I was getting so bored sitting at home and looking like a couch ornament.
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Post by Paws on Jun 21, 2006 0:54:16 GMT 12.75
Glad to hear you are back on your pins Othmar. Now you know what retirement feels like. Dumber than a bag of rocks isn't it? ;D
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Post by Two Tales on Jun 21, 2006 6:01:19 GMT 12.75
I was retired once....had to go back to work to get some rest ;D ;D ;D
Worked for my uncle in his slaughter/butcher house for a while during my youth...me and one of my cousins was the hide puller machine for a whole summer...the shop wasn't all that mechanized...now that was the closest I ever want to come to real work...
gald your feeling better Othmar..just watch them twists and turns...hate to see ya laid up again...
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Post by Toby Benoit on Jun 22, 2006 9:33:55 GMT 12.75
Super news Othmar! I'm glad your recovering quickly! I know all about being bored at home, It's a great place to eat and sleep, but I used to hate to spend time here. Now, I work here all of the time. Somedays I can become really claustrophobic and if I don't get outside for awhile, I feel like I'll go bonkers! Nothing better than fresh air, sunshine, and a little hard work to make a man feel like a man!
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Post by Brikatw on Jun 22, 2006 12:23:31 GMT 12.75
GREAT Othmar, now if UPS can EVER get your lures to you, you can put them to the test. I haven't checked yet today but last time I did, UPS couldn't find your place and had mailed you a postcard asking for directions.
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Post by othmar on Jun 22, 2006 14:06:42 GMT 12.75
Thank you all for your concern and wishes. Rest assured I am taking it easy and only do work that does not put any strain on my back.
Two Tales and Paws - I do not think that I would get bored in my retirement age, provided I can move around and still do stuff without running out of steam. I love to write and that is something one can do even if old as dirt.
Toby - I hear you loud and clear. A man, or any person needs something to do in life. It beats me how some folks can sit all day on their ass, scratch their scabs and moan about life. Luckily our home is a beehive as we have an open door policy for family and friends. There is always somebody showing up. The other thing is that my wife and I are also the best of friends and we really enjoy spending time together and do stuff or have conversations. Getting along with the "boss" makes a home so much more relaxing and "homely".
Brikatw - You forgot one little number in my address and UPS could not figure it out. Yet the street is not that long and there are really no other people with my name on that street. I phoned them up and now it is on its way here. Talk about stupid people or to use Paws phrase; "Dumber than a bag of rocks." UPS sent me a card to find out what house number I have, but the card never arrived here. Why? Because they used the same address as on the parcel. What makes them think that a card will arrive if the parcel doesn't? Beats me! Sometime you just got to laugh, otherwise you could cry about that much insanity. It's like hitting a hammer on your finger and then do it again to find out or it really hurts or if you just imagined it the first time.
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Post by Paws on Jun 22, 2006 23:37:42 GMT 12.75
Othmar, I near wizzed my britches! Haven't laughed that hard for a mighty long time! Are you sure that your delivery guys aren't working for our government? ;D They sure sound a lot alike!
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Post by Mars on Jun 23, 2006 8:49:03 GMT 12.75
Don't know about Canada but I would assume that they figured the regular postal service would find you if the address was close to being correct. The UPS driver (or any package delivery service) probaly lives far away and was not familiar with the area but your regular postal delivery would, hopefully, reconise your name and a partial address and you'd get the card. I've mailed letters that simply had a name and town/state and a message like, the yellow house across from the hardware store, and it got there.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Jun 23, 2006 10:07:35 GMT 12.75
Well, I'm happy that UPS is hiring the mentally handicapped. They gotta work too ya know!
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Post by othmar on Jun 23, 2006 15:11:10 GMT 12.75
Don't know about Canada but I would assume that they figured the regular postal service would find you if the address was close to being correct. The UPS driver (or any package delivery service) probaly lives far away and was not familiar with the area but your regular postal delivery would, hopefully, reconise your name and a partial address and you'd get the card. I've mailed letters that simply had a name and town/state and a message like, the yellow house across from the hardware store, and it got there. Very good news. UPS delivered Brian's fishing lures today. After looking at them and the beautiful box he made I am still speechless about it. The only word that comes to mind is beautiful and even that is an understatement. To answer your thoughts Mars. There was simply one to many "3" in the house number that is all. The UPS delivery branch is in our home town, to be exact only two blocks away from our house, - which I did not know as I usually do not deal with them. Our town is a Small rural town. I could understand if UPS would be in Vancouver or such far away place. But alas I have the lures here now. The family has seen them and a couple of friends and they are all speechless. My mother-in-law said what I thought. "They are to beautiful to take fishing, put these pieces of art in your display box in the office." I might do just that.
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Post by Mars on Jun 26, 2006 6:03:08 GMT 12.75
Glad to see you got your lures! Seems you need to go walk that driver down two blocks. Make sure you hold his hand so he doesn't get lost!
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Post by Paws on Aug 25, 2006 1:54:47 GMT 12.75
How goes the recovery? How about an update. ;D
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