Searching for a stray Bull on the Property

cute small black dogThe cattle theme continued last week. We took a walk through the property over the weekend. I stopped to rest and John and Roxy went a little farther to look at the view from our neighbor’s pasture. I was resting and enjoying the view when I heard something unusual behind me. I looked back and saw four people approaching me. Earlier in the day we heard and saw hunting dogs on our property. I thought for a moment that this gang might be the hunters, but I didn’t see or hear any dogs.

The three younger people walked right up to me, stopped and smiled. They surprised me and the majority of my Spanish escaped me at that moment. All I could think to ask was, “How are you?” and then proceed to tell them that this is private property and to kindly leave. As I’m talking to them I see the fourth person, an elderly man, sitting on the ground talking on his cell phone with a lasso in the other hand. I got John’s attention and he came back to where I was, at the same time the old man finished his call and came to me. Everyone was all smiles and didn’t seem threatening.

The girl thought Roxy was very cute, even as she growled, barked and tried to bite all of them. She asked me what her name was. I didn’t think it was appropriate to tell them her name. Roxy was trying to protect us and I thought it would be confusing if all of a sudden this stranger said her name. I told her the dog’s name was Bear, Osa in Spanish. Everyone thought that was funny. After some more talking we determined that they were looking for a bull that strayed from the neighbor’s finca about three weeks ago. We had heard about the escaped bull but thought they would have come to retrieve it a long time ago.

The younger boy in the group, looking obviously tired and parched, drank some water from their big plastic Coke bottle and immediately proclaimed how foul it was, yuck! The old man grinned and said he had put a little whiskey in the bottle. We decided all was OK and allowed the group to walk to the spring to refresh their drinking bottle and look for the bull. I hope they found it. I certainly want them to find it before I do. As things are in Costa Rica, if stray animals come onto your property, or even if you find a stray on the road you can claim it as yours. One of our workers said this happened with two of his horses that escaped. His neighbors found the horses and sold them at auction. I guess I could sell the bull if I find it, but more likely I would be happy if he hung around a while and made a dent in some of the overgrown grass on our property.

The first picture is of Roxy, a.k.a Osa. The others are of flowers seen on the property.