Well actually it was more than a close shave…. it was a very scary experience. So much so that I had to calm down before recounting the story to you all.
On the Saturday before Christmas we were late heading into Portumna (our closest town). It was about 3.45 pm by the time we were all cleaned up, in the clean clothes and ready to go. It was one of those mid-winter dull days, and a storm was due.
We’d only got a few miles along the main road (R439) when on-coming cars started to flash their lights at us. Alfie was driving, so he slowed down to see what the problem was. Well, guys, it was 3 young cattle walking the road! And, yes, of course, they were black with just white faces. We reckoned afterwards that they were perhaps 1 year old.
It was dusk and getting dark rapidly. This was not a safe situation.
We did the only thing we could think of… there was no way you could leave them there. They were a danger to themselves and to human traffic. We put on the hazard lights, Alfie got out with torch (no idea how come that was in the car), I switched over to being the driver. Alfie managed to turn cattle around and started to herd them towards a gate about 500 m away.
This road is quite narrow and very busy.
The cattle were so terrified.
Eventually Alfie signalled to me to get ahead of him, and open the gate. I parked the car where it was in full view of oncoming traffic…. lights on, and hazards going. Oh, and by the way, the storm had now arrived and it was suddenly dark although only 4.15 pm, and the rain was torrential (and no I did not have a jacket with a hood!!!).
Alfie is very slowly moving the cattle towards the gate. They were so frightened, they kept stopping. Alfie was able to walk right up to them and touch them to move them on.
Meanwhile I’m standing in front of the car lights, both ‘stopping the gap – so cattle wouldn’t get past and waving frantically at cars coming along to slow down. First one slowed and then moved slowly on. Second one did…. I turned my back on her for a second to see where Alfie was with the cattle…. and guys, next thing she put her foot to the floor and drove straight at me! It was the sound of the engine that made me turn just in time to be able to jump out of the way!
I cursed very loudly.
Alfie has admitted that if he had not been there, and I told him the story he would have said I was exaggerating…. but he heard and saw what happened.
We eventually got the poor animals safely into the field before a catastrophic accident was caused.
So did this woman think I was going to try to abduct her? What was she thinking? It really was the most bizarre and dangerous behaviour ever.
A Year In Redwood 