The Day the Buffalo Came
and Our Daughter Left.
by
Dick Prosapio © 2004
"Holy Cow"! is what I would have said if I were
14. But when I walked into my office and saw four buffalo grazing
just outside my windows my exclamation referred to more basic cow
by-products.
There they were, shaggy, ear tagged, and big as
small earthmovers, munching away on our newly greened grasses. No,
this is not even a rare occasion for us. The buffalo never
ranged this far south in New Mexico. The only herd in the state is a
couple of hours north and, though fences do not stop them, it would
be a long walk to our place.
Instead of grabbing the camera and getting the
shots I would need to cut down on verbal descriptions, I ran out the
front door hoping they were young enough to be shooed off and not
feeling territorial as yet. After a few "He-yahs!" the startled
bunch made for our road and took off South to quieter pastures.
When cattle invade our spread the devastation is
widespread and total. They will eat anything and everything in
sight, knock down rain gutters, scratch themselves on house corners,
gobble our carefully tended flowers, trample and poop all over the
area in general. By contrast the buffalo were quite polite during
their visit, munching and moving, a few bites of chive, a drink from
the bird/dog water and that was it. But I had no way of knowing that
till I did a survey later.
Our old dog "Wuf" was breathing hard when he
showed up to report the invasion, a little late, but certainly awed
by the size of these large and unresponsive "dogs". Luckily, our
younger pup wasn't around or there might have been an uproar we
could have done without.
Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, our oldest daughter,
now 20, had finally left her very odd boyfriend, the one who really
doesn't feel up to holding a job for more than two or three months
at a time while she supports him, and she had come home to get her
life together. She was pale and thin and worn out, as she usually is
when involved with him, and this time, "At last!" we thought, fed
up.
So to speak.
After a week or two of withdrawal symptoms she
began to rally, getting a part time job, and getting herself into
the local Community College, and making plans for recovery. Her
"addiction" to him was more than she could totally overcome all at
once and she displayed all the symptoms of someone dropping a bad
habit.
Little by little, his siren call resumed in her
and, since we didn't tie her to the mast, she began to respond in
the old ways to his allure. Two days after the buffalo left, she did
too.
But she's stronger this time. She's getting a life
of her own and has dreams and expectations. One of them being that
he will support her in pursuit of what she desires for a change
rather than the one-way street which existed before.
You and I know this won't last. What with leopards
and spots and all.......but we wish her well and pray that all the
lessons will be learned more quickly and easily.....and, importantly
for us, we remembered to let go of the bicycle seat again hoping
this time that there will be no CRASH! as she moves back into
the traffic of her life.
As for the buffalo, maybe they'll come back for
another try at the bird water dish. This time we'll get autographs.
Dick Prosapio ©2004, All Rights
Reserved
