Bessie Runs Away

Just beyond our backyard in the rolling hills lives Bessie the calf and her mother, Molly.
Yesterday I noticed Bessie outside of her yard and in my yard. The ground was soft and wet from the torrential downpour the previous 3 nights. She was sinking several inches with each step in the small wooded area that we promised to leave uncleared. It's part of the Civil War battelfield, it comprises the last 50 feet of our yard and we call it the "back 50".

Molly wandered the perimeter of the fence around her yard for most of the day. Her momma was mooing as she watched her baby wander up and down the fenceline hour after hour. The rest of the herd joined in and it was a chorus of worried cows with one bull.

The farmer came speeding through the field on his golf cart around 5:00 PM, opened the gate and spent 45 minutes coaxing Bessie back to her own yard. It's really an art, coaxing livestock. Walk too close to Bessie and she turns and goes the opposite way. Not close enough and she runs too far ahead.
As you can see in the second picture, Bessie recognized her momma and shortly thereafter she made a beeline through the gate and joined Molly.

I think Bessie got a real chewing out when she made it through that gate. Honestly, the full grown cows mooed and mooed. Either glad to have her safely home or mad that she caused them so much worry. How do you feel when your lost child finally shows up?