Saturday 22nd November - All 25 seen

At 09:20 this morning, I met a group of nine cattle at the western end of Sandy Hill, just before they moved under the trees to shelter from the heaviest rain. They were all very friendly, coming over to say hello and enjoy some strokes. Once the rain eased, steers 217, 220, 222, 228, 270, and 271, along with cows 72, 214, and 234, followed the path west and then headed down the slope into the pasture near ///compounds.fits.torso to graze. They returned regularly for extra strokes and rubs, particularly enjoying having the excess water brushed from their backs and sides. Youngster 222 and yearling 271 were especially affectionate, relishing long neck rubs and thanking me with gentle head nudges. All nine were happy, relaxed, and looking well. I said my goodbyes at 10:30, leaving a few resting near ///shred.tarred.cubed and the others wandering further west to graze. The other sixteen cattle were at the Royal Pavilion end of the site. At 10:45, steers 35, 227, and 230 were grazing contentedly in the thicket near ///tower.chin.public. Youngsters 227 and 230 enjoyed plenty of strokes and rubs despite the constant drizzle. The remaining thirteen were in two groups further east near Sunny Hill Road. They were also very friendly, taking turns to come over, say hello, and enjoy plenty of strokes. Youngster 219 was particularly affectionate, happily accepting endless neck and back scratches. Despite the drizzle, the cattle continued to rest and chew their cud, frequently returning for more attention. They were very attentive and clearly enjoyed being fussed over. All sixteen were happy, relaxed, and in good condition. I stayed with them for quite a while, as there was a lot of traffic on Sunny Hill Road today and I wanted to make sure they remained safe. I eventually said my goodbyes at 12:30, after most of the cattle had moved west to graze in the thicket and a few had joined youngsters 227 and 230 sheltering from the rain under the trees near ///stop.stacks.sugars. The annual Brutal 10K off-road running event took place at Caesar’s Camp today. Unfortunately, the route didn’t include the section through James Bond Pond this year, which is always a great spectacle, but the competitors still had plenty of challenges to face—not helped by the frequent drizzle. The cows were all good today.