Cows Gone Mad: A Day in the Life at Flaming Acres Dahlias

Some days on the farm are peaceful—sunrise over the dahlias, the hum of bees, cows grazing contentedly in the pasture.And then there was yesterday.

It started with a phone call:“The cows are out.”

Not just a few cows. All of them. And the big bull, Sue, was leading the parade.

Apparently, the lure of adventure—or maybe just a hole in the fence—was too strong to resist. They’d made a break for it straight into the cornfield, where they could disappear between the tall stalks like giant, four-legged shadows.

The Great Roundup

We quickly called in reinforcements: our nephew, his wife, and their four kids. The “cowboy cavalry” arrived, ready for action. It took all of us walking 15 acres of corn rows, shoulder to shoulder, shouting and stomping to flush the herd out.

Once spotted, the cows did what cows do best when startled: They stampeded.They jumped fences.They knocked down fences. And in one shocking moment—they walked right through the dahlia field. Cows Gone Mad kind of stuff!

Now, in my mind, I could already see the carnage—trampled stems, broken blooms, a dahlia farmer’s nightmare. But when we checked, there wasn’t a single leaf or petal out of place. Not one.

If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is.

The Thing About Cows

Cows have a strong instinct to stay together. The good thing? If you can get one moving in the right direction, the rest will follow.The bad thing? If one panics and heads for trouble, they’ll all go charging after it.

And isn’t that a little like us sometimes?

The Spiritual Side of a Stampede

In life, we’re deeply influenced by the people we follow. If we surround ourselves with those who seek peace, truth, and righteousness, we’re more likely to head in the right direction together. But if we follow fear, anger, or temptation—it’s easy to find ourselves in the middle of a mess, wondering how we got there.

The Bible warns us about this in 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” And in Isaiah 26:3, we’re reminded: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

The cows eventually made it back to the pasture, fences were repaired, and all is well again. But the picture of that stampede stays with me—both as a funny farm memory and as a reminder to keep my eyes on the Good Shepherd, no matter what’s stirring the herd.

Moral of the story? Stick close to those heading toward safety. Stay calm when others panic. And for heaven’s sake—don’t trample the dahlias!

SOOO Grateful…

Debra Flaming

Flaming Acres Dahlias