Moo-ving parts wreck best laid plans

The best laid plans may or may not work out, but that foundation is still a nice place to start. Indeed, it’s probably not the plans that were laid out so neatly that caused the problem. The stuff that lies beneath is what will collapse and throw those carefully calculated plan-parts all out of alignment.

When your plan-parts get askew, plans change. A small aberration is likely to result in a change of time or a subtle shift in venue. A moderate collapse will make the magnitude of those adjustments increase even more. More than that, and we’re in the realm of rain-checks, cancellation, and uncertain futures and outcomes. You may or may not have noticed, but the agriculturally occupied seem to have a hard time keeping those plans together.

Obviously, we can ask why? What is it that those plans are built on top of that seems so disinclined to be steadily predictable? Are they built on sand, gravel, mud, and manure piles of various viscosities and size? Probably.

In particular, one thing that really helps shore up those laid out plans is a well-laid fence. There are plenty of moving and mooing parts that allow plans to crumble at any given time, but most of them are impossible to do much about. Fences, however, are both a guaranteed plan-foundation wrecker and yet one that can be more controlled, if one is inclined. A good fence makes the difference because a good fence is far less likely to be associated with an unanticipated case of bovine displacement.

Fences keep the cows put, good fences do it more of the time, and cattle being out is neither a postponeable nor a welcome surprise.

Traffic is known as a common cause of delay on the road to somewhere. Cattle out are far more of a likely good reason for someone around here. Traffic might even be a boon as another vehicle might be quite helpful in putting the strays back in. Even better if you can get ’em to stay around long enough to help repair the hole in the fence.

So, keep your fences fixed and make some plans.

Audra Brown’s plans are to be at the annual Country Jamboree in Floyd this weekend. She’ll see you there, if your plans hold together. Contact her at: [email protected]