Mark Marcotte

A little over 20 years ago I was looking after the Insurance for Al’s companies and farm. One day he offered to show me around the farm. I thought this would be cool to see everything up close. We toured the shop and hay barns etc. but what he really wanted me to see was his buffalo herd and especially Ferdinand the bull. Somewhere in back of my brain I remembered being told that buffalo could be very ornery; but what an opportunity to see them up close. I didn’t expect to be that close. Al takes me through a gate and starts walking towards them. I’m getting a bit nervous now and he looks at me and says don’t worry unless they put their head down and paw at the dirt. I look at him then at the buffalo. They all had their heads down (increased nervousness). I ask him what do we do if they do charge. He says see that fence over there with that water trough. Yes I say. Well you run for it and use that water trough as a help to leap over the fence. I quickly realize that there’s really only room for one person at a time. Now I have a moral dilemma. Do I save my own skin or let the old guy win? Luckily no such decision had to be made that day but I often think about it and laugh.