THE HOMESTEAD BULL RUNNERS

(Turn up your sound and enjoy the fun)

It all started out as a very innocent plan to hike down to the old Kansas homestead in Geneseo, Ks. It had already been an afternoon of excitement with the Lyons police department but little did we know there was another adventure unfolding as we drove 9 miles north of Lyons, Ks on hwy K-14 in search of the "Diggs Homestead". We had just left the Lyons cemetery in a convoy of vehicles after paying respects to our buried relatives. Kenny and Lou along with Karen and Pat were in the lead car blazing the trail towards Geneseo. After a quick cell phone call from Kenny to our vehicle we all ended making a quick U-turn in the middle of a highway after realizing we were heading out of town in the wrong direction. About that time John and LaRessha calls me on my cell to tell us they were headed back to Hutch with the kids because they were getting tired and cranky.  Geneseo is straight north out of Lyons, Ks approximately nine or ten miles and you have to turn east onto another road and follow it about 3 miles into Geneseo. When we hit the crossroads (hwy 4 and hwy 14) there were other cell phone calls made to determine if we go east or west. I drove east while everyone else waited at the crossing. I discovered a sign which told us we were approaching Geneseo. I called Kenny back on the cell phone and the rest of the convoy joined up with us. We headed almost into town but stopped just on the outskirts and made a left turn into the parking lot of a convenience store to use the bathrooms and purchase snacks and drinks for our journey. 

We then piled back into our cars and followed Kenny on a dirt road that was to the right and back of the convenience store we had just left. This dusty road took us straight north for 3 miles. Kenny came to a stop at a gate on the right hand side of the road and proclaimed to all of us that the homestead was just beyond the gate about half of mile down in a deep valley surrounded by trees. Now it was decision time for all of us and none of us were very keen on the idea of another encounter with the police. This was all private property and not owned by the "Diggs" family anymore so to get to the old ruins of the house we would certainly be trespassing. There were no signs posted saying that we couldn't...but knew we were going to have to cross sacred and private land to reach the homestead if we dare chose to venture down into that valley. Most everyone was unsure of what the consequences would bring if we were caught but I had made up my mind that I was going to take the risk and hopefully some of my brothers or sisters would bail me out of jail if I was apprehended by the local Sheriff. I had not been on the homestead since I was just a kid when dad and mom took us there back in the late 60's. I wanted to see if some of the old house was still standing and also visit the sandstone cliff wall that our dad and others had carved their name into. I wanted and needed pictures to document the "Diggs Family Homestead" for our grandchildren and future generations to come...so I was going...and nothing was going to stop me...well that was what I was thinking anyway. David, Sue, and Jack decided they had had enough excitement for one day and was going to head back to Hutch and not risk meeting up with the Sheriff. It was soon after that I received a phone call from Sue telling us they were stopped by the Sterling police department for speeding. Jack was in the back seat without his seatbelt on and almost got a ticket! David was somehow able to talk his way out of another ticket and the female police officer let them go with a warning! Sue was giving us a warning that the cops was out in Sterling watching for speeders. I am sure they were relieved to get back to Hutch and the motel without another ticket! So that left me and Ronda, Kenny and Lou, Pat, Karen, Paul, Dan, Trissha and their kids to finish our adventure and trek to the old homestead.

Kenny knows of another and possibly shorter hike to the homestead so we loaded up and drove about a half mile down the road north. He remembered that there was a road coming in from the north by some railroad tracks that we could drive down and get closer to the homestead. After a short distance we turned right heading east on another dusty dirt road and soon arrived at the road leading into the homestead to find a locked gate and a whole lot of signs telling us that there was "NO TRESPASSING ALLOWED"!! We wisely decided not to cross over that gate and made a hasty retreat back to the original gate we had stopped at first. This gate had no trespassing warning signs anywhere to be seen and we all figured that if we were caught by the local Sheriff at least we could try and talk our way out of it by telling him we did not see any trespassing signs. Yeah...I am sure that that was going to work! In all actuality I was checking my cell phone to make sure we had a good signal in case we needed to call back to Hutch to the family and get bailed out of jail if and when we were caught! We then crossed over the piped gate and cattle guard and began our hike down into the valley to find the old homestead. The beginning of the hike was a steady decline down a hill that stretched about a half mile to the bottom. Almost half way down we could not see or remember which direction the homestead was sitting. I decided to go on ahead and cross over to the left side and climb a steep hill so I had a better view of the valley. Most everyone else waited about halfway on the main hill for me to signal them as to which way to proceed in. After making it to the top of the ridge I could not see the homestead on the left and signaled to everyone to go the right. I made a retreat down the hill that ended me up at the bottom and heading to the left inside this beautiful valley floor. I still was unable to see what was to the left in the valley because of the trees and hills. The rest of the group had almost made it down to the valley floor and rejoined up with them. After a few minutes of discussion we were still unsure of where the homestead sat and because of a possible storm approaching from the west we decided we had better head back to the road for safety from lightning and the storm. I was to learn that Ronda had stepped into a hole and twisted her ankle on the way down and Pat was having some problems with her back and hip. Kenny thinks he knows where the homestead might be and is sure it is to the right of us not very far away. After more discussion Kenny, Paul, Karen and myself decide to forge on into the valley and find the homestead. Lou, Dan, Trissha and her kids help Ronda and Pat (the wounded and suffering) safely back up the hill and onto the road.

Paul and I head back down to the valley floor and begin searching the area of dense trees for the homestead while Kenny and Karen turns to the right and hikes a ridge running above the valley. Paul is still searching a wooded area when I decide to head left in the valley and see what is beyond the bend. I enter into a fenced pasture that has an open gate area for passage. I trudge forward and pass the open gate and begin my turn to the right in this field surrounded by trees and hills. Kenny is directly above me and is walking on the ridge in the same direction I am proceeding. Karen had stopped on the ridge behind Kenny and was waiting word from him to see if he could see the homestead. I was almost to the turn in the valley as to see what was beyond it when I hear a whoop and yell from Kenny that he had found and could see the old homestead. Not more than a few seconds later he yelled out that there was a big angry bull that had heard us coming and stood between us and the homestead. The old homestead sat in the middle of a fenced in cow pasture and there were cows all around the fallen down house. This bull was evidently put here to protect this sacred ground from trespassers and to make sure that no one harmed any of his cows. I decide to trek on thinking that the bull is above me on the ridge and Kenny was going to have to deal with him. Kenny then yells to me that that the bull had crossed over the fence and was on my side and he was heading straight for me. I could not see him because of the trees along the fence line. To the right was the ridge that Kenny was on above me but I could not see or find him amongst the trees. All we could do was yell to each other and try to pinpoint where the bull was heading next. The only thing going through my mind was where was this bull at and that I had better retreat to the fence line in case I needed to jump over it if the bull came after me. Kenny then announced that the bull had crossed back over the fence and was on his side heading for him and Karen. After hearing that I decided that the fence was not going to give me any protection since this bull seems to cross over it at will...so I started running back through the valley. I could see Paul just ahead of me and hollered at him that the bull was heading our way and we better get out of there fast and retreat up the hill we had originally hiked down. Kenny and Karen were on the move also back to the hill where we all united to make the climb back out of the valley. Karen had this terrified look on her face because this was not the first time she had an encounter with a bull. As kids growing up we used to drive to our Uncle Del and Aunt Ella's farmhouse over by Larned, Ks. They had a good size farm with a big barn, chickens, a couple of mean roosters and were also raising some cattle and a bull! We always loved going to their farm and playing in the hayloft. I am not sure who was with Karen...possibly Jack but they ended up going out into the middle the cow pasture where Uncle Del had an old rusted out car and they were playing around it and having fun. It wasn't too long after they were there a big bull heard them and decided he was going to check them out. Perhaps Karen will share this story with us on the site someday so we know all the details but they were trapped in the car with the bull ramming it trying to get them for a very long time before Uncle Del and dad came to their rescue. So Karen after that stayed away from the cow pasture and was scared to death of bulls ever since. Imagine the look on her face when Kenny yelled to us that there was a bull coming our way. We were a half mile away from the road (all uphill) and we only had some trees around us to climb if he decided to charge us. The other members of the family back up on the road could not see or hear us down in that valley and had no idea we possibly could be in danger from a raging angry bull! We were basically on our own and knew we had to get away from that bull as fast as we could! I could just imagine us all having to climb some trees and get stuck up in them for a very long time! Climbing back up that hill was not going to be an easy task especially with a bull chasing after us. Karen was having to stop to catch her breath a lot and to top it all off she was wearing "RED" shorts. While she was bending over trying to catch her breath she was giving that bull a nice red target! Kenny grabbed a hold of Karen's arm to help her keep climbing the hill so she would not be bending over so much! He told Karen "if that bull gets any closer to us those red shorts are coming off"! We all started to laugh even though Karen of course was terrified and I am sure her adrenaline was pumping and kept her moving up the hill at a steady pace! The bull was to the left of us and was in and around a lot of trees. We were now out in the open and climbing the hill back to the road. The bull did not seem to act as if he was going to charge us but we knew that he could do so at any moment so we just kept climbing. A small stream separated us and the bull and every time we stopped to catch a breath and look over to the left...there was Mr. Bull still following us at a steady pace. Paul was  nursing a back injury and he was having difficulty climbing the hill. About half way up this long stretched out hill, being the fastest and most fit of the group, I decide to move on ahead and try to make it to the road just in case the bull decided to charge the others. I knew Dan and Trissha had a big suburban type vehicle that could bust through the fence and drive down to meet the others on the hill to pick them up in case of an attack! Of course this calculated strategic move by me was later interpreted as leaving the group in the dust to fend for themselves and that I was only running to get away from the bull and thus inherited a new nickname "Bull Runner" for the rest of the weekend!  I was never too very far ahead of them and kept looking back to check on them in case the bull decided to charge. I finally made it to the road and informed the others about the bull and watched and waited for the others to make it up the hill. Exhausted and weary they all also made it to the road safely in a few minutes behind me. Soon after the bull made his appearance not far from us and started his victory ranting and snorting at us! He then made a mad dash over to another herd of cows that were gathered at the fence line a quarter of a mile down the road. as if to guard and protect them from us also. He knew what he was doing and wanted just to run us off the property and keep us away from his cows. It probably was a good thing we did not try and confront him and try to make it to the homestead! Today the bull won the battle...but not the war!!! Stay tune folks for all the pictures and updates and more on this adventure...we are going back to face the bull again!!!! This time we plan to win the war!!!!!

PICTURES OF THE HILL LEADING DOWN TO THE VALLEY AND MR. BULL HIMSELF!

Click Here To Be Transported To Karen's First Bull Story