THE BOVINES

For the past 31 years, my closest neighbors have been cows.  Over the decades I've watched "the cows come home" every evening right before dusk as they head back toward their barn. Yes, their pastures have wafted "ripe" in the summer's heat, and yes, they do bring lots of flies to the neighborhood, and yes, they provide a lot of patties for rolly-poly, poop-loving corgis, but they're really peace-loving beings with which to share one's life.

White Face (above) loves to taunt Mac and MerryBelle.  She pretends not to notice them until they work up the courage to approach her.  At the moment she senses they've let down their guard, she gives a big snort that sends Mac running and MerryBelle screaming. And, then she saunters on off, content that she's gotten the best of them yet again.

Some people speculate cows don't have personalities-that they're fairly dumb and lazy.  I take issue with that notion. Mama Brahma (above) is a serious, stern mom.  When her calf ventures out of her safety zone, she wastes no time in calling him back.  The poor little fellow is NEVER out of her sight. If he runs off to play with the other little ones, he has not a moment of privacy for escapades or ornery-ness, for Mama Brahma stays right behind him.. Yet, she is the most patient mom I've ever seen when her baby comes back to her to nurse.  While all the other cow moms mozy on along, she stands patiently alone until he has emptied all four udders and has no more to suckle.

How Now Brown Cow seems a bit grumpy from time to time, but she has beautiful eyes that reflect the horizon as she stares into the sunset.  If you look closely, you can see the blue of the distant sky in them.  She's the only one of my bovine friends who likes to have her head and nuzzle patted.  The hair behind her ear is as soft as cotton, and her "cow lick" looks like she's just been to the bovine beauty parlor.

When I tell folks I live with the animals, I'm really not kidding.  Two dogs accompany me everywhere I go on the farm; seven cats greet me every afternoon on the back  porch for their daily feeding and fill me in on their escapades of the day, and soon thereafter, the dogs let me know the bovines are approaching for their our afternoon gossip session over the fence. 

At The Farm, mine is a truly wonderful life that doesn't require trivial interaction or mundane conversation, and I like that just fine. Shortly, I'm off to get some tea and go catch up on upper field gossip with my bovine friends.