HERE COWIE COWIE COWIE

Each year we grade all the dirt lanes in town, roll them nice and flat, then have magnesium chloride applied for dust control.  It's a good plan.  This year I took pictures.

 Boyd dropped me off on the narrow lane to wait for the mag chloride truck.  There was no place to turn around, so he had to drive to the other end, wait for the mag truck to pass, then come back to pick me up.  That was OK.  It was a very short lane.  I didn't factor in the mile long train moving two miles per hour. Let's just say I had time to take in my surroundings.

I saw clouds.

I saw trees.

 I saw cows.  I realized I was in a tiny Kelso-sized country community.  Hey, girls!  What's new?

They were certainly interested in whatever it was I was doing, and they ambled on over towards me making the quickest progress possible when pausing every step or two to yank up a mouthful of grass, whip it once across their backs, munch and swallow, and on again. The whipping thing kind of threw me.

These were some pretty bold gals with some slightly less bold children.  They kept up a running conversation all the way and it had my mono hearing system pretty confused.  There was a lot of mooing going on and it seemed to come from everywhere.

Oh, now I see. The teenagers in the apartment across the hall wanted to get in on the party too. You know how teenagers are.  Their noise was turned up loud, and they were running around acting like, well, like teenagers.

The horses in the manor house next door didn't even deign to acknowledge a one of us.  We were beneath their notice and although they are forced to live in such a neighborhood, they did not have to participate in the foolishness.

The grand dame was especially aloof.

The cows are just plain people, and were very friendly.  Cautious, but friendly.

I particularly liked #16, even though she was very stand-offish.  She reminded me of Mad-Eye Moody of Harry Potter fame.  She kept mooing "Constant vigilance!" to the younger cows.  You know how kids are, and they paid her no attention.

Oh. Remember the whipping their food thing earlier?  This could be the reason.  Damned freeloaders!  The rotten things stay just out of reach of flailing tails, so they get whipped with long grass. 

Today's safety meeting is brought to you by Mrs. Mad-Eye.  Be aware of your surroundings.  Evil is all around us, and it is up to us to defeat it.  Even if you only have one horn.