Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Cows Really Do Follow Cow Paths

It has been interesting getting back into regular life this past week.  I'm trying to maintain the fun of seeing with amazement, pretending that when I walk around my ho-hum house and predictable neighborhood I'm really in Spain and everything is different and therefore interesting and worthy of close attention and clear focus.

The arrival of this gorgeous bouquet of spring flowers made that a little easier.


And then I started watching the snow peas that I planted a month ago when nothing much was blooming and the garden was mostly dried stems and leftovers from the fall.  These peas are growing so fast that I can almost see them unfold their leaves!












 And then a few days ago I turned in to our street and glanced into the field to the right and saw a single file of black cows and their babies parading along the cow path deep into the grass.  By the end of the week they had chomped down the grass so much that the paths can't be seen unless you're in the field walking along the subtle indentation that is all that's left.  When the grass grows, the path will stay flat and once again be visible
 This afternoon as a thunderstorm was looming and a few drops were plunking down, I spied quick peripheral motion.  The toad was so well camouflaged that all I could see was its motion.  So I took a lesson from Jacob, who knows how to stay very still and wait when he photographs, and the toad froze with only its sides pulsing in and out.  I was able to make two drawings and see so many details.  I leaned in as close as I could without alarming it, and when I had finished the second attempt, I quietly withdrew.  The toad stayed frozen until I was several feet away.
When I got home, the first pea blossoms had popped open!  Maybe this year will be the year that the snow peas make it!

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