Blasketblue
Cometh the hour
Underneath the laidback docile appearance they are clever, fiendish creatures. Look into this splendid brute’s eyes and you’ll see that hint of wicked humour. I guess they get bored – there’s only so much chewing of the cud that anyone can face before they need a little excitement to pass the day.
I speak from experience – I’ve been chased across a field by docile cattle. It was on one of those there-and-back walks to Madron Well, a Celtic site in Cornwall. It could be argued that it was all my fault for not following tradition and tying a cloutie to the tree by the well. Perhaps the spirits I should have appeased but didn’t for the lack of a scrap of cloth worked through the local dairy herd.
Those gentle beasts ignored me on my way out through the field, preferring to wander, swaying their rumps in search of fresh grass to chew.
The return back was another story. One or two curious cows ambled nonchalantly behind me. That was a little disconcerting – cows have something of a reputation but I put it down to curiosity. One or two ambling was fine, but still, I quickened my gait.
Their heavy footfall matched mine and amplified as the gentle plodding turned to a louder clumsy trot. Glancing back over my shoulder I spied the entire herd moving towards me. I notched it up to a jog, but even without running shoes, these cows could keep up with me.
I legged it and dived over a stile in the wall to safety. I turned back to see them crowded at the stile and I swear the leader was eyeing me with a cruel smile.
I did not think for one moment it would be a good idea to stop and face them down with my camera.
Blog photograph copyrighted to the photographer and used with permission by utata.org. All photographs used on utata.org are stored on flickr.com and are obtained via the flickr API. Text is copyrighted to the author, Debra Broughton and is used with permission by utata.org. Please see Show and Share Your Work
