The Cows

For those of us who eat red meat, we may not give much thought as to how it arrives in that neat plastic wrapped package at the super. There is a comfortable distance between the beast and our table. At least it's been that way for me.

Remember those cows at the end of my driveway that I mentioned in a previous blog? They are gone.

So, one day I was pulling out of the driveway and noticed the cows were missing, the ranch gate was wide open and as I looked in my rearview mirror, this oversized, tall, narrow, white, almost unbalanced truck pulled out of the gate and was making it's way behind me. First of all, I caught a glimpse of the side of the truck as it was pulling out: 1-800-MEATsomethingorother. I gulped. Then as it was looming behind me, I could see its logo on the front of the massive white container: a steer's head!

As it turns out, my two cow friends were "collected" right there in the pasture. I have no idea what actually happens or how, but I know while it may be a truck for livestock, it is not for live stock.

I still grieve my cow friends as I pull out of the drive and see an empty pasture.

Today, Larry and I were heading to class and off in the distance, coming toward us, growing bigger and bigger by the second, was the daunting white truck with a steer head. I covered my eyes. Oh, that truck. Brrrrr.

Who Was Expecting That?!

Well, here it is October 4 and what a surprise we had this morning!

No one seemed prepared.

The horses and dogs have not grown in their winter coats, this is the first snow for the chickens and they have no idea what's going on, the quail are soaked and hiding under the eaves, the vegetables are hanging in there under the plastic tarps, the song birds went quiet while the snow fell, the trees still have so many leaves they are snapping off and falling where gravity takes them, the grass is bright green under the junipers where no snow has touched down, and I, I dug out my rubber boots, cap and rain jacket to head out to greet the morning.

It is a wet snow, not exactly one for snow angels.

The nice thing about Central Oregon is that it snows, it's a pleasing sight, and then it goes away. Especially if the temps return to the mid-60s as is predicted.

So, if having the irrigation canals turned dry for the season on Friday wasn't enough to convince us of a season change, I think this one did it!