Sunrise: Once Again, But With Cows This Time

We've been having a real winter of a winter this year, with record cold temperatures and frequent wintry precipitation of various kinds. On this morning, we awoke to temperatures of about 15 degrees F (around -10 C), and less than an inch of fresh snow.

My husband and I got up and got around, and we headed out in separate directions for the day. I was heading east, into the rising sun (as always!), while my husband was headed west.

I noted as I pulled out onto the road in front of our house that it looked a bit dicey. Not much in the way of snow, but at these temperatures, anything wet on the road turns to ice pretty quickly.

And indeed, very shortly, I started hearing warnings on the radio that there were some traffic accidents on route I-99, the road I eventually get on when I'm heading into town for work. So I slowed it down a bit, tried to be careful, backed off on the speed, made measured turns and starts, tried to be safe.

As I was driving, I saw the sunrise starting to my right, and I pulled off (again) at Sawmill Road, the same place where I took yesterday's photo. I pulled into a little parking lot and leaped out of the car with my camera. Headed toward the farmer's field, where I could see and hear a small herd of cows having their breakfast.

I have found a conveniently located stump that sits right by the fence railing, that I can jump up on to get a good view, without fences getting in the way of my photos. I climbed up on it and took some sunrise pictures as the cows finished their breakfasts and turned to head back toward the tree line.

Having had their morning repast, cows began cavorting a bit (as much as cows can cavort, of course, although some might argue that it was more of a galumph than a cavort, but these are small technicalities). They were huffing and snorting, and I could see their breath in the cold morning air. They chased each other around and finally moved further away, then past a dip and out of sight.

The scene reminded me of a particular song, and so that is the soundtrack to accompany this scene. Burl Ives, with the original recording of Ghost Riders in the Sky.

An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw

Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For he saw the Riders coming hard and he heard their mournful cry

P.S. Editor's note: There is another story that needs to be told about this day - but it is not a very happy story - and so I think I will save it for tomorrow.