Cows and a Turtle

We're down at Winterberry Farm, visiting my parents and celebrating a friend's college graduation. Most of the day was spent mowing, weeding, planting perennials and annuals, pulling the invasive garlic mustard, walking the dogs in the back forty. A steady breeze blew all day, keeping the bugs away. Kodi met the six cows that Brookfield Farm is pasturing on our land. They were all quite curious of him too. He raced into the pasture a few times, but once the cows came thundering after him, he stayed outside the fence.

This evening as we walked past, the cows ran alongside the fence making sure Kodi kept to his side of the fence. He obeyed.

We continued on our walk as the cows watched our progress. We passed by a female painted turtle in the midst of laying eggs at the edge of the farm road that passes over the Winterberry Pond dam. Kodi missed her completely. He was sniffing for cow patties instead.

Meanwhile, a red-tailed hawk soared silently overhead, perhaps out for once last hunt before nightfall. It carried something white in its beak -- maybe a large moth. A small meal for a big bird, or maybe a morsel for a nestling. It flew steadily southwest before it passed out of sight. We wandered slowly back to the house, soaking up the last light of the day.