xtcian

5/20/03 Columbia County, NY no,

5/20/03 Columbia County, NY

no, my belly isn't actually that big, thank you

In order to truly understand cows, you have to bring yourself down to their level. If you want to feel the most unbelievably ticklish sandpaper tongue on God's green earth, you have to bring yourself beneath their level.

You were asking how the 2003 Milk Cow Sensitivity Training is going? Fine, and yours? As long as we keep living amongst them and nothing bad happens, then they start associating us with fun (even if we do eat their brethren from time to time). This particular batch is more feisty than last year, and in a bizarre reversal of Darwinian selection, they like to chase our border collie around.

What I'd really like to do is jump on the fence, be very patient, and at the last moment, JUMP ON ONE OF THEM AND SEE HOW FAR I CAN RIDE! YEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

In other farm-related news, Sean and I played pool with Dad and Uncle Chuck in the barn. That structure just screams brotherhood since the 1940s, Bob and Jim Nelson played basketball and wrestled in those very rooms. Their scoreboard graffiti, from long-fought games, is still on the walls upstairs. It felt gratifying for my Dad and his brother to play me and mine. Stranger still, my middle name is my dad's, and Sean's middle name is my uncle's.

Besides, could two non-twins look any more alike?

Chuck and Dad milkin', roughly 1948 - - - Chuck and Dad chalkin', roughly last night