First weekend of Autumn

Photo by: Tim Bindner

It was a fairly productive weekend for me.  One I enjoyed.  Nothing earth shattering by societal standards, but I had fun.

My sister is the type that has to run, run, run and always be busy.  She blames work, her two boys in multiple sports and then whatever other things she can do to fill time.  I am the opposite.  I like quiet time.  If I am rushing here and there, then I feel I miss things, and my anxiety goes into overload.  I am perfectly content doing what I do when I want to do it.

Saturday, my wife and I attended a neighborhood cul-de-sac party.  It began at 5pm and was supposed to end at 10pm.  A simple pitch in with bring your own chairs, BYOB, and bring a dish.  We walked down the street and arrived around 6:30pm.  I began talking to the neighbors I knew and met some new neighbors I didn’t.  As the time, as the alcohol flowed, I talked to a new neighbor I had not met before.  She was in my personal space (you know, the close talkers), and my thoughts were of Covid-19.  Being uncomfortable, I moved. She moved with me.  The alcohol on her breath, I was hoping, was killing any contamination spraying in my direction from her mouth, including Covid-19.  I enjoyed our conversation (well, the 99% of her talking) and soon got away to mingle with others I knew and didn’t know.  My plan was to stay about an hour and head back home.  The conversation was great, and we ended up staying about 3 hours.  My wife and I walked home in the dark, hand in hand.  I looked up at the moon and stars on our short walk home.  Nice chill in the air.  It was a good evening.

Sunday Marcie and I was supposed to go to a local winery and listen to an outdoor band with friends.  This band is known for drawing sizeable crowds, and after the close talker experience I decided not to go.  I let my friends know we were not going, and I prepared to go get lunch and park myself in front of the television and watch football the rest of the day.  As Marcie and I arrived home from lunch we got a text from a friend stating “we are giving the cows injections today if you want to come shoot them?”  I looked at my wife and she said, “I don’t care.  If you want to go, let’s go.”  I grabbed my camera and off we headed to English, Indiana.

I drove Highway 64 towards English and merged onto Highway 66.  A few miles later, I turned onto a gravel road and pulled into the driveway of my friends’ parents’ place.  I parked and my wife and I got out.  I could hear the moos of the cows nearby, but didn’t see anyone.  I heard “here cows, come on cows”, and eventually I found the source of those words as we began walking through the barn and were met by my friend’s mother.  I found out later Amanda didn’t tell her parents we were coming.  After introductions were done with her Mom, I exited the barn on the other side and I saw my friend and her dad trying to ‘wrangle’ cows from a field into a pen off in the distance.  Half went in the pen, the others refused.  Calling them, tempting them with food, poke with sticks.  Nothing worked.  After some frustration, my friend came to say hello.  Her mom walked us over to the horses as Amanda again tried to coax the remaining cows to no avail.

My wife and I entered their horses’ area and were greeted with two horses immediately.  They named one Comet and the other Jewel.  Comet became my buddy immediately and loved being fed and petted.  My wife was handed a bag of carrots by Amanda’s Mom and that was all it took.  Comet and Jewel in particular never left Marcie’s side.  I pet Comet, fed both Comet and Jewel, and took pictures of them as best I could.  They, like the cows, don’t pose or sit still.

Amanda lives down the road “a piece” (that’s country talk), so we drove to her house for a tour and eventually I got to meet Four Eyes.  This was a black and white calf with two big circles above her eyes (thus the name).  She had been bottle fed and didn’t enjoy being around the other cows, so she was in an area all to herself.

My friend opened the gate, all three of us went inside.  Sidestepping the cow pies on the ground, I found myself soon approached by Four Eyes.  She came up and like a cat began rubbing on my legs, licking my shorts and legs, sucking on my fingers and elbows and even bit my t-shirt.  She pushed up against me and I pushed her back.  Baby cows are strong, as I discovered when she stepped on my foot twice.  She wanted loving, so we gave it to her with no hesitation.

Soon I left the house and headed back to her parents’ house, where again I got some shots of horses and Amanda sent me into the cow pen.  I tried to snap some shots of the cows, but they would not have it.  Constantly moving and turning away from me.  They didn’t know this stranger in their midst.  I gave up and started petting Comet as he was now reaching his head above and through the gate next to the cow pen, trying to get my attention and some loving.  As I turned my back, distracted by Comet, a cow slowly started moving toward me (without my knowledge).  My friend said “turn around Tim, slowly”.  I did.  I was within arm’s length of this big momma.  I slowly raised my camera and snagged a few shots as the opportunity arose.  My favorite was this one after a refreshing drink.  The cows were very skittish around me, so this was rare for one to get so close.

As we said goodbye and headed home, we left the gravel for the paved highway 66 then forewent the interstate and continue to drive the back roads home.  The sunroof and car windows were open.  The air was refreshing; the sun peaked through the clouds; the humidity was low, and the weather was almost perfect.  Marcie’s hair was blowing in the wind and with my left arm out the window doing the airplane motion up and down with my hand in the wind (you know you’ve done it too), I was at peace.  A thought drifted into my mind.  Why would anyone live in a busy city?  Out here you can breathe.  No pollution, no noise, views for miles on end, and the sweet smell of the country air and allergies.  100% worth it though.

My wife got a small taste of what Mark and I do on our adventures.  Nothing spectacular, rarely planned, but very fun.  I love animals (more than people sometimes).  I met a new friend in Four Eyes, Comet and Jewel. I got to feed and pet some horses, snuggled with a calf, got to take pictures and spend time with my wife and a good friend.

I hope to go back with Marcie and Mark (open invitation from Amanda), and I hope to see Four Eyes and Comet again.  I grew up in the city, but my heart is in the country.  So many things to see and experience out in my neck of the woods.  A simple day, but one I won’t long forget.  Thank you Marcie for going with me, and thanks Amanda for the invite.

Until next time,

Tim