Day 51: Grazing into Spring

 Agriculture and Husbandry, Backyard Nature, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Feb 202014
 

On a gray, slightly foggy morning, I arrived at Piney Woods Church Road with the particular intent of photographing a daffodil bud that I had seen (for the first time this year) the previous day.  I quickly got down to work, shooting the leaves and flower bud from various angles, taking over 30 different pictures.  At last, satisfied that there would be something of value to show for my efforts, I stood up and looked into the field beyond the roadside barbed-wire fence.  A dozen feet away from me were two more daffodils, already flowering!  The pasture also contained over a dozen cows, one of which was obligingly grazing beyond where the daffodils grew.  The result is this image, a cow dining among the daffodils.  (Since the cows avoid eating daffodils, the plants have been flourishing here for many years.)

Among the Daffodils

In Appreciation of Cows

 Sense of Place  4 Responses »
Feb 162014
 

I feel that a post is warranted in appreciation of the trio of friendly and inquisitive cows that greet me nearly every time I walk down Piney Woods Church Road.  Sometimes, one or more will dash over to where I am, practically galloping, if a cow can gallop.   They seem eager to find out what I am up to or, more likely, whether I might have brought them a snack today.  Before this project, I rarely thought of cows, and tended to ignore them grazing in a field as I would drive or walk past them.  Lately, I have come to find their company quite pleasant.

Cow Appreciation

 

Day Nineteen: Beyond the Fence

 Agriculture and Husbandry, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Jan 192014
 

On yet another clear, breezy winter day, I set out with a longing to immerse myself in green things.  I photographed moss and leaves, mostly using my plus ten macro lens.  While walking the road, I struggled with feeling that I was running out of things to photograph, wondering how I could keep going until the first spring flowers come into bloom (most likely the daffodils in mid-February).  Yet, coming home, I discovered quite a few intriguing shots.  Most captivating of all, from my point of view, is this image of a barbed wire fence illumined by the afternoon sun, with two black cows beyond, sparring in play.  Who knows how much longer the three young cows in that pasture will remain there, before being sent away…..

Beyond the Fence

Day Thirteen: The Thinker (with Apologies to Rodin)

 Agriculture and Husbandry, Backyard Nature, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Jan 132014
 

On a warmish and grayish morning, I set out to see what I could find happening along Piney Woods Church Road.  I re-took several photographs whose images will likely appear in this blog sometime this year — resurrection ferns, lichens, and an endless array of leaves, vines, and stalks of winter weeds.  I photographed the ripple marks in the rut at the end of the road again — the water has mostly dried up, although additional rain is expected overnight.  In the end, though, I did not choose any of those subjects for today.  Instead, I offer this white cow in a field most of the way toward Rico Road.  It lounged in the field like a cow sculpture, not even moving (or blinking, as far as I could see) while I wandered by and snapped several photos.  What was it thinking as it gazed at me?

The Thinker

Day Five: Winter Weed (and Cow)

 Agriculture and Husbandry, Natural History, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Jan 052014
 

Yet another gray-sky afternoon, but much milder than yesterday — I delighted in the warm (mid-50’s), moist air that is the precursor to an arctic front expected to sweep through Georgia overnight, bringing rain turning to snow by Monday morning.  I spent my time along Piney Woods Church Road mostly experimenting with my macro lenses.  My favorite shot of the day contained, yet again, a cow, though it plays a cameo role in the background.  I am weaning myself slowly from cows.  Tomorrow, I promise myself, will be a cow-free day.

Winter Weed (and Cow)

 

Day Four: Landscape with Cow (Mostly Cow)

 Agriculture and Husbandry, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project  2 Responses »
Jan 042014
 

I set out under leaden skies to see what I could discover along Piney Woods Church Road.  The forecast promised 45 degrees, but I had to settle for 35 instead.  The light was muted, the sky almost oppressive; it truly felt like rain (or even snow) was on its way.   “No more cows,” I promised myself.  I had joked with my wife yesterday after posting my cow photograph that it might be possible to do 365 different cow photographs across a year.  I sincerely promise my readers that I won’t do that.  I took quite a few macro photographs of lichens, moss and leaves, and some intriguing abstract images through tangles of greenbrier.  Still, after wading through the over sixty photos I took today, the cow clearly topped the list.  I suppose one could say that he won by a nose.

Landscape with Cow Nose

 

Day Three: A Cold Day for Cows

 Agriculture and Husbandry, Golden Hour, Natural History, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project  No Responses »
Jan 032014
 

It was a cold day by Georgia standards, with the temperature just a couple degrees above freezing, though without the harsh wind of yesterday afternoon.  Ice had formed along the edges of the ditch beside Piney Church Road.  The sky was deep blue, the sunset less than spectacular, but a delight to see anyway, after so many cloudy days of late.  While waiting for the sunset, I hung out with some cows who were at least as curious about me as I was about them.  I could see their breath in the late afternoon air.

A Cold Day for Cows

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