The Scottish Highland Cattle stare at me from the snow-covered pasture. Someone had the knowledge and foresight to make lots of hay in the summer, and now the winter can be passed in relative ease. In an unaltered environment, animals such as these would starve and suffer greatly in the winter from lack of food, but this is not the case for these creatures. Shaggy and very tough and cold-loving, these cattle are in heaven in Maine. No matter how cold it gets here, this breed of cattle does not mind, for their bodies are made for rough terrain and the farmer always cares for them.
I wrote about Scottish Highland Cattle in the summer and
included a glorious picture of a summer cow, beautiful and stately. But the winter cattle bring me greater joy
because where there should be death and stillness, there is warmth and food and
life. In summer it is so easy for man
and beast because there is so much food from which to choose. Not so in the winter. Yet again, the wise farmer has foresight and
his animals do not suffer.
Neither does he. His
animals provide food and clothing for him in a beautiful symbiotic dance. Both give of themselves in one way or
another: through hard work and sweat or
through the fruit of their very being.
Both are content. It is an
agreement they have.
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| Scottish Highland Cattle don't mind the snow at all. |
