BACK TO: PETTING ZOO

Laying with the beasts of the field....
                                            ....or barn.

I was late getting in and so late getting started
with the ritual chores. It was a busy day, perhaps
a busy week and there was three times as much to do.
Someone had dropped some unwanted baby lambs and 
goats off and I had to tend each one and make sure
each got its milk.

So it was late, perhaps midnight when I finished.
.... and the barn was strangely quiet and peacefull,
a contrast to the hollering for food by the babys
 and munching of hay by everyone else. I turned off
thr main lights and did the final rounds and noticed
the cows already laying down.

What the heck, I said to myself and went over and 
joined them. Squeezing between big 1500lb mama and
a calf half her size I tucked myself in and mama
rested her head on my chest, a head as big as my torso.
It was so warm, a contrast to the cool of the spring
air in the barn.

......and I was suspended slightly between them bobbing
up and down with every breath reminding me of the
nights spent on the sailboat

...... and The cows sweet warm breath
washed over me each exhale.....

I must have fallen asleap as the next thing I knew was
half my bed and covers dissapeared. The baby got up to 
get a midnight snack and with her went half my covers
and I got cold so I got up and went inside. Darned cow!
It was 3 am. 

In my own bed I dreamed of Cows and felt their hide and 
smelled their earthy warm breath all night. 
Cows would make such great pillows if they would only stay 
in one place long enough to get a good nights rest.