Looking at Me with Their Eyes

1 Jun

“They’re there again,” said Bunty, glancing uncomfortably through the window. “Looking at me with their eyes.”

The Aberdeen Anguses were put into the sheep field behind our cottage at the beginning of May, and since then they have all been cow-eyed over Bunty. Here they are just after they arrived.

The field is vast, stretching into the far distance, yet whenever Bunty steps outside the house, the cows are there to greet him. When he goes into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, they are gazing in through the window. When he sits in the garden, they hold a vigil. Just as cats are drawn to twine themselves round the throats of those who are allergic to them, these cows can’t stop staring at a man who feels weird about eye contact.

Even at night, they appear. Bunty’s brother came by, and it was dark by the time he left. The cows knew. They were waiting by the drive when Bunty went outside. As he said his goodbyes, they stood there and watched him. With their eyes.

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18 Responses to “Looking at Me with Their Eyes”

  1. murfomurf June 1, 2011 at 8:27 am #

    Spooky looking cows at night! Tell Bunty I’d rather they stared with their eyes than the other end.
    Also, have you copped the abandoned baby long-toed sloth at Bristol Zoo? Looks like a weak, stretched brown bear! Poor little creature. Needs a dog to adopt it!

    • Snailquake June 1, 2011 at 1:40 pm #

      Aw! I missed that news. I really love sloths. Off to google now…

  2. Brianda Domecq June 1, 2011 at 8:47 am #

    Thanks for the giggle this morning.

  3. SEF June 1, 2011 at 8:48 am #

    Cows are naturally curious critters. The only reason they don’t make good watchdogs in the normal sense is that they don’t tend to take or give alarm. However, many a wildlife person has had their intended stealth observations of some other critter be ruined by all the cows clustering around them – trying to see what they are up to.

  4. Shelley June 1, 2011 at 11:47 am #

    I think I would rather cows staring at me than what happened to me one time… a brahman cow had just been weened from her calf and she charged after me through a tennis court fence.
    I love the photo of the cow peeking over the fence, it is brilliant

  5. Lemongrass June 1, 2011 at 12:42 pm #

    They have such big eyes! Like dark pools one could almost fall into. No wonder he doesn’t like it. That shot at night is so funny because they’re shining! But what I really want to know is, what’s he reading? ” Website?”

  6. Wazeau June 1, 2011 at 1:39 pm #

    Cow stalkers!

    • Snailquake June 1, 2011 at 1:43 pm #

      Let’s just be glad they don’t have internet access yet.

  7. DewiMorgan June 1, 2011 at 4:59 pm #

    Really beautifully done pics! Someone is clearly having a good effect on your photography.

    • Snailquake June 1, 2011 at 5:01 pm #

      Thank you! (I think we both know who that Someone is.)

  8. Jigme Datse Rasku June 2, 2011 at 1:37 am #

    I love the storytelling, and the pictures are brilliant. Thanks for the post.

  9. happyasamonkey August 14, 2011 at 4:40 pm #

    I love the photo of them peering over the wall trying to find Bunty. Any idea what their plans are when they do find him?

    • Snailquake August 15, 2011 at 10:50 pm #

      You know, I never thought to ask.

      • Jigme Datse Rasku August 18, 2011 at 12:07 am #

        Oh, you really should ask them.

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