The black, horned cow

In trying to get the cattle back from one of their walk-abouts, I saw something so beautiful that it made me very sorry I didn't have a camera with me. When chasing cows, you don't carry cameras but in this case there was a double reason I didn't have it. We had just finished moving irrigation pipe when we realized half the herd wasn't in the field. They had broken down a fence which meant instant action to keep them from going farther.

This horned cow stood on the opposite bank of the creek far below where I was standing. Behind her were brush and trees. She was in tall grass as she bent to drink from the creek, her head perfectly reflected in the water.

She was not supposed to be there. We could not let her stay there, but oh how lovely she was enjoying a moment of wildness. I would have loved to have a way to materialize the camera to my side but alas it was safely back at the house, and animals don't wait for cameras.
Later I took some photos of her feeding from hay and separately that spot along the creek thinking maybe someday I'd try painting what I had seen. It won't possibly match the beauty though of the actual sight. Those things we have to hold inside ourselves, and I will.