On Cows and Kites...
a musing on nature
Greetings, all!
It’s been a while, I know. Please forgive my tardiness, but it’s been pretty quiet on the West Wales front lately, so there hasn’t been much to report.
I’m a self-confessed observer, I guess that’s where most of my inspiration comes from. After all, how can we create if we don’t first observe?
I’ve been delving more deeply into philosophy lately, having subscribed to Philosophy Now Mag a while back, and I’ve also been scouting through the pretty wide selection within my husband’s library. Most of all, I’ve become more contemplative of late for a variety of reasons I won’t bore you with, and, among other things, I’ve found myself thinking about the similarities between humans and other animals and our place in the world.
As many of you know, I live in a rural area, surrounded by farmland and nature. A few weeks back I was driving home and had to stop to allow a farmer and his large dairy herd to cross from one field to another, via the road. This took several minutes, and while I waited, I watched.
The majority of the herd crossed the road without so much as a glance in my direction. Heads down, they simply put one hoof in front of the other and followed the lead of others.
Several cows paused momentarily, seeming to consider the line of cars and their inhabitants (myself included as mine was the lead vehicle) before continuing likewise.
Then there were those who not only paused but having spotted us mooed loudly while glaring with huge, wide eyes.
And then there was the solitary cow, who did none of the above. Instead, having vacated the original field, she stood on the grassy verge, several feet away from the herd, and watched the whole procession. Finally, once the rest of the herd were safely ensconced in the intended field, the farmer tapped her on the back with a stick and off she went to join the others. I guess she had no choice.
And in that cow I recognised myself.
We are not herd animals in the traditional sense, and yet we often exhibit herd behaviour. Except for those of us who have always been content with being the odd one out. The one who refuses to follow the crowd. The one who clearly sees more than most, and yes, we sometimes suffer for it.
What about the kites? I hear you ask. I’m coming to that…
Here in the UK, red kites were hunted to the brink of extinction, and, by the 1980s, just a tiny population survived. Fortunately, the situation has changed dramatically, and in the region I live in they are once again thriving. They nest in the woodland behind my house, and every spring I have the pleasure of seeing breeding pairs teach their young to fly and hunt in the fields opposite the woods.
This year, the local population has exploded to the point that each and every morning, around 09:00 to 09:30, I am treated to an intense, acrobatic display of juvenille and adult kites circling overhead and above the fields opposite. Then, this week, something changed. I checked the kitchen clock as I watched them, and mused to my husband that the kites were late, for it was gone 10:00 before they took up their dance. How wrong I was. The previous Sunday had seen the occurence of daylight saving, so it was not the kites who were out of sync but us humans.
The sound of their calls is incredible, and it’s been wonderful to witness. However, as with everything in nature, there are winners and losers because without a shadow of doubt the garden and small bird population has decreased significantly as a result.
Why am I telling you this? I’m telling you to encourage to stop and look and consider your surroundings and the myriad species with whom we share our world, for each and every one of them enrich our planet.
On the writing front…
I’m delighted to say that the Spanish version of my horror novella, Mosaic (Musivo in Spanish) has been loudly applauded by the Spanish reading community, particularly on Instagram. Witnessing the interaction (Via Google translate) has been such a thrill, especially since it’s my first translated book. Book blog example
Link to Dilatando Mentes Editorial: Book link, Spanish version
And in other news, I can now share a COVER REVEAL for the forthcoming anthology, Poisoned Soup, which I am pleased to say will include a short story and an essay from me, both of which are very much inspired by nature.
More about that in my next newsletter!
If you’ve stayed with me thus far, I thank and applaud you.
Wishing you all a great week.
Yours from Wales,
Catherine McCarthy
This was beautiful, Catherine. I loved the cow-as-observer moment. And congrats on the Spanish reception of Mosaic, what a wonderful thing to witness.
You live in a beautiful part of the world, it must be lovely seeing the kites. We occasionally see hawks where I am. Delighted to hear how well Mosaic is doing in Spain, and also nice cover reveal! I look forward to hearing more about it!