4 June 2017

Cattle

Yesterday afternoon, as I returned from a stroll to The White Stones above the reservoirs at Redmires, I noticed a little herd of cows gathering by the lane where my car, Clint, was parked.

I have taken photographs of these particular cows before and as I approached a frisson of excitement spread amongst the bovine beauties. Speaking in cow language I heard them say variously, "Oh, I do hope he snaps me today!", "Get out of the frigging way Daisy!" and "He likes it when  we look over the wall!"
Naturally, I was willing to oblige and before driving home to make chorizo and tomato pasta with salad, I took several pictures of the young ladies. Sometimes you could see the affluent suburb of Fulwood behind them.

I wonder if I could have taken those three wicked London terrorists up to The White Stones and shown them the cows and the view and asked them to listen to the skylarks and to tread quietly as a weasel peered from the drystone wall and to see the bog cotton in one particular area of the moor like a snowdrift and taken them home for chorizo and tomato pasta then down to the pub for a couple of pints of Tetley's bitter... would they still have done those terrible, inhuman things in the name of their "god"? 

Our lovely daughter Frances works in The Shard. She takes a tube to London Bridge Station almost every work day and she often visits Borough Market. She is kind and tolerant. Why would they have stabbed her? What for? Sometimes, I think it would be nicer to be a cow grazing on a hillside just west of Sheffield oblivious to it all.

21 comments:

  1. That top photo is just perfect. If only good could conquer evil.

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    1. In story books and films good always seems to come out on top.

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  2. Beautiful cattle shots YP
    Yes, another terrorist attack - I always wonder what kind of childhood these men (mostly) have had and what has finallty steered them in this direction. Terrible.
    Oh - and by the way - no self respecting bovine lady would use the word 'frigging' - their vocabulary is simple and explicit but very genteel.

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    1. I bow to your superior knowledge about how cows talk to each other Mrs Weaver!

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  3. I agree with you, Yorkie. Those sweet cows look so at peace with the world. They're not hampered by ridiculous, hypocritical religious beliefs. And they also know that never did a cow jump over the moon. They don't believe in fairy tales, not like some humans do!

    If what we saw again today is what religion is all about, I want no part of any of it. How easy some people are fooled....and they're too foolish to realise it!

    I love your photos.

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    1. Thanks for dropping by again Georgie Girl... and for scattering a few more pearls of wisdom from your treasure chest. Cows worship bulls which is probably why they were looking longingly over the wall at me.

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  4. Those cows do look very well looked after, and make good photos.
    I doubt the terrorists would have appreciated the beautiful scenery, the peaceful surroundings or the sheer, simple pleasure of communing with nature at it's very best. They have no compassion and no feeling for anything other than the destruction of any part of mankind that doesn't agree with their warped ideals. May they rot in hell.

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    1. I think it is best that the police gunned those cowards down. No extended and expensive trials or the heavy cost of lifetime incarceration. They should also dispose of their bodies far out in the ocean where sea creatures can feed upon them.

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  5. I agree. I'd love to be a cow. Except that they often come to a bad end. And look at that rolling countryside stretching away behind them!

    I am mystified by why some people do what they do. It is literally inconceivable to me.

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    1. I wouldn't be a cow. I would be a bull but don't worry Steve, you wouldn't be in my little black book.

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  6. Those cows look like they live a really nice, peaceful life. If only humans could learn to do the same!

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    1. You will be pleased to learn that none of the cows were called Jennifer!

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  7. I've read a bit on extremists over the past few years, and the theory that rings truest to me on why terrorists do what they do involves the attraction for young men of a way of life that promises "glory, adventure and purpose" to quote this article from National Public Radio in the U.S.: http://www.npr.org/2015/12/15/459697926/the-psychology-of-radicalization-how-terrorist-groups-attract-young-followers

    This is also the gist of the following article from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/naturally-selected/201409/isis-and-the-real-reason-why-young-muslim-men-join-the-jihad

    In terrorist organizations, young men find the power, adventure, even money and women, that they would not have access to in their ordinary lives. This makes their activities not a case of religious extremism nor of warped minds, but a very extreme exaggeration of the kinds of groups that other young men form (sports teams, gangs, cliques of "bad" kids in school, etc.).

    Everything I've read has seemed to say the same thing - that experts have to understand the reasons behind the behavior before they can hope to change it. I think it's important for the general public to understand it too, and not just dismiss it as religious or insane behavior.

    I do love the pictures you took of the cows, and their imagined conversation. Apologies to Weaver, but if I were a cow, I'd probably say "friggin'"!! Of course, I don't claim to be genteel, either :)

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    1. Thank you this intelligent reflection upon what underpins terrorism in the name of Islam. I am sure you are right that to tackle terrorism effectively governments and civic leaders must first understand what lies behind these murderous urges. The perpetrators' slogans such as "I do this for Allah" have absolutely nothing to do with true Islam.

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  8. I would like to think that even in their darkerest murderous intent humanity will eventually win through with these people

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  9. The minds of the terrorists are demented...irrational. you can't reason with the irrational...not even with a good pint.

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  10. A bunch of curious cows; the blonde with the long eyelashes has taken quite a shine to you, I think.
    Grazing on the hillside near Sheffield is fine but all good things come to and end and for cows it's usually the slaughterhouse. Or for those delicate souls, the meat processing plant.

    As for those who engage in terrorist acts I have no answer but I consider a couple of things. More effort needs to be applied to figuring out why people are led to these actions and on the other hand life is full of random acts and chaos.

    Alphie

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    1. A woman I met at a birthday party yesterday afternoon couldn't seem to understand when I said she had infinitely more chance of dying in a car accident than by any terrorist outrage.

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  11. If you haven't tackled any portraits yet with your painting, May I suggest that first photo of a cow you took? Great photo by the way, and cows never complain about their likenesses. Everyone loves a cow portrait!

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