Every morning on my way to work I pass several cow pastures - which is pretty awesome as I work in the heart of Reno. I have been working in the same area for about 5 1/2 years now and every year, just after Halloween, the local pumpkin farmer brings the left over pumpkins to the cows.
I can assure you, having watched the farmer truck in the pumpkins, cows feel joy. Watching them run to the pumpkins is so sweet. This year, after telling myself for the past 5 seasons that I WOULD TAKE PICTURES, I finally had not only opportunity but also my camera, I also had my 16 year old son in the car - Yikes! After dropping the boy off at school (he insisted that he could NOT be in the car when I pulled off to the side of the road to take pictures of cows - his actual words were - really mom?? really?), I made my way back to the pasture and just enjoyed the view.
Just before I made the U-turn that would put me next to the field another car pulled off to the side. A man got out of his car and laughed at my camera as he pulled out his own. We talked about the cows, the view, our families, all the while taking pictures of happy cows. After a while, we said our good byes and went our separate ways. It was a nice moment, standing with someone who was experiencing the same love of life that I was.
Having spent my high school years living in rural Pennsylvania and attending school in rural Maryland, I really love that Reno is such a "Wild West" type of town. My office building is nestled between cow pastures and, of all things, the airport. I get the best of both worlds, livestock and crops that I can watch grow, lots of lovely mountains, and if I have to visit the city it is only a 4 hour drive into San Francisco, only 2 1/2 if I stop in Sacramento. I occasionally grumble about being in the west but that's only because I miss the amazing friends I have back home, truth be told, I love the Sierra Nevada mountains, Lake Tahoe and Reno and as much as I would love to move home and be closer to family and friends, I love where I am and I cherish the family and friends I have made while living in the wild, wild west!
.
