Tuesday, August 2, 2011

C IS FOR...

C IS FOR COWS...
I know I like animals, but I think I love cows from a discreet distance.  I'm never quite sure how to take a field of cows.  Are they just curious when they come towards you or are they unhappy you're in their territory?  I remember someone telling me that if you're not afraid of cows and you walk across their field, you're not as brave as the person who is afraid of them yet still walks across the field. Anyway I must like them because I have three paintings in my collection that I have done.

                 
I truly forget whose photo I used for the black and white cow.  (If you recognize it please forgive me and feel free to claim  the original photo as yours in the comments). The Jersey I copied from Abe Lincoln's photo (click on link), and the one below you may recognize as based on the banner photo  belonging to  The Weaver of Grass (click on the link). I did ask permission before using all three of these for my paintings.

BUT C IS ALSO FOR....CLIPS
One of the world's recent and most useful inventions is the humble  CHIP CLIP:





They come in all sizes and colors and are useful for all kinds of things...but THIS is my most favorite and handy use....




Actually this would be more appropriate for paper back books, but oh so handy!  I chose this book for my photo here because it is the next book I am going to read.

C is for Churchill...
 The next book I am going to read is Churchill's
 "History  of the English Speaking Peoples."
Not going to say much about him here as he would need at least one whole blog to himself.  I have already read it once (the short version), but so many people ask us questions about English history and some Americans know more about our history than we do theirs. I would really like to read all five volumes because he is such a fantastic writer, but I daren't commit myself to so much reading all at once.  Of course if I were going on a 'Round the World Cruise' I could do it then !  :} But think of the luggage problem.

Now speaking of reading, I would like to introduce you to my
COUSIN, 
Snafu, of the blog Incultus. Through the wonders of the internet, my sister and I have recently hooked up with him. When we were young children, I spent quite some time in their home and with his sister, before my sister was born. But we lost touch  over the years.

Here we are in about 1944.  That's me with my mouth wide open! Of Course!!  Snafu (not his real name) is the youngest standing at the back.  Snafu's sister on the left of the photo and my brother, Michael, who died at age 48 (pancreatic cancer) at the front.
What has this to do with reading?  Well let me urge you to visit Safu's blog INCULTUS by clicking on the link.  He has a wonderful description and photographs of his recent visit to Las Vegas, and even though he is my cousin, I must say I do think that he is a gifted writer and really should have many more visitors. I have never been to Vegas but I loved his descriptions here.

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That's it for ABC WEDNESDAY this week. Click on the link and visit some of Blogdom's brightest and best.  Thanks Mrs. N and team, for your hard work.

27 comments:

Jose said...

Wow, you had no shortage of C material. Love the cows and the old photo. I just ate otherwise I would have craved those chips too.

MorningAJ said...

Love that black and white cow. I don't think I've seen it before.

Dartford Warbler said...

I think that a healthy respect for a herd of cows is a very wise thing. They can be territorial and can be very protective mothers.

Lisa said...

you certainly covered a lot of ground with your C selections! I think cows have gorgeous eyes. I wish you all the best with your Churchill read. It's probably awfully Challenging!

snafu said...

You are too kind about my blog. I notice that I still seem to have the same silhouette.
Nice cows. Most of the time cows in the UK are mild and gentle creatures and want to know who you are when you go near them. Used to be lots of cattle in the fields around the house where that picture was taken.

Leslie: said...

What a fabulous collection of C words for this week. I love those clips but they keep disappearing - just like socks in the dryer! lol Love the photo of you with your cousins!

Leslie
abcw team

Gigi Ann said...

What a great variety of C today. I love the use of the clip for a bookmarker, never thought of that before. I just use a bookmark and a post-it tape to mark my place in the books.

VioletSky-Sightlines said...

I used to use clothes pegs but I, too, much prefer the bag clip!

Hildred said...

I got introduced to cows a few years after I left the city to get married. We grew quite intimate as I learned to milk them, but before that happened I took Betsy the cow out for a spring walk after a winter in the barn and she stepped on my foot, - I fear I was a dreadful innocent when it came to cows.

Chubskulit Rose said...

Love that old photo, such full of life!

Please come and see my C, thanks a lot!

One said...

C is also for Cat. But I didn't think of that. C is usually for Clifford. :) Thanks for coming by. I love most animals too. Love your paintings of cows. I am thinking of painting that black and white cow too. It's too cute.

magiceye said...

lovely takes on the theme!

Kathy said...

"Cousin" was my favorite part of your blog. And I love the picture of the four of you having a grand time!

Autumn Leaves said...

I do so love old photos, especially when I know who the people are (so thanks for the telling of that, Chris). Where is your sister in this photo?

Love the cow paintings too!

kaybee said...

AutumnLeaves, I wasn't in the picture because I 'wasn't in the picture' yet! Chris is seven years older than me, and Snafu, I think, is one or two years older - so either I was on the way, or not yet conceived!

Snafu and I were re-united just a few years ago - the first time we had seen each other in about 50 years, and it's been great to also bring Chris into the circle via our blogs, since many thousands of miles separate the three of us (USA, Canada and England).

Jane and Chris said...

I love your cow paintings! Jerseys are the Miss Universes of the cow world I think. Yes, you ABSOLUTLEY had to include good old Winnie!
Jane x

EG CameraGirl said...

I really like that photo of the cousins. It's so wonderful to come from a close family.

Shooting Parrots said...

You need to worry about cows in a field only if you have a dog with you. It's happened to me when walking the dog. The cattle crowd round and it is very unnerving!

Gattina said...

Nice variety of C's ! I love cows too, they have such beautiful brown eyes and long eyelashes, lol !

Roger Owen Green said...

I like the clips, especially!

i don't trust cows either- they are udderly mad, i tell you.

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

photowannabe said...

Loved your cows, clips and cousins.
I don't know what we would do without our clips. Like you they go on everything. When they break we have been known to use a binder clip as a replacement. Great idea for the book.
Just visited your cousin's blog. Since my post is from Las Vegas it was fun to read his.

jabblog said...

Cows can be dangerous. People - and their dogs - have been killed by them. It doesn't happen very often, fortunately, but I'm more cautious around them now.
I love the clips - going online to find some, after I've visited Snafu's blog:-)

Unknown said...

Wow what a wonderful collection for the letter C.

I learn a long time ago is to NEVER TRUST a Cow even if it looks friendly. It only took once for me to learn to fear them.

Meryl said...

I love your drawings!

Morning's Minion said...

Thank you for sharing the photo--I enjoy 'vintage' photos whether of my family or someone else's.
I have a friend who not infrequently uses a bag clip to pin a topknot of her short wavy hair our of the way.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I have never used clips on books. Looks like a great idea.

mrsnesbitt said...

Loved all of this Chris - cows are our neighbours and our local farmer just named a cow Denise - hmmmmmm??? lol!