Like squirrels to a suburb kid, street rats to a city kid, and crabs to a coast kid, so are COWS to my kids. They don't even notice the herd of black angus as their barrel shaped bodies dawdle across the pasture directly behind our house.

As we passed by yet another field of big eyed bovines while we were out today I heard a deep sigh escape from Asa, followed by...
"Mommy, can we go to the city tomorrow?"
"What city?" I asked, knowing exactly what city he was missing.
"New York City!" he responded emphatically.
"Oh, Buddy, we can't go to New York City anytime soon, it's too far away."
"But I want to meet new people...see new places!" he exclaimed with typical Asa conviction.
"You can meet new people and see new places here," I offered weakly, knowing that "here" was not the kind of new place he had in mind.

My suggestion was followed by an icy silence as we passed yet another pasture littered with cow pies and their owners.

"Hey, look at all those cows!" I said in an effort to make a cheery transition.
"Yeah, yeah, more cows, blah, blah, blah....." he mumbled, with what I'm sure was an eye roll to rival any teenager.

I guess now is as good a time as any to teach the old adage "Bloom Where You're Planted".

Cow manure, after all, does make great fertilizer.