Using long lenses sometimes means a surprise. The cattle were a LONG way off, up a steep slope. They would make a nice frieze composition, cattle standing out against the background mountain. After a few moments I caught the shot, and blissfully carried on with my day.
Then, later, I downloaded the pic to my computer for checks and storage. Have you noticed the little surprise yet? Timing is crucial in comedy…
One of those cute moos is looking directly at me and enthusiastically expelling gallons of urine.
It’s a perfectly natural function, and a cow will do what a cow must do… but it isn’t the proper behaviour in polite company, is it! Her Mum didn’t bring her up right, piddling in public is something our Mums stop us from doing quite early on. But it is a bit funny to see this cow shamelessly (innocently) watering the grass. Isn’t it?
Now put it the other way… Had I set out to capture a photo of a urinating cow – why would I? – it’s almost certain that I’d be trying for hours if not weeks. The timing was (accidentally) perfect, and the chance of that happening “to order” on camera is vanishingly small.
Shame, though. I don’t think this wee-moo-cow-pic would be useful for a postcard or birthday card! What looked a good atmospheric Alpine cow pic is not suitable for polite company. Would Aunt Maud approve? My Mum would have given me “that” look.
Never work with children or animals… and using telephoto zooms for long-range Alpine landscapes just might need a blush and an explanation.
However, I do suspect that Jesus is chuckling. He specialised in upsetting “polite company” by mixing with all the wrong sorts of people. You know, tax collectors, fraudsters, zealots, sick people, lepers and folks with non-standard morals. It really upset the hypocrites, the better-than-thou folks, and the well-meaning who behaved politely but missed the point of WHY we should treat others well. Jesus even quoted scripture to them in surprising ways and seemed to be more interested in love, mercy, and compassion that any religious tick-list. Awkward.
We often spend a lot of time worrying about natural bodily functions (which is good for sanitary living!) and perhaps not quite enough time in worrying about the well-being of the people on the fringes and social blacklists… Are we guilty of taking the p… ,er, cow micturation?
THAT’S a more polite word for use in polite company. But it just means the same thing.
The Reflectionary 