Do you like reruns?
There's just something comforting about watching certain movies again, reading special books again, or going to the same favorite spot again.
If we catch When Harry Met Sally, Apollo 13, or It's a Wonderful Life on television, the channel flicking stops. We just have to stop what we're doing and watch it again.
One of the best parts of being a teacher is getting to read some fantastic books again and again every year. Books like Dear Mr. Henshaw, Number the Stars, and Where the Red Fern Grows never get old!
So... What does that have to do with this little painting? Well, I just love this little heifer! It makes me smile to see her hanging on my wall, but she keeps selling! I guess it's my fault for listing her for sale, but she's kind of fun to paint anyway.
[SOLD]
What kind of cow is this?
That's what I called to ask my dad yesterday. Now, I know that my dad has been a farmer for 86 years and was an agriculture teacher for 20 years; so what made me think I'd just get a short answer...
ME: Hey, Dad. What's the breed of cow that has a black body and ears but a white face? I thought I remember you calling them a black baldy, but I Googled it. There doesn't seem to be a breed named that.
DAD: Yeah, that's a black baldy. It's not an actual pure breed, but that's what farmers call it. The black baldy is a cross breed between an Angus and a Hereford. They do that to get the best of both breeds. It's best in the first generation cross. See, if you can get 900 pounds of beef from the Angus and 900 pounds of beef from the Hereford, you might get a calf that would go up to 1,000 pounds. The male gene has the dominate black hair, and the female gene has the dominate white face. So, the bull would have been an Angus, and the mama cow would have been a red Hereford... good hybrid... gentle like the Hereford, strong like the Angus... other breeds are done the same way... and on and on...
Anyway, you get the point... once a farmer/teacher, always a farmer/teacher...
So... how about my curious little black baldy! Isn't she a pretty little heifer!
This little painting was fortunate to be part of an Etsy treasury (collection of related art pieces and vintage items) called Bold. Click to have a look.
One of the best parts of being a teacher is getting to read some fantastic books again and again every year. Books like Dear Mr. Henshaw, Number the Stars, and Where the Red Fern Grows never get old!
