Wondering is such a wonderment. It’s not like it is a question that needs an answer. It is just something you wonder about. You can wonder about tons of stuff. Wonder if you put enough sugar in your tea. Wondering is usually about something you have never seen or something you can’t see even though it is right in front of you. Like wondering about that sugar in your tea. Or wondering what the back side of the moon looks like. Pretty sure it looks like the front side — just darker!
I have wondered more than I have questioned about things in life. When somehow during the course of life something I wonder about gets fulfilled, it’s, well, it’s just wonderful. Like just this last week…
For years, since I figured out about deer, cows, outside animals and the like, I have wondered if deer ever eat the same places at the same time as cows. Cows in the animal world are somewhat domesticated. Of course, talk to a rancher who has been put up against a fence by a cow with a wild hair and you might find he disagrees with that domesticated part of a cow! But between a cow and a deer, the cow is domesticated and the deer is the wild animal.
So wondering if the two animal groups would at times be anywhere near each other when they eat is a true wonderment. I have traveled Nevada roads for more years than I care to discuss. On these trips I see cows on the range and cows on pastures and cows in fields. I also see deer. I see deer on the range and deer on pastures and deer in fields. But — yep, a “but.” But I have wondered for all of those years if cows and deer are ever together, eating or drinking or just socializing together, at the same time on the range, on pastures or out in fields. Go on, think about it. Have you? Oh and yes, I think of animals in a way that would put them in a social environment. They could socialize. They must. I mean, come on, they have baby animals, don’t they? That has to come from some type of social interaction, right? Let’s mooove along.
So it finally happened this past week. This wonder of my world can now be put to rest. Here’s what happened. Traveling south on Highway 278 between Carlin, Nev. and my home in Diamond Valley north of Eureka, I saw an amazing sight. This time of the year, fall, the cows are coming home to roost — no, wait, that is for chickens. The cows come home to winter pasture. Yes, chickens — roost, cows — pasture. Got it? Good…
Driving home, I saw tons of cows moving home for winter pasture. In one pasture, there were happy cows munching on pasture grass and then into view in the same pasture, guess what I saw? Now don’t get ahead of me. I saw — antelope! About 30 or more antelope were there, munching away with the cows. I thought, “Wow, that is so cool!” Then, just that fast, I picked up on another movement of animals in that same pasture. OK, you can get ahead of me now. Yep, deer! It was a cornucopia of animals. Cows, deer and antelope! This was a wonderment fulfilled. Just there along the road for all who passed to see. Well, see as much as you can see driving along at the posted speed of 70 mph!
Was I lucky or what? Something I have wondered about for a long time has just been set at my feet. There has got to be something that we all wonder about from time to time. Wondering is set apart from wishing. Wishing conjures up things happening. Wish I were taller — to match my weight! Ha, fat chance! Wish it was warmer — so my nose hairs won’t freeze when I breathe while I am outside! But this wondering thing. It’s in a category all by itself. Seeing those three animals in the pasture all eating together was a gift given to me and I will carry that sight in my memory for a long time. I just wonder how long!
I also wonder what you wonder about. Zip me a note if you want to share your wonder. Huh. Wonder how many notes I’ll get.
So now I have to say this last line, as I cannot be the only one who has this on their lips. Holy cats and kittens, Batman, I have found where the deer and the antelope roam — and they invited cows!
Trina lives in Eureka, Nev. Share with her at itybytrina@yahoo.com. Really!