State of Situational Awareness: Needs Improvement

I tend to walk with my eyes glued to the ground in front of me. It’s a habit I’ve battled, mostly without success, all my life. As a consequence I don’t usually trip on rocks, but I do tend to walk into a certain amount of tree limbs. Walking into animal herds is another possibility…

Okay, I saw the cow pie quite a long distance away, and had figured it into my plans. Plans didn’t seem to require a lot of revision, after all; just step over it when you get there. The sun was directly in my eyes, which aren’t that great anyway; maybe I could be forgiven for not seeing past the gooey obstacle to the clearly visible large animals just beyond. But when I got to it…

…and it was literally steaming – then, then I looked around. I looked to the left and saw a departing and rather distant cow, probably the cow pie depositor. I looked, belatedly, to the right…

Boy, you can tell these cattle have been in feed lots for a long time, I’d guess all their lives. In fact I’d guess they’re first-calf heifers…

…because the cattle I’m used to are generally at least half feral, but these just don’t care. I haven’t seen such tame cattle outside a milking barn.

Good thing, too, because I walked right into the midst of them. That’s a sin that can carry its own punishment, especially with breed bulls around.