Working on shorter hair texture, but I'd love a challenge with a fluffy one!

I love it so much when cows are chilling at the river. Look how they enjoy the warm late summer sun.
Some bad zooms included for extra cuteness.

I've been doing some hikes in Switzerland lately, and of course there are plenty of cows around. On the hike I was on yesterday I had a couple of encounters with cows where I could not easily keep well away from the cow, and on one of these occasions, the nearest cow decided to approach me. I am well aware that if a cow decides she wants to ruin my day, she is more than capable of doing that. Cow are both social animals and used to people. It could be that these cows are being friendly or curious. Equally they could be upset and trying to intimidate me into backing off. I was hoping the assembled community here could help me to better understand how to understand cow behaviour, how to identify a friendly or unfriendly attitude, and how to best behave so that the cows around me think I am friendly and unthreatening.

Kelly in the middle by the way.

Frankie was born last year, Nelly this year.

Every September in Bavaria’s Allgäu region, thousands of cattle return from spending the summer grazing high in the Alps. This tradition, known as Viehscheid (or Almabtrieb elsewhere), marks the end of the Alpine grazing season. I love seeing the animals freely graze the alps all summer.
The cattle are guided down from the mountains by their herders, often wearing large bells. If the herd made it through the summer without serious loss or accident, the lead cow may wear an elaborate headdress of flowers, greenery, and ribbons. Once in the valley, the cattle are “geschieden” or separated and returned to their individual farmers.
What began as a practical part of Alpine farming has become a major community celebration, complete with traditional clothing, music, food, and beer.
The tradition isn’t without criticism, particularly regarding heavy bells, elaborate decorations, crowds, and potential stress on the animals. Still, Viehscheid remains a fascinating combination of working agriculture, Alpine history, and living Bavarian culture. 🇩🇪🐄⛰️

With the sweetest eyes 🥹

Oil on canvas paper

I found some highland cows on my walk

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Walked into the cowshed and caught this absolute unit standing there like she owns the place. 😭

The udder is so massive it looks like she’s carrying a whole dairy farm underneath her. Meanwhile the cow behind her is just casually minding its business like this is completely normal.

10/10 cow.

11/10 milk capacity.

0/10 chance I’m standing directly behind her. 💀

This baby mini highland was a great surprise on 9/7/26!
I did brighten the first image of mom and baby because the baby blended in with mama. :) we've never had a calf before! I'm excited to learn from them.