Will the Cows Come Home?

Yesterday I had the pleasure to meet the Gillman’s, a lovely couple driving cross country from Denver who decided to cruise by our remote border branch so they could reserve space to view the eclipse. They were driving a state-of-the-art custom travel van, much to the delight of my sons, though I was more fascinated by their pictures of the 2017 eclipse.

I was a bit shamed by their arrival as the ranch is in spring shambles, in the awkward time when we have neither cleared out debris from the winter, nor seen the new growth of seedlings. We have construction materials everywhere because we are working to convert the old sheep ranch into a comfortable campground.

Despite our mess, it was cool to meet people who understand the magnitude of a solar eclipse and are excited to view it from our little piece of the border. We are endeavoring to build little picnic areas throughout the ranch so people have comfortable places to chat. Sunday, April 7, we will be hosting a meat-and-greet complete with brisket chili, grilled hot dogs and all the fixings. This will give everyone— including us— opportunity to mingle and compare shared experiences.

I am interested in hearing what animal behaviors y’all may have observed previously. There is some debate regarding cows during eclipse. In some countries, ranchers report that the cows come home during eclipse, their habit to eat as dark approaches. Other places report that cows take no interest whatsoever in an eclipse and continue grazing as usual. We have cattle and I can’t wait to see what they decide!

I’m also looking forward to seeing how the road runners react to sudden darkness. Little has been written about the quirky birds’ behavior, but I hope to write a Western about the eclipse of 1806 which passed over a completely unsettled wild west over what is now the state of Arizona. Our roadrunners have no fear of humans and will strut right through your camp.

Excitement is starting to generate in the community of Eagle Pass, not just because of the number of people that will be visiting, but also because they want to see what will happen. Will the dark daytime fill with Mexican freetail bats? Will the birds stop chirping? Will the cows come home?