The Professor and the Brown Cows

A RURAL IDYLLSpurning realistic advice from the locals and the skepticism of their daughter, the professor and his wife decided to surround themselves with cows. There was much to learn: the biology of medical research, with minute traces of cells in Petri dishes, was not the same as the biology of separating a possessive, thousand-pound cow from her calf. These tales show how a couple and their teenage children learnt to look after their beasts and appreciate the magic of the land and of the seasons. Along the way they developed a fondness for Irish Wolfhounds, known as Gentle Giants, and less of a regard for goats. Local farmers included some colorful characters who became fast friends and who initiated them into such country pursuits as bull-and-oyster roasts and machine-gun shoots. Perhaps the most enduring lesson of all may be an appreciation of the hard circumstances and deep work ethic of those who grow our food. Dr. Richard Hansford has enjoyed a long career as a research scientist and medical educator. His previous books include The Doctor Factory and Rats in Science and Medicine, which examine the ethical challenges of working in an offshore medical school and in the trenches of scientific research. The present work is kinder and gentler and more in keeping with his other non-fiction book, Ignorance is Bliss - Sailing with Dad.