Milking Time
Gujarat, India 2009
Milking time in a small Rabari village in India. It seemed that the men did the milking chore. Instead of a bucket, they used a copper vessel that, if you thought about it, resembled one of our old milk cans, only smaller.
Milking is a never-ending chore. The farmer must milk morning and evening, rain or shine, holiday or not. No doubt that accounts for the fact that few farmers of old traveled more than a few miles from home. It might seem odd to a city person, but it is easy to become fond of your milk cow. She comes when you call. She waits patiently for her feed and rewards you with delicious creamy milk. She gives off warmth when you must milk on an icy cold day. And a cow’s breath is the sweetest you will ever smell.
We watched as one man milked his cow with the calf waiting nearby for its share. The man wanted his photo taken. And we complied. When we showed him, he was not happy. He didn’t want his own portrait. He wanted a portrait of his cow! I can understand that!