Bill Johnson said I'd have plenty of time to make it up to Canaan before the October sun went down. Headed through moose country almost into Canada as the light slanted lower into the west, I wondered if he was right.

Arriving at the barn just as the last minutes of sun illumined the golden hillsides, I hurried inside. "They're in the house," the hands said. I elected to drive around two pickups in front of the barn, across a small swath of grass to get to the road and over to the house. That was not good. Ursula was watching, and informd me when I met her that the grass was green because others were more careful.

Humble apologies and quick photography yeilded a spectacular image of this proud dairy couple with their steadfast dog, Bear.

Not content to let me go without letting all be forgiven, Ursula and Bill invited me over to the garage for one more photograph. There, the family car proudly bore the plate, "HUGACOW". This whimsical plate says everything I need to know about the Johnsons; nothing is more important to them than their farm, their herd and the milk they produce for Cabot.

By Bob Eddy
Cabot/ Agrimark