She saw us first.  We were approaching from upwind.  Nostrils flared as her eyes followed us unflinchingly.  She shifted to the side to keep us in sight as bushes came between us.  I’m watching her too.  Feet crunch in the dirt to our right.  She is not alone.  More eyes lock onto us.  Some shuffle their feet nervously or move in circles.  Some start and bolt off into the desert.  Others join in the stare down.  We continue walking, move behind a rise, and I sign in relief.

I would never have thought that moving through a heard of cattle could make me so nervous.  They were mostly very pregnant cows and a couple skitterish steers hanging out near a watering hole on the desert.  Seems that the trail ran right though their favorite spot.