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Blossom the Cow
This is not a rolling pasture or large farm, but an island in the middle of the St Croix River in northern Maine. This photo, showing lighthouse keeper Elson Small milking Blossom was taken on Maine’s St Croix River Light Station on Dochet Island on the International Border of the United States and Canada.
Elson Small bought this cow in Calais Maine. He then built a scow, a large flat-bottomed boat with square end and hauled the cow from the mainland out to the island.
Elson’s wife, Connie, was terrified of the animal. When the cow was grazing, Connie would climb down a small ledge and walk on the rocks at the waters edge to pass around the animal. Blossom was brought to the island because neither Connie nor Elson liked canned milk. With plenty of grass, a cow with fresh milk would never be turned down.
Elson milked the cow twice a day and always squirted a bit of the milk to the cat who was in its glory drinking the fresh milk.
If Connie had to move Blossom, she would try to haul her with a long rope. Connie was always terrified of the cow, who wouldn’t have harmed a flea. Once Connie tried to milk the cow, without success. The cow tried to nudge Connie, in a loving sort of way, and that was enough for Connie.
Bob Brinkerhoff, a noted cartoonist of the time, was visiting the island. Connie and Elson invited him on a picnic. Connie had baked one of her wonderful blueberry pies and cooked up a lobster stew for the occasion. She took the pie down to the boathouse landing and placed it on a stool. She went back to the house to get the lobster stew. When she came back with her guest she found Blossom with her nose in the pie and blueberry juice dripping from her mouth. Bob, Elson and Connie enjoyed the lobster stew, but it was Blossom who enjoyed the pie. Bob did a cartoon based on this experience.
Back to the edition of: March 2001
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