The Start Of A Cow...

[Matt Henderson]

...As Rachel said, we all know where cows come from. But what about that rare breed, the Florida Waxtail?

For those unaware of that unusual species, they are notable for producing young in the form of eggs:


Once the egg hatches, the young cow takes its first tentative steps, twisting and tightening its new muscles:


Soon its muscles are steady enough, and so after seeing what its new body can do it has to lie back down and gather its strength for the next part of its growth:


The young cow needs strength in order for it to survive in the wild, and so it begins the long and arduous process of stiffening its new body with sinew and a layer of tough skin:


Eventually, the baby cow has grown enough to roll around on the stone next to its home and this gives its developing body a nice smoothness. Exhausted by the day, the cow retires to bed and dreams of the next stage of its life...



Thanks for putting up with my ramblings :P.

[Ron May]

Nice progressive photos of your build.
What's the target length?
Did you roll the twisted core before you bound it?
Thanks for sharing this build with us.

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Please continue the story, this is very informative!!!! Science art performance all in one!!!!!

[Rachel McCollough]

I think so.... The baby cow rolled around on the stone next to its home.

[Robert Gage]

Matt, this is great - at so many levels! Thanks very much!

[Matt Henderson]

Thank you Ron, Rachel, and Robert . I figured I'd do something a bit more fun than 'this is my build, here is layer x here is layer y'. If I can brighten your day AND make a whip, I'm happy .

Ron, it's a 6ft cow whip (hopefully). I didn't roll it before binding, which I probably should have done, but I don't think it'll matter too much; I gave it a good hard roll after binding and taping, so hopefully that and the tape bolster will round it out.


... That night, the baby cow dreamed of what it wanted to be when it grew up. It didn't know exactly, but pictures and feelings swam through its mind... eight plaits to give you your strength, young calf, and twelve more to make you beautiful... the cow was happy, for it knew that soon it would take its next steps on the journey... the journey which would see it fly through the sky with its new owner...

[Jorden Hoefling]

this is a fun post. have you chosen a color scheme?

[Matt Henderson]

I was going to go for bottle green and burgundy, but they'd run out of burgundy so it's just green. I like the one-tone thong more, come to think of it.

[Ron May]

Matt, you might try a little bit lighter green and when waxed it will most likely turn it a little darker.

I too like monochrome whips too. Especially when they have fancy plaiting like Tyler's do.
It becomes understated class.

Ron

[Matt Henderson]

Very true . Unfortunately, I'm not going to wax this one. It's gone over budget anyway, and I don't think I have the means to do it.

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Love the story on this one! XD Can you imagine "waxing a cow" :P

[Michal Pylak]

Green and burgundy work very well together. I love this combination.

[Matt Henderson]

I get the feeling it wouldn't end well, Brandon :P

[Matt Henderson]

Episode 2: Oh No!

Our friend the young cow awakens from its slumber, and sets off in search of its next addition. The cow, luckily, stumbles across a tangled mass of vines and creepers:


The cow decides to fashion an outer shell from these vines, and sets to work measuring lengths of stem:


But the cow is not the only creature in these parts... the vicious Spiders of Fatigue lurk in these parts, waiting for unsuspecting passers by to disturb their lair. If they bite, the brain fails and the hands lose their dexterity until the victim sleeps...:


Disaster! The cow has fallen into their trap, and try and try as it might the creation of the shell is flawed and uneven. It knows that its work needs to be excellent for it to be able to fly, and with a sore neck and bleary eyes it retreats back to the drawer in which it lives, carefully storing away its prized vines until it can make better use of them.

[Roy Partin]

Matt, I love the story and the photos. It makes plaiting much more interesting and entertaining

[Matt Henderson]

Cheers Roy . I'll have another crack at plaiting the belly today, I think.

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Will the cow survive the process before he falls yet again to fatigue? Find out, in the next installment!

On another note, I'm loving this story telling, can't wait to see your whip build too!

[Ron May]

Matt, you are putting a new twist in this whip build.
It's very much appreciated.

I am waiting for the next installment of this cliffhanger serial build with abated breath.

Ron

[Matt Henderson]

Thank you Brandon and Ron, I'm glad you like it . Next instalment should be appearing tonight...

[Matt Henderson]

Episode 3: Working Out

Welcome back to another episode of Whip Planet, and today we continue our observation of a Florida Waxtail in its natural habitat.

The cow has recovered from its brush with the dangerous spiders, and discovered an effective use of the vines it located. It begins to wrap them around itself, providing protection and stability:


Unfortunately for the cow, it has grown fatter than it believes it is and so the vines have trouble covering it in its entirety. This will be fixed by another larger layer, added later:


The wrapping continues, with some creepers being discarded as they work around the thinner parts of the cow:


Some trimming is needed, which the animal cleverly solves by rubbing itself against a sharp outcrop of flint. The calf is very careful not to cut itself on the razor-sharp edge:


Eventually, the cow has covered most of its body in the thick vines, which give it some much-needed support. Although it cannot fly yet, it can launch itself into the air and glide effectively:


Due a rest from all that work, the young animal again goes to roll and play on the stones, setting the vines in place:


The cow is content. It knows that its next task is to tie its new covering on firmly, so that it can support another layer of creepers...



Bugger.