From: Robyn Landers
Subject: Re: [CA] giant stone cow
To: canadian-assault
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 16:29:59 -0400 (EDT)

> The third picture there is dull but it documents (I think!) the story
> of the Giant Cow-o-Boulders between Windsor and Asbestos.  Be cool if
> someone could provide a translation.

The panel titled "LA VACHE" translates approximately as follows. This is fairly literal, except for the words that I have to infer :-), and someone more fluent could do a better job of translating the intent. (LC/Jody?)

THE COW

"Our friend and partner, this gift of the sky,
this large worker which is the cow, produces our beverage
and our family income all its life, then gives us its ??
after its death.   Thank you, Madame Cow."
                        - Jocelyne Bergeron-Pinard

Thanks to our elders
Those from whom these tracts of land were carved,
our ancestors practiced the lifting of subsistance farming to
agricultural business.

(Sorry, I can't do a decent job of the poem by Big Beaver 1852.)

The first panel about "LES PIERRES DES CHAMPS", after the quote by Frechette, says something like this:

"All throughout the ages, fieldstones, obstacles of farming, have fascinated
human beings, who have collected, studied, used, and valued them.
Like the alchemists who try to transform lead into gold, humans of all ages
have valued this humble material.  We have made houses, roads, terraces (?),
gravestones, inukshuks of them...  Religions have made temples of them...
explorers have made supply stations.  Numerous artists have made impressive
works of art from them which have lasted for centuries.

The Saint-Georges-de-Windsor Development Society serves to represent
the traditional livestock animal of the region, the milking cow,
and to erect a promontory on which we can admire the panoramic view."

The line at the bottom starting "Merci de prendre" says "Thank you for taking care of this site which is very dear to us."

Next volunteer...

Robyn