Nekkid Chickens, ... and "Belties"

Good Morning All;
A bit of a headache today, so will lay low until it is better. (Aw, come on now, a few stitches won't hurt anything). Methinks I am addicted to my sewing machine, which is working just fine once more...

Another blog here that I should have posted almost a month and a half ago.
Bear with me, I play "ketchup" a lot...  hehehe


On one of my blogs from Minnesota, you might, or might not, recall that I once had written of a pasture full of striped cows just off Highway 29. I think I had posted a picture or two also.
I had made up my mind that on one of these trips home we would stop in.
On our last trip home, we finally made that stop...
And oh! Punk wanted to get out of the car so bad!  No such luck for her though-

Mr Farmer was on the Skidster, clearing out the stoop in the back of the barn. Having learned long ago that when a farmer is as busy as all that, one does not interrupt him. (I am not even sure if he saw us prowling around)! 
There was no answer at the door of their huge farmhouse, so I figured there was no one else around.
We took a few pictures as we wandered about, enjoying the cattle, but still wondering about them too. A beautiful layout they had, and lots of places to look!
As we thought to leave I was leaving them a note, when the Mrs. came up from another barn to greet us. She had been feeding the goats.



Oops. Wrong picture.   hehehe
These are just a few of their sheep!

I explained that we have made many trips past their farm, and was more curious each time. She was happy to oblige us, and to answer our questions- A request to see everything was met with a smile.
She took us into the big barn. Once used as a dairy farm, it was now converted into pens and such.

In the first pen were these creatures!



So pretty, and she could point to, and name off each breed of hen they had!
(To my ignorant brain they are all just "chickens").

To the back of the barn then, she showed us these ladies...



HAHAHA  They are all naked! 
(Molting season kids, they are not sickly).

The molt has no effect on the lay of the eggs either...


..........
Laying lots of eggs..........   ........... And the size of them just blows me away!
(Dang. Now I am hungry). hehehe

This next bird must have thought he was a cow~hen, as he seemed to be hellbent on corralling this heifer-
Maybe he thought the heifer was his mama?




Casey got some very cool pictures of the cattle in question as well...


The expression on this ones face just cracks me up!




I laugh at the little one, peeking around his mama-



At the scratching posts-



"King of the Hill"  by Mama and son...



Chewing his cud, he could not have cared less about the camera...
So CUTE! 

She told us ALL about these beautiful creatures.
They are called Belted Galloways.
She called them her "Belties". (So cute she was)!

She said that, furry as her Belties are in these pictures, these are actually only their 'summer coats'. They grow yet another coat for winter! Too bad we didn't make it to Minnesota last week, I would have stopped for pictures of those coats too. I just can't imagine them any furrier than they already are!

From here: "The Belted Galloway is a rare beef breed of cattle originating from Galloway in SouthWest Scotland, adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and windswept moorlands of the region. The exact origin of the breed is unclear although it is often surmised that the white belt that distinguishes these cattle from the native black Galloway cattle may be as a result of crossbreeding with Dutch Lakenvelder belted cattle.
Belted Galloways are primarily raised for their quality marbled beef, (Dang. Now I am REALLY hungry),  although they are sometimes milked; {or} purchased to adorn pastures due to their striking appearance.
In the US these cows are often informally known as "police car cows,""panda cows" or "Oreo cows"."
 - - end quoted text

We chatted for quite a while- (Neither Casey nor myself were standing too well by the time we left).
But we are both SO very happy that we finally stopped in-  to learn something new, and to meet new friends as well.

As we drove out of the yard, she walked up to her house...



She is such a lovely lady!
Small in stature, but big on wisdom and kindness. Welcoming a couple of strangers with open arms, and a tour. Not too many good people like that left in our world these days.
Her husband worked throughout our visit. I am sorry to have not been able to have met him, perhaps next time. As I stated before, I do understand that work ethic.

I just wanted to share this "wonderfilled" visit with everyone.
I'd better close for now, my dryer has been buzzing that my rugs are done. (Not 'dry' mind you, but the first layer of cat hair and puppy fur has been removed). I dry the rugs very carefully as the lint filter always fills up quickly- And we all know that a dirty lint filter will ruin a dryer in record time.

Have a 'wunnaful' weekend!   My love to all!

XOXO
Me

Green Bay, WI 

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hehehe