Belted Galloway Cattle

 I don’t know about you but I’m thrilled every time I find some of these cattle-beasts around. That’s what a friend of mine called them years ago, and it stuck with me. These belted Galloway bulls are pretty special. They always remind me of very large stuffed animals, since they are exactly that. Their wooly hide seems to suit them too. When I shot these pictures they were very curious and some of them came from the other side of the paddock to check me out. After a couple of intense minutes staring at each other, one or two got frisky and butted each other casually as they left the scene of the gaping photographer lady.

I used to have a teddy bear that was also black and white and the coat on that cuddly favorite was very similar to what these fellas have covering their massive bulk. Perhaps that’s why I felt no fear on the other side of such a flimsy fence, just a few feet away from these gargantuan young bovines. And it was pretty obvious that they too were not in the least bit afraid of me either, probably thinking that they could finish me off in a jiffy. But cows are sociable animals and they like attention and our cow on the paddock outside of our restaurant on the vineyard liked to hear the music we blasted into the atmosphere from a multitude of weddings and other events. I think the live bands were her favorites. They are extremely intelligent creatures after all. For all I know she’d be dancing in the field whenever the music started. Oh, shake that thing, Bossie. Get down.

They’ve doubled one of my medications. It isn’t my fault that my brain works this way now. Oh well.