Friday, May 29, 2020

Five on Friday - Cattle Country

I often share pictures of plants and animals found on the tallgrass prairies of southwest Missouri, but, rarely, if ever, have I shared the more domesticated side of life here in cattle country. 🐮

When we first came here, all there was in every pasture was black angus cattle as far as the eye could see...or, at least, being from the Kansas City suburbs, that's how it seemed to us anyway...and, while, black angus still seem to be the predominate bovine on the agrarian landscape, here lately, we've noticed that they're not the only breed of cattle around.

Two Black Angus Calves
More recently we've noticed some white cattle, a few black and white ones, a few that are brown, and even a red and white one, although I have no idea what breeds most of them are. 🐄

Red and White Cow
This week, I've decided to try my hand at a post that features pictures of cattle that has caught my eye when I've just happened to have a camera handy. 

1) This first photo is one of my favorite spots in the country. Here, the gravel road that I travel when coming or going to work the back way, crosses a prairie stream that's a little wider than most, and it's a popular hangout for local wildlife. I've seen great blue herons, turtles, raccoons, and all kinds of other animals here over the years, but, as you can see, on this particular day, the cattle that live in the pasture that the creek passes through were gathered together at, what I'm sure, is their favorite watering-hole. I couldn't resist stopping and getting a picture of these cute and curious creatures...especially the little calves.

Cows and Calves Gathered At A Favorite Watering-Hole
2) The black angus calves in the photo at the top of this post and the one below are three of many in a pasture just south of our home here on the edge of town. These little guys are super curious and often line up at the edge of the fence to watch my husband as we stroll by on our evening walk. We always talk to them and, sometimes, they cautiously follow us a bit before getting bored and returning to whatever it is that they were doing before they noticed us.

A Curious Calf
3) This brown cow was one of three that was in a pasture that my daughter and I passed when cutting through the country on our way home from visiting family in Mindenmines on Wednesday. Me, being me, stopped, of course, to get a picture of this curious, friendly, and pretty cow. I love how she posed and the lick of her lips in the picture below just made my day! 😋

How Now Brown Cow
4) This picture was taken in March of last year. It is of a calf that had escaped its own pasture and was running loose in the field across from our home. He (or she) never made it to our side of the street before the owner caught it, but he (or she) was curious and watching us, so I snapped a picture while I could. I loved the white face, white socks, and white underbelly!  🖤🐄🤍

Black Calf With A White Face, Socks, and Underbelly
5) Our youngest daughter-in-law and I made a special trip out to the country to get this picture of the only white cattle in the area that I know of. It's not the best photo, I know. It was taken from quite a distance away and it was raining, but at least I got one. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that they're White Charolias. As a child, I remember riding past a farm that specialized in White Charolais cattle on the way to and from my grandma and grandpa's place. I remember being mesmerized by that field-full of white cows and some of the biggest bulls I had ever seen. They were the only white cattle I had seen until these cattle right here and they look just like them.

White Charolais
How about you? Do you live in an area where cattle dots the landscape? If so, what breeds are popular where you live? And do you have a favorite?

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love cows! When Rudy and I started dating I had a small herd of my own. I miss my mamma cow, her name was Jeri.I raised her from a baby cause her momma died of lock jaw when she was born and my Uncle Earl said if I bottle fed her and raised her I could have her!I was only about 14 when my Uncle gave her to me. Jeri was the best cow ever!
Angie😊

Rebecca Knox said...

I had forgotten about that, but, yes! I remember you having cows when you guys first got together...and, if I remember right...didn't Rudy ask you to marry him in the middle of a cow pasture? LOL! Thanks for sharing your love of cows. I've been on a real cow kick myself lately. :)