Post by genebo on Apr 17, 2015 19:13:47 GMT
Today was the culmination of my search for a new homeowner's policy that endorsed my farming activity. It had been a long couple of weeks, getting quotes and sorting out the limitations of policies. At last it was finished, or nearly so. All that was left was for the agent to come take photos of the farm and get signatures.
She arrived with her camera at the ready, but her first question was, "Where are your cows?" She had raised 4H calves not too long ago and was anxious to see some cattle again. It took a few minutes for her to take the pictures she needed of everything but the barn. Then we piled into the Mule and rode to the barn. After a couple of pictures there, we went looking for the cattle.
It was just before noon. Cudding time. The goats were in their little house, but the cattle couldn't be seen. We drove around the perimeter until we found them, laying at the farthest corner of the farm, in the trees. She was impressed with how calm they were, and how they didn't bother to get up as we drove to them. It wasn't until she reached out to touch Cathy that Cathy got up and backed away. The agent figured that this was typical behavior toward a stranger. She expected the calf to run away, but it didn't.
She looked long and hard, then told me that my Dexters looked like a cross between a Jersey and an Angus. The soft eyes and delicate face on Cathy drew her attention. Next she noted Cathy's red coloring. She wanted to know who her mother was, and was she red? I told her about Eve's ancestry and how she was carrying the original red coloring that came here with the first Dexters, over a hundred years ago, and how we were trying to reconstruct it in Eve and her offspring. She told me that they used to dye their 4H calves solid black to hide any red color from showing. She wondered why we would want it?
I remembered that I had a package of hamburger rolls in the Mule, so I got it and gave it to the agent. Instantly, the atmosphere changed. The sluggish, sleepy Dexters stood up and congregated around us. It got sort of crowded for a few minutes, until she ran out of rolls. She was laughing so hard as the calves and Bambina nibbled her fingers, wanting more. I showed her how to brush her hands together and say, "All gone!" so the Dexters would leave her alone.
She stepped back and took a bunch of pictures of the Dexters. Especially Cathy. Then she surprised me. She asked me why Cathy's cannon bones were so short? When I told her it was because Cathy is a dwarf, she wanted to know if they all were? I told here that only Cathy and Bradan were dwarfs. She did a good job of comparing them, bending and touching legs. She said it was quite remarkable. She asked me what made them have such wide rumps? I told her it was selection, that the wide butts was a selection criteria.
All of this took place while she was wearing patent leather pumps. She would have looked more appropriate on a dance floor than in a pasture. She was forced to leave, to stay on schedule, but asked if it would be OK if she came back? I said it would certainly be OK. She lives and works about an hour's drive from here.
Her visit was like so many other visits until she asked about the short cannon bones. I think she is the first person I've ever had visit here that had never heard of Dexters before, that noticed.
Score another convert for Dexters.