Buffalo !!!

I've had the coolest day. Mary knows some people, Pat and his wife Carol, who have a buffalo ranch about 30 or 40 miles out of town. Pat had kindly said we could go visit and he'd show us some buffalo. What a great experience!
We had to sit on a tyre in the back of his ute (pickup truck) and he took us across the paddocks (fields) to where some buffalo were - females and calves. Bouncy ride!!!
The buffalo greeted us by pissing everywhere and grunting. Marking their territory I suppose. Smelly! Pat told us to stay in the ute - as if I had any intention of getting out!! Thems BIG animals.
Pat had some food treats that he threw on the ground and that kept the buffalo busy while Mary and I took photos. Some of them looked at us suspiciously but didn't get closer than about three feet away. Close enough!
Their hides looked rather raggedy because they moult during summer. Don't blame them, it was very hot out there.
Then we went off to another paddock where another female with calf chased us. She was mean. I think Pat was looking for the bulls but we didn't see any. Just as well I think as the females were big enough.
It was the coolest experience and I'm so glad I got to do it.

After that we headed to the Flint Hills - really pretty landscape. Reminded me a bit of Gippsland with the rolling hills (yes, there ARE hills in Kansas) and cows. Everything here is so green though, so that's different. I haven't seen so much green in a long, long time.
We stopped at Lake Waubansee for a short while. Pretty lake with the boat sheds all along its shoreline. Couple of kids were fishing not far from us. Took some more photos, of course.

Tomorrow is my last day here. Bummer. Having too much of a good time with some excellent people.