ROCKPORT — Maybe they figured it was time to shake out the end-of-summer blues, or perhaps the grass really is greener in Skip Wentworth’s yard; at any rate, a herd of Belted Galloway cattle, “Belties,” from Aldermere Farm strolled past Graffam Bros. Seafood Shack in Rockport Village at lunchtime, surprising humans eating at outside picnic tables, and inside working at their desks.

The belted bovine, also often called the “Oreo Cookie cows,” apparently climbed, or hopped, a low point in the fence and strolled over from Huse Street, where an Aldermere Farm paddock borders that dead-end road that extends off of Limerock Street. Or, they agreed to push through a gate.

Stopping traffic on Union Street, they ended up on Wentworth’s lawn, whereupon nearby businessowner Kim Graffam looked out her office window.

“Here are words you don’t expect to hear in your office, ‘Oh my goodness, there are cows outside the window,’” she said.

“We tell tourists all season to go see the cows,” said her husband, Leni Gronros. “Today, the cows decided to come see the tourists.”

Rockport resident Marieta Wheaton, who grew up on a dairy farm, knew exactly what to do, and that was not to make a lot of noise that might startle the herd. She was nearby at the post office and walked up to Graffam, who was standing by the cows, after she called 911 and let Knox Regional Communications Center know that the cows were out.

Wheaton and Graffam attempted to keep the cows quiet on the lawn until farm staff could arrive.

“But they decided to head back,” Graffam said. “They had caused enough commotion and went home.”

The herd was mixed in size, all female, with a couple of large ones taking charge.

“They started back out onto Union Street and started heading down Huse Street,” said Graffam. “Marieta and I followed them down the street to keep track of them. Fortunately, there is the backside of a paddock near the corner of Huse and Limerock. The cows headed into a little cleared area behind the large house there (where Marge Dodge's house used to be). They stayed trapped there against a banking until a few of the crew arrived from Aldermere and cut the chain on the gate and let the cows back in. They figured the cows jumped over a low part of the fence or may have pushed through another gate on the other side of the paddock. They were going to investigate.”

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.