It is the first time it has been cool this time of Morning for a long time. It was 57F earlier this Morning, that must have been close to the low point. It is 73F outside now, but it is only 69 where I sit here at the computer.
Yes! We got ten new sheep; five mature, purebred, hair sheep ewes and five lambs, the result of crossbreeding with woolies. It will be interesting to see which hair style is dominate.
We bought them from some local folks who use dogs extensively for herding. In fact they raise sheep so they can indulge their passion for training Border Collies. Watching the dogs move those sheep was amazing. They obeyed immediately [well almost] once in a awhile the dog seemed to be saying, "can't I just chase that sheep a little more." The communication between shepherd and dog, is something to see, in order to believe. He parked his stock trailer along the side of a fence and had the dog herd the sheep into the trailer. First the dog bunched them up against the fence and towards the back of the trailer; then laid down and with his eyes dared the sheep to do anything, but jump in the trailer. The sheep jumped in the trailer. It was a marvelous demonstration of man and dog working together.
We got them home okay. We put the five young ones in the sheep pasture and put the ewes in what used to be the goat pasture. I walked around the goat pasture fence [cattle panels] to make sure no trees came down to flatten a panel. It would take something like that to breech a cattle panel fence. We have found it is the best fence for goats. They will climb on woven wire, and no matter how tight it is, they manage to pull it down.
I went back to the sheep pasture to check on the lambs. I could see only three lambs. I wasn't concerned with the sheep pasture fence, because we have had sheep in there, for several years and they haven't gotten out. I, also, believed that the young ones would herd with the current residents; it has worked before. Well, I was wrong. The sheep were in the barn when we pulled up with the trailer, I was pleased, because I thought the introduction would go as I imagined. Huh, the sheep took one look at the lambs and tore out of the barn.
It was 12:30 or so at this time. I checked the fence. Three sides of the fence I see every day; along the yard, along the driveway, along the road. The fourth side separates our property from our neighbors to the South. I haven't checked it in awhile. I walked along it. It is in miserable shape. Tree branches have fallen on it, and there are several places, where a scared or excited animal could go over.
The four sheep we have, have not been able to keep up with the growing grass, and this is an especially verdant year. It was impossible, to be absolutely sure, the lambs had escaped. I walked around the pasture, however, and I saw no sign of them.
We e-mailed all our neighbors to be on the look out for two lost sheep. Every half hour, I would go out to the pasture, to look for them, hoping they were just laying down in the long grass; I would just spot the three I already saw. The refrain, "leave them alone and they will come home wagging their tales behind them", kept going through my mind. The trouble is, the home they knew, was twenty miles away.
At five 0'clock, I went out one last time. I saw two lambs grazing to my right, I thought I was seeing two of the three I saw before; one kind of lagged behind. Then I looked to my left, and I thought I saw, an ear wave above the grass. On investigation, I spotted three lambs laying down together. What a relief! I can't imagine how those two lambs stayed invisible so long.
All the sheep are eating and appear well acclimated to their new surroundings.
And, after having more exercise in months, I discovered I am not too old to be a shepherd.
During all this time, I was contemplating the decision to get more sheep, one of my sister-in-laws, Arlene, was dying. Six months ago, I mentioned the death of my older brother, Bruce, she was his wife. It was clear that she was dying for awhile and it was, also pretty clear, that she was willing, if not eager to leave her body, and get on with things. In the last few weeks she was often on my mind, I would think of her, as I knew her, many years ago. The first time I saw her, for sure, was when I got out of the Air Force, and I was 23 and she was 19 or 20. I say, for sure, because I had met her Grandmother and other members of her family before. Her Grandmother and my Grandmother were distant cousins. I don't know how distant, I heard second cousins. That would mean that she was my fourth cousin as well as my sister-in-law.
Whenever she came into my mind, it was as that exuberant, vibrant girl. It happened several times as if she was reliving these times. Or perhaps, it was just my strongest memory of her. Yesterday, when I came home from town, I saw on my e-mail, that she had died. It was on Bruce's birthday! Despite the fact, that this was an expected death and welcome; I experienced waves of sadness and the tears flowed. Yet, I am happy for her. It is, a period of my life, coming to a close. It is interesting, that I kept flashing back, to our youth together.
Of course, I don't think death is real. I believe there is only life. We inhabit these bodies, until we have learned what we want, and then we leave. Some of us may come back, again and again, to learn more, or provide teaching for others. Some of us may choose another planetary system. We have a whole universe to explore. But, while we are on Earth, lets bring Paradise here.
Love and Peace, Gregg
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