We hope all of you are enjoying the first days of a new year! Hope it brings you lots of joy, happiness, and of course fiber and yarn! :0)
This was the first day feeding the sheep hay by myself. I tell you, those sheep are lucky they are so cute. It is so hard to be mad at them when they are twirling around and jumping in glee in the front yard? I can almost be mad. Almost. They are so funny, thinking 60 sheep having a rodeo would go unnoticed by me? Too fun to watch, but not when they decide the party is on, and they are not ready to stop!
It all started when I opened the gate to pull our Gator and trailer loaded with hay into the pasture. As soon as I hopped back on the Gator to pull it inside the gate, the race was on. It never pays to step in front of them either. They all know I will step aside when they run straight at me-safety first! They will hit you like a 300 pound linebacker if you don't move- problem number one. Problem number two is when one goes, they ALL go. Thus sheep in the yard.
Thinking one has the sheep all back in the pasture can be tricky business. I thought I had them so was going to replenish my poor chicken's corn and water. I did not think before leaving the chicken's door open for a little sun. The sheep made a beeline to the chicken house and ate all the chicken's corn and spilled their water. As I was walking over to refill the coop, woopsie, there was Tony sheep peeking at me around the back of our truck. Then there was a cute little black Shetland sheep named Bram peeking out from behind a snow drift? Really fellows? They were coming out of NOwhere? That is what took me so long to finish up- Tony refused to go in. He has the you can't catch me routine down pat. He stays a step ahead of me, looking back with out turning his head. When I almost get my hands on him he just walks a little faster. Sad when a sheep can out walk me right?
Problem number 3 (and the most serious of all if you are one of our sheep) is the hay this year has less alfalfa in it. It is really nice grassy hay. We planned it that way because our David the Wonder Shearer was not happy with their weight last shearing day. He called my babies bubble butts??? SO, we have adjusted our plan for them BUT the sheep want alfalfa hay. Or as it is known to sheep- alfalfa candy. I keep telling them we all need the exercise and salads we may not like. They told ME I should put my refrigerator waaay out in the pasture so I had to traipse around for my food too. Better yet they told me I could get some really great exercise if I strapped a bag of Fruit Loops on my back. Then run through the flock. I would have to be very very fast with their favorite treats on board. Smart alecs!
Two hours later everyone is fed, watered and back where they belong. I am not going to even try to retrieve the Gator and trailer. That will have to wait til hubby Jim is home from work. I need to go sort fleeces to keep my New Year resolution, well, er, get it started. Goal is to sort four each week day. I've had my work out for today thanks to my sweet, cute sheep. Now I am going to find a cup of hot chocolate and treat myself to some marshmallow fluff in it too!
Finding my serenity (for) NOW while the sheep nap in the sun-- resting up for the next round of 'fun'!
Smooches and good wishes to you all from the sheep!
