Albert very nicely went out alone to clean up the sheep pen yesterday. With this crazy weather, their enclosure is quite muddy and not very pleasant for any of us.
Hands full of the various tools he might need, Albert was over-encumbered when he attempted to open the gate. (Stud)Muffin, our ram, was there to greet him, and took the opportunity to slip past Albert and out into the wild world.
From inside the house I faintly heard, “Leeesannnne.” Through the window I saw Albert in the sheep pen with all his tools and surrounded by inquisitive sheep, and Muffin, outside the pen head-up and trotting to and fro, exploring his newly found freedom.
I hastily put on my sheep shoes, grabbed my jacket and went outside.
“Muffin, what are you doing, sweet boy?” I calmly asked as I walked between him and the gate. When the sheep are separated from one another, or when they are in new surroundings, even the most docile of them can become dangerous if only due to their size.
Even though Muffin was clearly interested in exploring, he is bonded with me, and came towards me and the gate as I spoke to him. We reached the gate at the same time, Albert opened it enough to get Muffin’s head inside, and we gently pushed him the rest of the way in. Order restored.
I share this story because for us it is another example of how we are learning to work with the sheep, and to work with each other. After almost 22 years as a couple, you would think that it would be second nature, working together, but what we are doing now is so very different from our life “before,” that we have to learn whole new ways of dealing with things. It is sometimes painful, sometimes funny, and always rewarding when we get it right.
Now if we could just get the sheep to poo in one spot.
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