Accidental shepherdess
On the walk home from work today, I stopped to watch a local farmer round up his flock of sheep to move to another field. No dog, no ATV — he just drove forward and back across the grass in his 4×4, honking. Got them all right where he wanted them to go, including stragglers. It was masterful.
When he got them all bunched up and headed out the drive, I gave him a round of applause. He leaned out of the car and yelled, “stop them — they’re headed for the crop!”
Yes, dear readers, today I was an accidental shepherdess. He had three or four guys in the road directing traffic, but the sheep (being sheep) tried to bust out in just the wrong place. Or just the right place, since I was standing there gawping and waving my arms.
They do this several times a season in our area, move a big flock from one field to another for better grazing. Just the unwed ewes — I don’t think they’d dare try it with excitable lambs — rushing right down one of the busiest roads in the county. Step out, stop the traffic, chase hundreds of sheep down the highway.
If we’re out when they do it, we know they’ve done it. They close the gates at the end of our drive. That’s how Uncle B heard the commotion and came running with a camera. That’s me in the circle back there, having done my bit.
Good weekend, y’all!
Posted: April 17th, 2015 under animals, britain, personal.
Comments: 14
Comments
Comment from J.S.Bridges
Time: April 17, 2015, 8:13 pm
Yee-haw! Move them dogies! – er…woollies!
Looks like y’all got ’em movin’ along, right smartly.
They’ve got pretty nice, fleecy coats goin’ on, there, already – should be some nice pelts, come shearing-time, if that rate keeps on.
A very good weekend for me, personally, as I just got hired for a new (potentially-long-term) contract, starting late next week. Be nice to get back to “regular” pay for awhile…
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: April 17, 2015, 8:33 pm
Oh, well done. Work is good. Um, once you get used to it again.
From the other side, that wool isn’t quite so…snowy. If’n you know what I mean.
Comment from Skandia Recluse
Time: April 17, 2015, 10:15 pm
Hah, ya. Was on my Uncle’s farm (inherited the family farm) one day and he says to me, ‘the cows are heading toward the open gate, and I should stop them’. So I chase the cows. They run away from me, toward the open gate. So, I try a flanking maneuver. I can’t run fast enough to get in front of the herd. About a hunert feet from the open gate, the cows take a turn toward the milking parlor ‘cuz it’s that time of day. They want a little relief. They want to be milked. They turned away from the open gate and go into the barnyard. Damn cows are smarter than me, and cows are stoopid. So I closed the gate. No problem.
Then there was the time I got the disk stuck in the creek bed, but that’s another story.
Comment from QuasiModo
Time: April 17, 2015, 11:50 pm
Can’t get along little doggie
Can’t even get one that’s small…
Nice weekend everyone :+)
Comment from Nina
Time: April 18, 2015, 2:30 am
Baaaaaaah!
I need to watch a couple episodes of Shaun the Sheep.
Comment from surly
Time: April 18, 2015, 3:17 am
That not so snowy part is why they dock the tails. Plaster ’em shut it can or so I’m told. But what do I know, we have cows not sheeps.
Comment from catnip
Time: April 18, 2015, 3:40 am
“And there I stood, paralyzed in terror at the front of my car as as the vast white frothiness surged toward me at full gallop, like the breaking crest on the leading wave of a tsunami. Suddenly, in the midst of the deafening tumult, I remembered the gesture my sainted mother taught me for use in livestock emergencies….”
Is that kinda the way it was, Swease?
Comment from Stark Dickflüssig
Time: April 18, 2015, 3:45 am
Then there was the time I got the disk stuck in the creek bed, but that’s another story.
Man, you got the UFO stuck? I can’t imagine how many free probes you had to give out to keep the locals quiet about that.
Comment from Bob Mulroy
Time: April 18, 2015, 6:48 am
There’s a Chinese song my wife likes to play on her erhu:
Shepherdess, why do you weep? Go to the green mountains.
The mountains are burned. All is desolation. My master is angry and waits with a cord…
It goes on, and gets worse.
At least you are not her.
Comment from scottthebadger
Time: April 18, 2015, 7:47 am
Three days after buying a new John Deere utility tractor, I was asked by a friend if I would be so kind as to mow down by the creek. I said, ” sure “. I headed down by the creek, unaware that the soil down by the creek was muck, muck that had been rained on overnight. My poor tractor sank hub deep in the muck. I walked home, and got by Chevy 4X4 pickup, and hoped to at least get close enough run a chain to the bucket on the tractor’s endloader, and haul it back to firm ground. The Chevy fell through the top on the muck as well. I had to go and borrow a 4X4 Kubota from the Deere dealer to go and rescue both of my vehicles. Not my best day.
Comment from mojo
Time: April 18, 2015, 5:55 pm
You didn’t scream “STAMPEDE!!” and flee precipitously? Amazing.
PS: I bought “some of your shit”, at least I think it is. Nixon/Agnew 2016 “What Difference…”
laters…
Comment from M
Time: April 18, 2015, 9:56 pm
Some of the old family dinner service perhaps?
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: April 19, 2015, 1:55 pm
Oooo…that’s lovely, M!
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