The Sheep - just slightly less than 2 years ago

A pre-Christmas update. Hope you all have a nice break & that Santa is kind to you all! I have a suspicion the little package under the tree with my name on it is the same size and shape as extended cut Fellowship of the Ring DVD. But I've been fooled before by decoy gift wrapping (which in my opinion is a very low & unfair tactic - you know, that thing that is the same size & shape as a gift-wrapped mountain bike, turns out to be a scungy Tom Clancy paperback & a dozen or so inventively twisted coat hangers.)

Well the trivial stuff first - the dining/kitchen areas & bathroom were all tiled last week. The place is transformed!

But now the interesting stuff...

A while back I rang the District Council & asked them what hoops I needed to jump through if I wanted to keep a few sheep to mow the lawns - we're in a residential zone you see. A very nice fellow told me there'd be no problems so long as we aren't engaging in intensive farming, and so long as our boundary fences are stock proof. He suggested I ring the local animal control guy & have the fences inspected. hence all the frantic activity recently fixing & replacing fences.

So last week, just as I was wondering how do I buy sheep... I rang Grant, the animal control guy's number & left a message telling him I wanted the fences inspected & why. He rang back about an hour later.

"So, you want to buy some sheep."

I said "Yes, but first I want the fences checked."

"Yeah, yeah" he said "But have you bought your sheep yet?"

Turns out his father had a bunch of sheep to sell. He could even get us coloured sheep! Bonus.

He asked me to call him on Sunday & he'd be round to deliver 5 South Suffolk cross (supposedly) sheep.

I spent Saturday morning replacing yet more fence. And cleaning out a bathtub which will serve as a water trough.

So about 2pm Sunday, we had my family up for a christmas get together - since they're all heading north for the actual day. We were just finishing a sumptuous lunch of leftovers from the drunken barbecue the night before (coincidentally, this was leg of lamb). And a rickety Council truck with cages on the back barrelled down the drive. Out hopped this very burly guy called Grant who very conspicuously checked out T before introducing himself to me.

And Grant told us not to bother closing the gate out onto the street as he'd drive right into the paddock & let 'em loose there. Which he did. And there was a really loud clunk as he drove into some large solid object overgrown with grass. But it didn't faze him. In fact, he didn't mention it at all.

And then he said not to bother closing the paddock gate, and told us all to stand in the opening as the sheep would take off in the opposite direction.

Then he dragged two enormous ("Prime eating!" he tells me, which would sort of defeat the whole purpose, but there you go...) black & white wethers off the back & away they went into the paddock. Then a brownish ewe hopped off all by herself & took after them. And another ewe sort of did a forward roll off (so I was wondering how many break their necks getting off trucks) and away into the now shoulder high (on humans) grass.

And then the last one - a medium size black ewe - very cool looking, got tossed off, turned around & bolted right past the truck, through all of us (I was surprised at how fast she could move) round the corner & out toward the street!).

And there was consternation! "Don't chase her!" yelled Grant, "She'll want to get back in the paddock with the others."

So I started to slowly head back around the shed, wondering if I could circle around, and also fearful she'd be halfway back towards State Highway 1 already. When she came barrelling back around the shed but veered off again upon seeing me. So I retreated & joined the rest of the family hiding out of sight - all of us peering round to see this little black face down the end peering nervously back.

And Grant came barrelling back out in his truck, and he swung wide around the shed & like black lightening, this furry streak hurtled around & into the paddock. Way cool.

And I closed the gate.

They ran around a bit, pretty aimlessly, but all together. We restrained my nephew Rorie from chasing them (but he's a little tyke & wouldn't have lasted long anyway).

And finally, they all found the pine tree that I'd pruned the lower branches off for shade (it was bloody hot yesterday), and settled down to watch us, watching them.

Every now & then I'd head back, and take a look, and stand on a fence post, and there'd be 5 heads poking above the grass looking back at me - but they started to graze all over - mostly in the end away from the house. And they viewed some neighbours whose kids were playing cricket in their garden next door with interest, but didn't seem bothered.

And Master Tim came over to check them out. He seemed pleased too!

T thinks they're cute, they're like a gang of five - usually led around by that black ewe that bolted. I do have a sneaking suspicion they're going to be more interested in the expansive patches of clover, at the expense of the 6 foot high grass that I want cleared. But maybe they'll trample it down a bit, even if they don't eat it. And between Christmas & New year, the electric strip grazer may make an appearance to force the issue.

And today's mission? Find half a dozen or so very visible "Please Close The Gate" signs. The Animal Control guy knows who we are :-)