Our Sunday Afternoon Moving Sheep

When I was a kid, our Sunday afternoons were spent at one of our grandmother's houses for Sunday dinner. It was a really nice tradition that I'm sure some of you probably still continue today. Here at the farm, we don't have sit-down Sunday afternoon dinners. We do sheep chores as a family. There is always something that needs to be done and since Julia misses these chores since she is at school so much, I make sure that she gets included in some kind of sheep related activity on Sundays - our only day of the week when we (mostly) don't have off-farm responsibilities. I love this outdoorsy, farm-based tradition that Julia isn't aware is different than what many other families do on Sundays. She'll miss it someday, I'm sure.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in our corner of the world. One of those days when I just wanted to be outside all day long breathing the crisp air, enjoying the sunshine, and basking in all the gold and orange tones of the world around me.

I've put together a little photo essay for you of the work on the hill. After a lunch of Scotch Broth Soup (recipe coming later in the week), we headed up to the top of the hill where our adult ewes and summer born lambs have been grazing. Time to move the fences and the sheep, donkey, and llama into a fresh spot for some fall grass. When Julia and I arrived, The Farmer yelled to us to help find some ewes who had not followed most of the flock. He could hear them baaahing in the distance. Off we all went. 

As you can see, Phoebe was worried that her mother (that would be me) wasn't coming. Julia and I are always behind the sure footed dogs and their father. Slow is good sometimes. I spied these old bones from a cow who used to graze this pasture years ago. Looked like a giant dinosaur bone to me.

 

It was a gray day - a sign of things to come.

 

Before Julia and I got to where the sheep were, The Farmer and his collies had already gathered the errant sheep. 

I love to watch The Boss and his loyal dogs Phoebe and Nessie. There is just something beautiful about it - a shepherd and his dogs. Such a time-honored tradition of dependence between canines and humans. Amazing instincts Border Collies have.

 

Julia and I played back-up going around the empty barns with the dogs trying to round the sheep, Eeyore the Donkey and Jeremy the Llama back towards their new grazing.

Phoebe always has one eye on me and one on the sheep, not wanting to miss a move. Sweet dog.

 Nessie on the other hand is all business watching every move of her flock, even if from afar.

 

The sheep are all about food so they had to sneak some of the not yet mowed hay. We look at a lot of backsides of sheep around here.

Our donkey Eeyore always lags behind. He is just a bit stubborn. But he always goes eventually.

The fences were set up and it was time to move the sheep in.

Jeremy our Llama chowing down on a nice clump of green grass.

The animals were all fenced in for a few days in this pasture. It will be picked clean in a couple days and it will be time to move them again.

Nessie knows everything is right with her flock. We couldn't move this many sheep without both our collies. They are amazing dogs.