Wandering Sheep

Sarah & I went to the Tri Cities on Tuesday to pick up Monica, the exchange student we are hosting for the year.  Her plane landed at 11:50 pm, so we stayed the night and took our time getting around yesterday.  We arrived home about noon and started the process of getting settled in.  I was in the laundry room when Sarah said, "Hey Mom, did you know the sheep are out?"  I asked where, exactly they were out.  They were out by the cars, which means the front CRP, where they are not supposed to be, so I called Mom to see how long they had been out so I could determine if this was a "fix it now" sort of out or an "I can wait a bit" sort of out.  Mom told me they had been out, "Days and days."  Now, since we had expended significant effort to get them back in on Monday, and they were all in when we left Tuesday morning, I knew that was not quite accurate, but it did speak to Mom's frustration.  Apparently many neighbors had called Mom to tell her they had been out.  This only happens when they are out out.  Meaning not on the farm or in the CRP.  That translates as on the road, which is not good.   Since I knew Steve had worked on the barn lot fences and thought he had them secured, I knew that was not going to be an easy fix.  But, I did know where the holes were in the orchard and thought I could get them secured with a couple of panel scraps and some wire, so out I went.

Zeke found a new toy

I used the ends left over from the feeders, and some wire Steve had in the old house.  I think I may owe him a new pair of wire cutters, though, since I think this may have been some sort of hardened wire and it may have nicked his cutters.  Anyway, I spent about 2 hours out in the summer heat and got patches up on the holes.  One of them was over the creek, and I know it's not good.  I kept telling myself that it only needed to hold for 48 hours, because Steve will be home to fix it right on Friday.  Anyway, I got it done, and the sheep considerately decided to come home about the same time I finished so I didn't have to go searching for them, I just had to move them from the ram pasture to the orchard.  They looked awful - hot and tired.  Sometimes animals need to be protected from themselves.