sea of mulch

Yesterday the landscape crew finished the work. Our house floats on an island in a sea of mulch.

More than mulch: they added a spirea and a hydrangea.

Decision almost final--no sheep this summer. But I'm open to another animal.

Final curtain for lambs

The lambs graduated Monday. Here Moe tries to climb the Smokehouse apple tree in the orchard. Is he telling me he's ready to move on? They boarded a shiney aluminum cattle trailer behind a new Mack truck.
Now I have to muck out the shed, put away the fence extension, give away the sheep feed that was left, and spread out the hay.
As much as I anthropomorphized Meeney, Miney, and Moe, I should examine what I was projecting.
I notice that often I attributed to them negative motives--getting a cheap break on feed, looking for an easy escape, etc. It occurs to me that I was just using them for an easy laugh.
The exact opposite could have been the case. Baaing might be telling me not to feed them, that I gave them too much already and gave them a tummy ache. Constant pushing at the fence might have been hints to tighten up security.
Anyway, they were good guys. I got a lot from them. Apologies to anyone who was disturbed by their baaing. They deserve a new, happy chapter in their lives.

Dawn's early light

The dawn's early light at Monterey. Meeny, Miney and Moe are still sleeping in their sheep shed, barely visible, center right. I know because they did not baa when my footsteps made noise on the driveway.

Our national poem's "dawn's early light" requires glare and rockets. Let me have it without the noise and artificial light. Just soft and pastel and shifting almost erotically.

There's plenty of time then for the noise, the baa-ing, the hustle, the grazing and the glancing. People pay $400,000 for a property but only see it from 7:10 to 7:15 in the morning and from 6:15 to 8:05, let's say, in the evening.

Some people never see their little place on earth.

Manger working for sheep

How quickly the fate of things can change.

A manger was installed, hay bought, and here are Meeny, Miney, and Moe feasting on the mixed greens--timothy and alfalfa.

One day they were just one loud bellow away from the cattle truck, and the next day they are back in the good graces of the shepherd.

Actually, we've been through two bales and here you see them munching on the third.

The learning--presentation of the food. I've tried hay previous years, by spreading it on top of the straw on the floor, or just scattered in the pasture. Finally, put it up in the air and they're hooked. What can that say about humans and our eating habits?

Meeny, Miney, and Moe at the crossroads

As innocent as our scruffy-kneed small bovines may look, they have been pushing the limits recently and pushing the buttons of us living at 34 W. Eby. Not to cast aspersions on them--but they have been baa-ing at inappropiate times and much too frequently and loudly. We have provided them with fresh water, lots of molassus-tinged grain, ocassional excursions to the orchard pasture extension. Gratitude and shutting up never seems to be a result of this care. Therefore we had to take some decisive measures. No more trips to the orchard until they stop jumping the fence into the Glick's alfafa field. No more extra helpings of grain until they stop baa-ing after being fed. And, we've added, just yesterday, a little manger, custom-made at the back of their shed. Benuel and Junior Smoker, two Monterey boys, brought them a fresh bale of hay. So far Dorcas and Joel have claimed some success at getting them to transfer their voracious appetites from sweetened grain to hay--but so far it requires human time of standing there and soliciting the eating of hay. I hate to say this, but the thought of the Beiler cattle truck has popped into my head more than once. But we are taking all possible measures for forestall this eventuality. I am frustrated because I am by nature very forgiving of the friendly beasts of the field. But the happiness of people (family and neighbors) comes first, after all. So, for all of you who have petted Meeny, Miney, and Moe and who helped name them, I just wanted to update you. We will take no drastic actions without consulting with you. You did name them. Incidentally, their ceremonial names are: Casper, Melchior, and Balshazar.