expotition out my window: counting blessings on account of sheep...

Apr 11

Apr 11 expotition out my window: counting blessings on account of sheep...

currently we are staying in a cottage on a private estate which is also a sheep farm. it’s lambing season. the lambing field is the one that is conveniently right beside our cottage — which makes looking out the window akin to watching a reality tv show as the sheep come and go into view. like a netflix series, i’ve been hooked now for several weeks as oh my goodness it has been such a delight to watch these momma sheep and their babies. in fact it has become my major pastime and i have video and photo footage to prove it. while editing it into something artistically palatable remains a different task, here is what i can tell you:

bumbles might bounce but baby lambs BOUND — if there were a trampoline out there it would make more sense about the height and the hangtime they each possess. basically, these woolly cherubs are genetically predisposed to defy gravitational pull as they frolic and play — which they do ALOT…
“king of the hill“ is a universal game — more like “king of the boulder” as there are plenty of those in the fields of ireland — but the outcroppings outside our door are just big enough for two. though these lambies can get three to five of themselves on the rock if everyone cooperates, that would be a different game. more fun to pile on so as to knock each other off in order to own the throne. the second bestest game is to head butt — which is also a favorite past time that draws a crowd who then wants in on that action. having taught in the elementary school setting in a former life, i do feel like i’m back on playground duty sometimes — only better since i don’t have to intervene. because they get color coded as soon as they’re born, i can confidently say that at this age they do not suffer from any sort of gender discrimination, not only can everyone join in these games, they are each encouraged by the pack to do so. though there does still seem to exist a propensity to bully the smallest among them — or at least to try. best entertainment (and comeuppance) was watching a “king of the hill” episode where everyone but one little guy was managing to get a turn to be the ‘king” — so he created a diversion of head butting, which he scooted out of as soon as everyone else left their post. he then bounded over to “the hill,” stepping up ever so proudly to reign for a longer time than everyone else before him combined. very clever little guy.
speaking of wits, mamma sheep are smarter than people give them credit — their radar is keen, collectively forming a community alert system. though i’ve been watching MOSTLY from inside — and at a bit of a distance from the window — when i come in close with my camera those mamma sheep begin sounding the alert and pretty soon all the babies are not only by their momma’s side — the mommas have stepped in front, hiding their babies from view.
the rhythm of their days and the dynamic dance between mommas and babies is something to which we all can aspire. the mommas make sure to get their nutrition in so that they can provide milk to their wee ones. they remain fairly nonchalant about nursing, no timed schedule for them, just constant availability. though the mommas w triplets must somehow keep track of who’s taking sips and who isn’t as they will occasionally go seek out one of the three to make sure it’s getting milk too. when mommas aren’t being attentive, some lambs will try to sneak sips off of whichever source is closest. sometimes the bold baby gets away with it and other times they get a swift hoof in their face. community parenting seems to be the norm, it really does take a village because…
all that frolicking and nursing is exhausting. there are designated nap times throughout the day — though some mommas sleep and others keep watch. without a sheep dog for this particular herd, they’ve figured it out for themselves. which is smart because there are a few foxes hanging out with wee bairnes of their own to feed…i don’t wanna talk about how that plays out for either species.

the fact that i can go into such detail is evidence that i have been most effective in procrastinating from writing, which was part of the intent when choosing a place a little more secluded. though i’ve spent lots of time in nature, i’ve never really been on a farm — this has been quite the gift to meet newborns on almost a daily basis. being the hopeless romantic, i chose NOT to see beyond these precious moments to the more practical purpose behind raising sheep. in a country that has cruelly suffered multiple famines and starvation attacks, far be it for me to judge the ways in which they meet the needs of their people. plus, last time i checked i am a carnivore…just not of lamb.

and so for the time being, these mommas and babies are my joyful harbingers of spring. i am loving this opportunity to bear witness to their entrance into the world. i get a thrill every time they come to visit this far edge of their field. waking up then rushing to the window to see how my babies are doing has become a ritual. after keeping watch for a day over a stray mother n child who got out of the fence, i think my relationship with the tribe has improved. the lambies are permitted to wander closer to the fence that is less than 2 feet from the house — and when i come outside and start talking to them, noone runs away anymore nor do the mommas start bleating or hiding their babies from view… what a gift. it appears that they are beginning to get curious about me, i swear they are looking back through the window, evidenced by the ying/yang duo pictured above. maybe its wishful thinking yet it makes me so happy. that said, r, along with our irish caretakers, have basically forbidden me to start naming these woolly cherubs…probably a good idea if i want to keep smiling.

realities of life aside, the passive participation of this particular moment ‘in the day of a life’ of these sheep — is reminiscent of a time gone by in my own evolution when nursing, napping, playing, and eating WERE the top agenda items for the day. appreciating the simplicity of those needs being met strikes a chord on the nurturing spectrum that i’d long since lost in the hustle and bustle of everything else. i get it that i’ve been gifted a very rare opportunity here to restore my soul. paraphrasing and tweaking the sentiments of mr. irving berlin; “though i’m not worried ‘bout my erratic sleep, i’m counting blessings on account of sheep…”