Breaking And Exiting

Meanwhile, back in July...and June...and May...and, to be honest, again just two days ago...  These five hoodlums lovely sheep, have been outsmarting me by busting out of their paddock and running wild in the yard.  Well, if we're being honest, I've technically left a gate unlatched and thereby outdumbed my own self.  Where I'm being outsmarted is trying to get them back in.  

This is not my first experience with leaving gates unlatched and finding sheep grazing picturesquely in the yard.  I'm actually pro level.  I'm eating breakfast, hear a sheep bell that sounds too close, look out the window, see the entire flock out in the yard and jump up and run outside yelling and clapping my hands and they all race back to the barn and I latch the gate. 

I've given up yelling at Krista and her loyal followers.  She barely raises her head and when she does, it's just to take everyone under the Christmas card pine tree that she knows I can't get under and continues eating until I get around to her side of the tree and then she trots to the other side and continues eating and when I get back around to that side...

 After much effort (and usually much cursing) I can get her to eventually saunter back to the barn "area", but even then the chances I'm going to be able to get them back in their paddock are low.

Her favorite move is "Okay.  Lighten up, lady.  We're going back in (insert eye roll)."  She'll calmly lead them all past the truck, heading straight for the open gate...and right at the last minute, when she gets me just far enough around the truck, she'll make a break for it and race around the far side of the truck and back down the driveway and back to eating.  Her kids think this is the funniest thing ever.  

We have gone round and round about this.  Literally.  If Kate were younger, she'd have nipped this in the bud, problem solved.  One day, after we'd gone around the truck five or six times like that, I'd had enough and grabbed a buggy whip and I nipped her in the [butt] myself.  "Oh, you want us to go back in the field?  Why didn't you just say so?"

You might think I could just end this story here, but this is not the end of the gate shenanigans.  Krista's well schooled kids can get through even latched gates.  I feel like I have a picture of that somewhere back in the phone archives, but I need to get busy so I may just try to take another picture this morning.  I'm sure they'd be glad to demonstrate (insert eye roll).