In A Surprising Turn Of Events

 The "Murphy Murder Cam" has exonerated our favorite villain fearless leader! 

Murphy has long been the pokey piece of hay in my sock regarding Every Gate on our farm.  Over the years he has caused So Much Trouble letting himself and everyone else in the flock into Any Area he thinks there might be food stored.   

He knows how to manipulate several different types of latches, to the point I have added bailing twine around gates to double secure them at times.  If you want to walk in and out of a gate carrying hay, for example, you have to twist around while balancing a stack of hay to securely latch a gate for the 15 seconds it will take you to drop the flakes and return for another arm full.

You might get lucky leaving a gate unlatched while you are standing there taking pictures...after all the feeding is done, but don't think for a minute he's not watching you out of the corner of his eye for one moment of distraction.  

Getting into the hay storage area in the barn is his first goal, but busting into one of the Easy Breezy pens is a close second, to the point I have jokingly (sort of) said I should change the name of the Winter Breezy camera to the Murphy Murder Cam because some day I am going to snap.

The other morning I walked into the barn to find half the flock pillaging the Winter Breezy pen.  My first thought was that I'd left the gate unlatched when I'd given everyone some extra hay at the first check because it was so cold.  Then I noticed that the latch was broken.

MURPHY!

I wondered how long they'd been in there so I opened up the app to check the camera footage.  Hmmm...at 10:14 the gate was still latched...and at 10:15 it wasn't...but...wait a minute...that's a white sheep!

I'm not sure if it's because of the cold or if there's a glitch in that camera, but I couldn't pull up the recorded footage to watch exactly how it happened, but I have to own up to the fact that for once in his life, it wasn't Murphy.

It was Biscuit!

Murphy probably loosened the latch up trying to bust his way in too many times, but at 10:15 he was no where in sight.

The 74 Days Of January

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It wasn't really that bad, but it does seem like a long time ago since we had green grass!

Bea Appreciation Post

(This picture was from over the weekend.)

I really miss having a Border Collie because they have just the best personalities, but I don't miss having the working farm dog aspect because I have Bea.  

Corgis were originally bred to be working farm dogs, but I'd always assumed that was so far back in their past that they'd been "dumbed down" into pets.  The two other corgis we've had were very nice dogs, but didn't really show a lot of interest in working on a sheep farm.

Even as a puppy I noticed Bea stepping up when she thought something wasn't going right in the barn.  At first I just chalked it up to dumb luck and being bossy, but it started dawning on me that she really understood who needed to be where, and when they weren't she wanted to put them right.

Over the years I've incorporated her help into several aspects, mostly penning sheep, but also rely on her letting me know when there are sheep (mostly Murphy) some place they shouldn't be.  I can tell at the house if there's a problem at the barn.

Over the weekend I got run over twice at feed time.  Murphy got past me on Saturday night and was so obnoxious that I ended up losing my cool and thumping him with a feed scoop (plastic, but I think if it had been concrete I wouldn't have cared at that moment).  Sunday morning Biscuit ran over me.  I ended up kicking him in his fat butt with my rubber boots (but wouldn't have cared if they were concrete either).

Both of those sheep outweigh me by double...at least.  Both are Cotswold crosses and let me just tell you, do not get between a Cotswold and some stolen food.  They are fearless and do not care.  Still, to have that much trouble in less than 12 hours...

What. The. [Heck]. Was. Going. On.?!?

Oh, wait.  It was super cold and Bea was in the Wool House.  I had no back up and those fatties knew it.  "LET'S GET HER!"  

The next morning Biscuit tried it again, but this time I had Bea with me.  I was ready and quickly moved myself and the oldies into the corner and yelled "Get him, Bea!" and Christmas came early for her :-D.  Biscuit was out of there in less than two seconds and didn't even come around that side the next morning.

Kate was a tactical herder and smart enough to not get hurt by occasionally taking the high road.  Bea is out there throwing concrete feed scoops and boots, nipping heels and barking like a maniac and I'm assuming using some grown up words because the sheep understand perfectly.  

This morning, as I rounded the corner to feed my skinnies, I found Biscuit in the stall waiting for me (stupid or greedy or most likely stupid and greedy).  I called Bea in...

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I can't decide if the best part of this video from the barn cameras is Bea's sharp bark, Biscuit making a fast exit or me saying "We should have had that on video!"  Probably it's "Good job, Bea.  That was perfect."

But First, This...

Before I share the weekend's pictures, I need to share information about Hug a Sheep Day...which is this Saturday!  But before I share that, I want to share a super interesting thing that happened yesterday.  I'll add some farm party info at the bottom of this post.

* * * * *

Do you remember the night before Hank died, Maisie standing out behind the barn, up on the hill, watching out back...and watching over me and Hank as we sat together one last time?  And do you remember Big Moose standing out with her?  Here's a link to a blog post that shares several IG posts and tells more of the story. 

If you want to watch the post dates, it looks like you'll have to click on each IG post picture in that post.  It's really interesting to watch everything develop.  The posts range from 2020 to 2021.  To be honest, I'd forgotten about this.

Yesterday the barn cameras picked up a fox messing around in the barn lot in the early hours of the morning, around 4:00 a.m.  As I watched I saw a sheep walk into the frame and get between the fox and the barn.  

The fox would make a move and the sheep would move to stay with it.  This dance went on for several minutes and finally the fox left.  The sheep stayed out there for a few minutes more before it went back into the barn.

I could tell it was a big sheep...with all black legs...maybe a clean (not wooly) head... Was it Murphy?  Maybe Levi?  It wouldn't be Muffin.  Big Moose?  The face looked solid black though, which was throwing me off.

As I watched, the sheep finally moved into a position that the barn lot camera spotlight caught a better look and sure enough there was some color on the face.  It was Big Moose...and that triggered the memory above.

Big Moose!

I recorded a short video clip of this and will go post it over to IG so I can then come back here to update this post.  I don't know how people keep up with how to use social media more efficiently, but there you have it.  Old people trying to use technology...  

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I just find this so interesting (the sheep/fox interaction, not the SM) and since most of you probably remember the history of Hank and Maisie and then Big Moose joining the security staff, I knew you would as well.  You know that fox was moving quietly.  Did Hank or Maisie wake Big Moose up to let him know or was he already watching, on duty.  Either scenario is comforting for sure.

* * * * *

Yes, there's a Hug a Sheep farm party this weekend.  I hope there are parties all over the world again like there have been the last few years.  I do love that part of social media - watching the #hugasheepday hashtag.  Here we are following the usual format with sheep hugging, cookie feeding, horse petting, picture taking, yarn fun, people treats, wool wearing...with one change.  

The hours this year are 12:00 to 3:00.  We've bumped everything up one hour so that anyone who would like to go over to the train run at The Heavenly Hilltop Railroad can caravan over and ride the amazing hand machined coal fired steam trains around 1 1/2 miles of track with an incredible tunnel and trestle and more good company.  There are also some sheep there, too ;-).

And May...

Much of May was second verse, same as the first.  Pinot was still digging his hole and filling it back in.  Bullseye kept getting friendlier and friendlier - just a charming young cat.  More rain.  More green grass and also a special mix of grass planted out front for Pinot.

The cake baking continued.  

Short Round made it all the way out into the yard to graze a few evenings.  Maisie grazed in the driveway.  Baaxter had been kicked out into Summer Breezy because he was being a bully.  Boys...

The cicadas arrived and that's been...interesting.  I can stand the mess and the noise, but fer cryin' out loud, get off me while I'm trying to weed eat!  

There's a funny story about poison ivy and Short Round getting some props for helping support the removal at a friends house...by goats.  Since Short Round will eat anything, I figured she should be there in spirit :-).

Betsy enjoyed another party.  Bea enjoyed a trip to Dairy Queen.  Everyone enjoyed the beautiful full moon.  

The gardens are coming along, both vegetable and B Garden.

The horse shenanigans continued.  Boys...

Knitting as fast as I could to get. this. project. finished.  My Iknitariders had fun riding along and didn't mind too much when Bullseye fell asleep with them.  

Maisie is a Good Sheep.

Losing Burrnie and Kaala was not unexpected, but still sad.  I love the barn camera shot of her sleeping tucked up with Liddy near the end.  Kaala enjoyed her friends here.  So did Burrnie.

Speaking of the barn camera, I love being able to check in with everyone whenever I want, but also, if I see something odd I can go back and see what happened.  One evening I saw the sheep all jump up startled.  I switched to the barn lot camera to try to see what they were looking at.  Something small and light colored, but I never could decided exactly who it was.  

The month ended with a fun steam train ride at the Heavenly Hilltop Railroad with 20 and Pip and Skipper (Rebecca's lamb), who is now far too big to pick up.

I love these scrapbook compilations :-).

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February

I almost forgot to do my beloved Month End compilation.  What a brain...

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February was crazy...but not too shabby.