As Sheep to the Slaughter...

As Sheep to the Slaughter..

I got up one dreary fall morning to enjoy a steaming cup of tea before the kids got up and stood at the dining room window staring at the vacant house down the road. The amount of rain we'd had over the weeks had turned the dry fields of late summer into vibrant green again, a stark contrast to the grey foreboding clouds looming close to the earth.

I observed the plants and the various shrubbery in the flowerbeds around my house but was distracted by a slight movement out of the corner of my eye. Little grey shapes were making their way around the corner of the house that I had just been observing. As they came into view, I noted that the shapes were in fact a handful of sheep that must have gotten out of the neighbouring winery's field. I watched as about six or seven sheep trotted to the front of the house, all in a straight row.  Without even hesitating to ponder his next move, their fearless leader decided that he was going to march up the steps of the raised ranch and go right to the front door.

What a sight! Seven fluffy critters lined up on the concrete stairs at the front door, as if making a house call. I laughed as they all seemed to wait a few minutes, looking at each other as if to say, "There's no one home." Then they turned tail and followed their leader down the stairs again.

But the madness of this bizarre house call was not limited to this one time. No! They rounded the corner of the house, disappeared for a moment or two at the back, then came trotting to the front again. They marched up the stairs one after the other, stood waiting at the front door like a dog waiting to be let in again, then turned tail and followed their leader down the stairs once more.

As if sensing they had an audience (me), they performed an encore two or three more times.  I couldn't believe it! I glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn't even eight. I left my post at the window and called the winery to let them know that their sheep seemed to be expecting breakfast at the neighbour's house. The farmer's wife didn't even miss a beat and told me that she would let her husband know the sheep were out again.

Little idiosyncrasies happen all around us. Life gets busy and we are always rushing around, meeting deadlines and scrambling from place to place. Life in the country, as anywhere else, is amusing and enjoyable, if you take the time to slow down, open your eyes and enjoy the occasional sheep parade.

Lolita Hale