Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Good Neighbors Make Good Sheep Flocks

Actually, probably the best sheep flocks exist where there are no neighbors. But since we do have neighbors, and they don't appear inclined to leave anytime soon, it's a damn good thing ours are so unbelievably nice.

The lady on the one side always calls with an uncontrollable giggle in her voice to tell us the sheep are over there. She thinks they're funny. She also likes to take pictures of them when she sees them.

The two ladies on the other side--the ones who make serious margaritas and throw a hell of a beach party--bear the brunt of the sheep escapes, because their property includes a large pasture that adjoins the sheep pasture. Since they have no animals on their land, their pasture is always in much better shape than ours, and is much more appealing to the sheep. Probably about once a month, the sheep will lean enough on the fence to break through at a spot where it's tied together or something, and then I get a call from those neighbors. As I did last night when A. was at court.

Big sigh, trudge up with bucket of mineral, pull down the fence more so they can get back over, then cobble it back together with rope and a pallet. Corralling wayward sheep is a pain in the ass, but at least I don't have to sooth an angry neighbor at the same time.

Good fences would probably make better neighbors, but our fences are obviously not good and our neighbors are still pretty great. Thank God.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you don't have good fences then good neighbours are a absolute essential.

rockygrace said...

I would LOVE to neighbors with escaping sheep - it would save me from mowing the lawn.

Daisy said...

I have great neighbors, too. We're in a city, and I don't have sheep, but good neighbors are still important. Ours adore our bunnies, for what it's worth.

Lindsey at NW Backyard Veggies said...

As I blogged earlier and you saw, my neighbors are stupid. And annoying. And they, as well, seem inclined to put down roots and be there forever.
Someone said I should get pigs to make their lives truly irritating.
I'm considering.....