Catherine Friend
Catherine Friend

A Farm Moment: Impatient Sheep

Up here in the north, by April we’re all pressing our noses against the windows, desperate to get outside. Then May arrives and everyone goes from sedentary to crazed—gardening, landscaping, mowing, biking, walking. We’re frenzied.

The sheep are just as excited about spring because it means moist, tasty grass. No more dry, boring hay. Our sheep ate down all the grass in the barn pens, but it was still too early to let them out. We wanted to give the grass a little more time to get established before unleashing the chomping flock.

All winter the sheep paid no attention to me as I, done with chores, would let myself out the gate. But now there was fresh grass just on the other side of the gate, and they wanted it. Every time I tried to leave I had a crowd, pushing at me to let them out. They could see the grass. They could smell it.

SpringSheep2

 

SpringSheep3

 

How does one resist such a face? The pressure was intense. We held firm for a few days, but finally couldn’t take the constant muttering and evil looks, so we let them into the pasture.

Haven’t heard a word from them since. Everyone loves spring around here!

 

One Response

  1. Catherine,

    I love these sheep you tell about! One day we talk of having a small flock so I love hearing the hands on stories! I found you via your book, Hit by A Farm it was wonderful! Thank-you! I wanted to send you just a quick email but your contact page doesn’t have any info so I found this route…. What I wanted to email you about was that I discovered Hit by a Farm via Scribd but the book on there won’t download, I tried many many times, places and ways, so you might want to contact Scribd… determined to read your book I happily found a paper copy! Just wanted to let you know about the two technology hick-ups!
    Best, Gwen

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The Big Pivot

About Me

After twenty-five years on the farm, I’m adjusting to the adventures of city life. Part of that adjustment is figuring out what I want to write about now, since sheep are no longer part of my daily life. I’m challenging myself creatively by painting with pastels and playing the ukelele as I seek my new writing path.

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Catherine Friend is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.