Extreme shepherding

Unlike most people who woke to the mornings torrential rain, I could not turn my back on the weather, pull the duvet over my head and wait until a more reasonable hour when the rain might have subsided. No, I had to get out there and get our sheep in as its that time of year again where all sheep have to be enclosed and counted by Defra. Now our tribe are easy to count, and usually they answer their name if you call them, but we have to comply with the no sheep on the mountain for two weeks rule and as usual ours have that sixth sense that tells them to scatter just when we want them all in one place. Late last night I had found Levi making off up the mountain in search of maidens so rather than risk the wrath of the militia I shut him in the Ghost house garden with some of the girls. The militia use quad bikes, well trained motorbikes and mental collies to round up theirs, I lack all that and have to rely on a bucket with allure. It works wonders usually.

So as we wandered back to HQ in the rain I mused on the success of the morning, and looked forward to the standard full cooked as a reward for my endeavors. Pity Spotty the brainless Berner couldn't mind read and in his effort to get to my side put himself between last four sheep and bucket and gate which caused a minor fracas, a multitude of swearwords and inevitable wrestling of reluctant sheep through gateway and to safety.

Unfortunately Levi buggered off at high speed and was finally tracked down, quite by accident as I dropped of Techno's dinner, a long way from home and definitely not wanting to come quietly. Thus began some extreme shepherding where Levi was brought to heel, carried down the Bonsai Mountain (yes carried, across my shoulders, he was heavy, wet, muddy and a tad annoyed) to a gateway where I "borrowed" a length of rope from which I fashioned a rudimentary harness and walked the brute the last half mile home. Mercifully this all took place in the dark so no one saw me manhandle a sheep and tie it up to take it home otherwise people might have got the wrong idea.