Saturday, May 19, 2012

Close Call and Upcoming NW Shetlands Event

Dave and I were out with the sheep this morning, just watching lambs and ewes grazing peacefully.  All of a sudden Dave says "There's a lamb caught in the wire!!" and leaps over the near fence, racing toward the far fence.  I can't see anything until he's almost there, and yells back "Get the wire cutters!!"  Off to the garage where I grab the first sharp thing I see, hoof trimmers, then a quick look in the tool box shows wire cutters!  Racing back I hand the wire cutters over the fence into Dave's waiting hand.  By the time I was back around the tarp wall into the pasture, the lamb was freed.

He'd been caught long enough that his face and neck were swollen, one ear was loppy, and his gait was unsteady.  He found Mom, who wasn't ready for him to nurse - I'm not sure he could have with his swollen face.  As we watched, he wobbled over to the water tub and drank successfully.  In a few minutes he was steady and following Mom and sisters around and eating grass.  The swelling looked like it was already subsiding.  Whew!  I don't know what it is with sheep and fences.  This fence didn't even have anything attractive on the other side, just field fence up against the tarp wall.  Half of him was poked in one square and his head and one leg poked back out the next square - no going backwards.  He's a no-name lamb destined for someone's freezer or perhaps we would call him "Lucky".

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Next month, Saturday, June 2nd, the Northwest Shetland Sheep group is having our spring get-together at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard (Seattle).  This museum is wonderfully supportive of the fiber community and hosts Nordic Knitting (and Spinning) Conferences in October.  We will be doing show and tell, and also have Nordic inspired fibery things for sale.  I'm planning to take roving, some yarns, and maybe a hat or two and lay them out on my fabulous Shetland Tartan tablecloth!

If you're in town, come and join us!

http://nordicheritagemuseum.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/r/0941E35F5FFB13EB/F08A932B7FA4B2672C69F821C9DCC086

3 comments:

Michelle said...

A big hug for your sharp-eyed husband! So glad you found the lamb in time, even if he is destined for the freezer.

Have fun at the gathering; wish I could come!

Tina T-P said...

We had one who got stuck in hog panel fence twice last year - and you couldn't cut it with wire clippers, it took a hacksaw! I was amazed that she lived to tell about it - sometimes I think natural selection has a place and time... T.

Cynthia said...

I caught one this week too...first in 10 years. Must be a year for it, or just the fences needing more work? Good eyes!