Spinner Saves The Day

I was driving up my lane, returning from my neighbour's farm. I had been discussing with him about cutting my little hay field. The grass was 4 feet tall and it was do or die. The forecast was iffy but we couldn't wait any longer. Not only was the situation getting worrisome about the lack of hay to feed my livestock but the tall grass was inhibiting finishing fencing my new pasture as well.

Happily , I learned, another neighbor was already cutting the field across the road from me and would move to my little farm when he was done.

So when I got home I felt really good, the sun was shining, things were getting done. My little farm was looking great , my little flock was grazing......

Wait a minute.

 I saw that the Jacob ram lambs had managed to escape out of their electronet fenced pasture and stray into my hayfield. I went over to see if they would squeeze back under the netting. Instead my presence drew the attention of the adult ewes who proceeded to join their lambs by climbing over and crawling under the netting. That is until one ewe ,my son's lilac, freaky Jacob, got tangled up and stopped the procession. By now a third of my flock had disappeared in the long grass, while the rest were trying to climb over their tangled flock member to join them. I couldn't untangle the ewe because the fence was still on.  So I herded the remaining flock members into another area, turned off the fence and ran to get Spinner to help me find the rest of my flock.

With Spinner in tow, I first proceeded to untangle an unbelievable amount of netting wrapped around the lilac Jacob's horns. I had to sit on her in order to keep her still. Not an easy feat because I only out weigh her by about 20 or so pounds and 2 did I mention she is a freak?  Finally I got her free and Spinner expertly herded her towards the rest of the  flock. Now to find the missing sheep.

I sent Spinner out - I was telling him to find them, knowing that wasn't a command I had used before. Somehow he knew what I meant and raced ahead through the tall grass or at least it seemed that was what he was doing. Well after a bit, when I thought he wasn't going to find them, I suddenly saw a head and ear of one of my sheep pop up in front of him.  I gave him a clock-wise flank command , telling him to go out so he wouldn't startle the sheep before he gained control.  Spinner did just that. He calmly gathered the wayward sheep and fetched them to my feet. With me leading and him pushing from behind we brought the sheep back through the tall grass, back over the flattened netting and back into their more secure pen to join the rest of the flock.

With a satisfying clang of the gate I secured the runaways and gave my little Aussie, my knight in furry armour, a well deserved pat on the head.