An unusual start to the day

A couple of nights ago, I was woken by the sound of sheep.  They were making an awful lot of noise, so I got out of bed to make sure they hadn't strayed in to the garden again.  Although what I thought I'd do in the middle of the night if they were there, I can't imagine.  They weren't, so I went back to sleep.

When Matt and I walked to school, I was expecting to see the sheep in the field closest to where we live, but they were still a couple of fields away.  But they were still "baaing" very loudly.  I was worried a fox had got one of the lambs, or some other problem, so Matt and I had a quick look on our way through, but we really couldn't see anything wrong.

Obviously we didn't look very well!  On the way back home, a dog walker asked if I had the farmers number as a lamb had it's head stuck in the gate!  How did we miss it?

Unfortunately the farmer isn't the most diligent of farmers, and no one round here has his number.  I've tried without success before to contact him. (It makes me made that he doesn't visit his livestock every day, and leaves no contact details.  Grrrrrrr )

I assured the lady and her dog that I'd sort it out. How difficult can it be to free a little lamb?  Trickier than I thought, to be honest.  It was well and truly wedged in.  How it forced it's head in I've no idea.

As I was pondering how to free it, I noticed one of the ewes was also bleating loudly.  She had managed to get her head stuck through the stock proof fencing!  (Yes, Matt and I had walked past her too.)

I couldn't free either of them, no matter how hard I tried.  The sheep seemed to know I was trying to help and didn't fight or struggle against me.  I had to call Mark.  Now, it must be said, I love animals and nature.  Mark less so.  I'm at home in a pair of wellies wandering over a muddy field.  Mark isn't.  But to be fair, he came over, tool box in one hand, dodging the sheep poo, to help me.  I won't say with a smile on his face - there wasn't.  He had to cut the wire round the ewe, and lift the gate to free the lamb.  I can't imagine what happened for the sheep to get in such a pickle (clearly all the noise had been for a reason).

Once they were free, they weren't hurt and off they scampered to be with the rest of the flock.  No lasting damage, and barely a backward glance towards us.

I love living in the country.  Who else has a school run like that?

I hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the sunshine too.

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