Too Hot to Play

Today, for the first time in months, I managed to have my “real” camera, a charged battery for said camera, and the memory card in the camera all at the same time. It was a balmy 79 degrees this morning, the coolest weather we’re going to have for a while according to the forecast, so I decided to go out and try to get some pictures.

The sheep all came marching down to meet me, but it was too hot for them to have much energy.

“It’s too hot out here, did you bring us treats?”

Liam came down with the rest of the flock, but he didn’t even bother to see if I had crunchies, just found the closest poke weed palm tree and laid back down under it.

“Too hot to care about crunchies…”

Angel made up for his lack of interest, insisting on inspecting all of my pockets and both of my hands.

“Where are you hiding my crunchies??”

And then she ran everyone else off just to make sure I didn’t slip someone else a treat behind her back.

“Get lost, Clover!”

“I’m about to get punched, aren’t I?”

Angel wandered off herself once she was sure there were no treats to be had, and once she and her horns were out of hitting distance Mira came back and insisted I sit down and let her drape her head over my lap for a while.

“This is my spot!”

I let her sit there until she got either hungry or bored and decided to get up and eat, then I went to see where everyone else had gone off to.

“Zzzz…”

Lady and her “little” baby, Danny, sleeping directly in the sun for some reason.

“Zzzz…”

Duchess and her “little” baby, Daisy, also sleeping directly in the sun. There are two perfectly good hoop houses out there, I don’t know why everyone was so keen on sunbathing.

*munch-munch-munch*

Another mama-baby pair, Lana and Nina, in the sun but at least they’re grazing, so they have an excuse.

“You stay right over there, ShepherdPerson!”

The most tight-knit mother-daughter pair of them all, Holly and Marigold, for once without their heads through the fence but still keeping a close eye on me in case I decide to try to separate them. Which I have never done, the closest I have ever come to separating them was picking Marigold up for about five seconds when she was born to check if she was a ewe or a ram before giving her right back to Holly, but they prefer to be safe rather than sorry.

Mira stayed right by my side while I was taking pictures, always grazing within two feet of my boots, which I suppose makes the two of us the final mother-daughter pair.

“You’re not sneaking away from me, Mommy!”

Angel laid by the fence for a while, but then she was smart enough to get up and find herself some shade. She staked out the cozy spot in the curve of what’s left of the hollow tree trunk that formed the lamb-cave. If the rest of that trunk hadn’t fallen down a year or so ago she wouldn’t fit in there anymore, but as it is it’s the perfect size. There’s even a conveniently placed root to use as a pillow.

“This is the best napping spot, and it’s all mine!”

Nova was napping on the far side of the tree’s other trunk, but positioned herself perfectly to be able to spy on me through the peep-holes in the tree. Those Soays do love their peep-holes.

“I see you, ShepherdPerson! I’m super-sneaky!”

I tried to get a picture of the boys all sensibly settled down in their hoop house, but the minute they saw me coming their way they all jumped up and came running, so I had to settle for a group shot of them mobbing the fence.

“Crunchies?? Any crunchies for us?? Please?”

I tried to go back to the house, but Mira followed me down to the gate and insisted she was going to be very upset if I left her behind, so I felt bad and stayed a while longer to pet on her.

“Mommies are never supposed to go anywhere without their babies!”

I was worried I was going to be stuck out there all afternoon, but once she’d had her fill of being fussed over she ran back to the rest of the flock and graciously allowed me to sneak away.

The temperatures are supposed to be even higher for as far in the future as the forecast goes. I know we don’t have it nearly as bad as other places, but it’s still far hotter than either the humans or animals would prefer. I’m hoping we get some rain or at least a break in the heat at some point this summer.