We decided to let the sheep out to graze, even though all the fencing is not up. I couldn't take their longing gazes any longer, and they were wearing off the wool on their necks, squeezing through the pen. It was risky, but Matt and the dogs helped me keep them from crossing the road. I thought correctly that the fields on their own hill are thick enough to keep them occupied. We opened the pen but the sheep ran away...freedom can be a scary thing after being corralled all winter. I walked back and forth through the gate to show them they could follow. Finally, four ewes tiptoed cautiously over and started nibbling on the line of green grass. They stepped out and ate ravenously on the rich, lustrous greens. Others followed and the flock was out. Chris and Breeze led the way across the hill and they made it almost to the pond, moms calling for babies to stay close, babies who had lost their moms and were screaming in panic. The mom's mouths were too full to call back! We walked up the hill, circled around and started walking them back. I am afraid of bloat, and didn't want to risk those tummies getting too full of greens on the first day out. A taste for today is enough. Everything was going perfectly when Izzy decided to take over. He ran them all back into the pen, then shot back to us for praise. I was happy Izzy sensed our need and ran them in the right direction. You never know with Izzy, the homeless Rat Terrier turned Sheep Dog. By the way, Chris and Breeze are still out there, grazing by the upper pond. They will make a nice photo opportunity for the cars passing by today. I gave up trying to get them back in and, as I was walking back, I thought I saw a hoof go up in the air in a familiar gesture, llama style!
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