Okay. Here goes. The sheep (with 1 exception) are in paddock #2. The lone ewe is in paddock #1 with the steers. Our mission is to reunite the 17 sheep and move them to paddock #4 which involves shepherding them through 2 and 3. Then we will move the steers across the road and up to the paddock in front of the new barn.
Dan heads up paddock #1 to find the ewe and scoot her to her buddies. I cross the paddocks opening the gates to 4, 3, and then 2. By this time the ewe and lamb are engaged in an ecstatic reunion and the rest of the sheep are obediently moving toward the gate to 3. Then they see me emerging from that gate into THEIR paddock. They are not pleased. They flank Dan and run down the paddock as far from me as possible.
Dan shoots me a look and follows them. I continue to the steers who are marginally less irritated by my presence than the sheep. The sheep, seeing that I have abandoned my post, docilely amble through 3 and into 4. I don't know what power Dan has over them, but I can guarantee that they would never, ever be so compliant for me.
Now I try to get the steers gathered by the gate to the corral. They saw what happened to the sheep two daysago and are pretty darned determined not to share the sheep's fate. They refuse to move. In any direction. Okay, you try and get them to hoof it (pun intended). I couldn't.
By this time Dan has arrived. The sheep are settled in #4 and he has come to help. He takes in the situation at a glance. The steers are not moving. I am helpless. I get another look. Dan croons to the steers and they walk down to the gate and wait for him to open it. Into the corral they go. "What nice little steers we are. Just keep that mean momma away from us."
They pause to nibble a peach tree in the orchard. Again, my fault. I didn't shout loudly enough to startle them away from the tasty buds. A few words are exchanged with my son and heir. We finally agree that from now on we won't move the steers through that taste-tempting orchard but through the paddocks instead. The same route the sheep took.
Now we are in the road and the cows are scattered, eating off the verge. Dan is trying to lead them on the quad bike. I am prodding from behind; huffing and puffing all the while. I think those cows moved just to get away from me. If I was going to have a stroke, they didn't want to be anywhere around. And so we finally successfully get them into the new barn paddock. They seemed happy enough and I was thrilled that the whole adventure was over.
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