Counting Sheep

January 11, 2010

I count sheep, and it works!  No, not when I can't sleep, though if I haven't counted sheep, it does keep me awake.  But I'm talking about my REAL sheep. 

Every evening I make the trek to the barn to feed the animals, and I start my mental check of everyone.  The chickens are already in their coop for the night, so I don't bother them.  My ram is waiting faithfully in his pen to be fed and locked in for the night, so I throw a flake of hay to him and close his gate.  The cows are waiting by the barn door for their flake of hay, so I toss them their share.  And my barn dog, Rocky, starts spinning around in happiness anticipating his Puppy Chow.

By this time the sheep have heard me enter the barn and they all coming running and "talking" to me.  This is their evening ritual--to come to the barn for the night and get fed.  It's a good habit for them to have, and it allows me to do what I've really come to do--count sheep.

Why do I count them?  Because over the years I've discovered that they can disappear from time to time.  Several have died of old age; some have been stuck in the fence while trying to reach that tasty morsel of grass on the other side; and lots have died in the jaws of my neighbors' dogs.  So when the count doesn't reach the correct number, I begin hunting for the missing.

Luckily that hasn't happened much lately for two reasons:  1) my neighbor has been criminal prosecuted for allowing her dogs to roam free and onto my property--yes, our court system does work some times, and it was all done by the District Attorney, not me.  And, 2) Rocky, the barn dog, is a Great Pyrenees puppy who is currently about 6 inches taller than me when he stands on his hind legs and out-weights me by about 10 pounds.  But he's only a baby of nine-months, so he'll get bigger.  And he loves his sheep!  So, needless to say, their aren't too many creatures, canine or otherwise, willing to take Rocky on.

But the habbit is now established.  I have to count sheep each night so I can sleep.