I opened the gate and the sheep came running.
They were at the feeders eating their hay, I never expected them to leave the hay for the back pasture. Constance and Merricat came first. I tried to get them to leave, walking behind them with my arms out as usual. But this time they ran right past me and up the hill.
It was one of the few times when I wished that Fate actually herded the sheep.
I gave up quickly and soon the rest of the sheep followed. Asher and Issachar jumping and kicking as they ran.
That told me that the grass is beginning to sprout and the sheep smell it. That’s the only reason they would leave the hay.
So I followed them, walking the fence line to make sure they were secure.
I found a place where some branches had pushed down the fence and deer have been using as a path. I pulled at the broken branches and laid them across the fence line. A quick fix, that I’ll need to revisit later in the day and make more permanent.
For now, there’s nothing green growing on the other side of the fence yet, so I’m not worried about the sheep getting out.
Also the roosting bar on the Chicken Coop fell off this morning, so I’ll have to fix that too. I might even rake out my back porch garden. There’s still a small pile of snow in the garden, but the purple and pink Lungwort is flowering. It easily survived the last snowfall and I’m curious to see what else is coming up.
When the sheep come back to the barnyard I’ll close the gate and be more careful about keep them out. I don’t want them eating the new growth before it gets a chance to establish.
