Nick and Linc's Excellent Adventure - part 6 (the final installment)

... that a lamb was out. She was a teenie tiny little thing, and she was on the outside of the fence in the brambles... screaming her head off. She is the one that Julie and I refer to as the "princess pea lookalike" as she looks like Princess Pea from last year's lamb crop.

It turned out that my good lamb dog (Linc) was in the van sitting this last walk out as he was a hair tender footed, and had worked his fluffy little bustle butt off anyway. I had Nick, Ginger, and June with me. I thought, "No problem! I have my open dog, I'll just send Nick into the woods to get her." There was NO way I was bringing the flock out and risking losing either the guard dog (again) or the sheep (again). I thought, "How much trouble could one little lamb POSSIBLY be?"

Turns out... a lot.

I sent Nick into the woods and he immediately flanked all the way back around BEHIND the sheep pen... and the look on his face was "I DON'T SEE ANYTHING OUT HERE WOMAN!!!!" I kept calling him in and calling him in, and even when I'd get him right on top of the lamb it was obvious that he wasn't seeing her as something to be worked directly.

**insert gigantic sigh here**

So who went into the woods to catch the lamb I ask you? Me. I tromped in there, and started working the lamb up the fence line myself thinking I'd slowly drive her around and then slip her into the gate. Or better yet, call my dog in at the end of the fence and have him walk straight in and push her to me. Tried that, sucked bad. Firstly Nick was still doing his "I don't see anything" routine, and secondly I was somehow stuck in the briars and couldn't get out.

Many scratches later I was out, Nick was still flanking wildly around the pen, and the lamb was now running on the open area side of the pen... still screaming her head off.

I blocked one end of the fence line, and kept trying to flank Nick around... to no avail. I began to think that I might just have to pull the flock out after all, when to my amazement something really darned special happened.

June brought me the lamb. When I realized she was was taking my flanks and stops, and was going to bring it I got quiet. I watched as she just... did what I needed her to do. I caught the lamb, put her back in the pen, and took the dogs for a walk.

In case you missed it... June brought me the lamb!! On purpose!



It was a moment that made me want to weep. I still might.

I could tell you guys a rooster story, but I don't want it to get lost in my weepy moment.

So though there were some frustrating and terrifying moments, there were also some feel-good moments too. I know Nick and Linc particularly had a grand time, thus the title "Nick and Linc's Excellent Adventure".

The End.