SageHill Ranch Journal

[SageHill]

I like the length you are getting on some of those lambs. Really nice. Those brown ewe lambs are really cute.

Thank you!!

 

[SageHill]

You all know that I take a lot of pics. -- so yesterday I was so busy trying to get a good pic (with the stupid phone) and I sort of wasn't paying attention to the hooligans. And, well being the hooligans they are, they did a lamb race take off back toward the barn. Mama ewes all standing nicely on the ranch road going the right direction. Sigh. Only one resort - send the dogs. Obi -- no problem he has the finesse to handle zooming lambs. Zo, not the highest in the finesse department - but he does try hard, just doesn't have the experience. Of course this all has to happen with them going down hill and around a bend (or maybe more) and that is totally out of sight. And over a dry creek that has a lot of cover. TRUST the dog(s). I wait it out - seemed like an eternity, but of course wasn't. Minute? Two? More?? And...... the hooligans return and as they return I see Zo actually make a decision on where to be and how to get there - the right decision and the right way to get where he needed to be (read -- not through the lambs). I think Obi showed him some hooligan handling skills!
So -- this is what I managed to get a pic of once the lambs were back..... mama ewes thinking of going back and my two great boys Obi and Zo saying "We will return to your normally scheduled move to graze".

 

[SageHill]

Out grazing again with the boys. The hooligan lambs are settling down - yay. Of course they are still lambs. The dust is back after the rain from a couple weeks ago (was it 1/4 inch or 1/2?), sigh - but I can see fresh new green coming up. Of course the brown stuff is still there with it's little stick-tights and thorny stems. Both Obi and Zo are working through it all like champs, but on the groom afterward (leg check, foot check, paw check and toe check - and yes they know those words) the under side of some paws are red. I hit 'em with Bactine (my go to in almost all cases) and they're pretty much good to go the next day.
So today, I made them stay while the sheep grazed. It was actually tough to do, they "fought" me on it. Yeah, they'd stay but would slowly start to move. Back and forth we went. Have I ever said Trust the dog ? Yeah. Dog knows best.
While the sheep moseyed and ate I took only a few pics. I told myself NO PICS this time. But could I stop myself?? I did - pretty much. I think I only took about 5.
With phone back in pocket, dogs behind me (on that blasted "Stay"), the sheep in front of me, I spied a pair of ears.
Now, all along I told myself I should position myself up high - but did I? Noooooo. Those ears did not belong to my dogs or any sheep. Those were coyote ears. Once again - I'm low, it's high - sheesh - I tell dogs to "stay" (which they already were - and probably saying 'I told you so'. Grab my persuasion and it takes off. I would've liked to add a sting to it's retreat. So - dogs were right once again. If they'd been where they wanted to be, the coyote wouldn't have come up.
Then going through the pics when I got back - and ..... here's just how close it got - little did I know I was getting this pic at the time.

You can see the wiley one behind the brush almost dead center on the ridge.
Yeah - we were very lucky.
Here it is zoomed in (hard to see if you are looking on a phone)

Smart dogs - thank God for them.

 

[Baymule]

Coyotes here would never present a clear shot like that! That’s a bold critter. Yep, listen to the dogs!