Tractor Tuesday - Look carefully

Yes a Same tractor in the background.

Went to see sheep farmer Karl to update on the cat Sunny situation. Karl had phoned recently to say Sunny had disappeared . Had always been his fear and it happened probably as he by pure chance had a full house one weekend with lots of family banter and noise and this was probablyl too much for Sunny. At almost the same time Sunny's ex owners had called and I got the details of her chip number and was able to find where she was registered and give in a "missing" notice. They had also anyway informed the new residents of their house when they moved out a few weeks ago that Sunny may one day turn up and that was long before Sunny had disappeared. I guess they also feared it may happen.

A very long shot but it should at least prevent her ending up as a long time resident in an animal rescue center. Karl was truly sad as he had quickly taken to Sunny.

Talking of which it was a lovely sunny day again. Karl was not there as we arrived which didn't bother me - it's always pot luck when going over to his place and I had planned to do the dog walk there anyway. Just as we set off he turned up with a roll of fencing on the tractor front loader. He had been fence repairing. Went back to the house, had a quick shandy and chat before we both headed back to the fields, he on his tractor and I with the dogs on foot.

Neither Luna nor Flash have any experience with sheep. Luna was only interested in watching what Karl's Border Collie "Sophie" was up to, dashing about taking various positions all without any commands - there wasn't anything to do so she seemed to be showing off! Flash was however quietly interested and after watching the herd for a while he noticed two younger sheep lying down in the warm grass while the rest of the herd slowly moved away from them. Without a word, he got up and strolled over to the two sheep individually, getting right up to them and making some invisible sign that they should please get up and move back to the herd. He then accompanied them at a snails pace until they were safely  reconnected. It was a very touching site. He would have made such a great sheepdog -perhaps not the best nor the fastest but amongst the most dedicated and gentle.

I certainly had the feeling he really enjoyed it even though his hip bones seemed to be aching especially today. We rounded up Luna, got her to take  a swim in the river as she had rolled in something sticky and nasty looking and headed home.

I could have sat there for hours watching the sheep and soaking up the sunshine. An extra photo of the alps taken from the hill at the top of the valley which the farm is in and one of Flash's encounters. More on Flickr.