I was talking to the sheep the other day...

I did too! I mentioned that in my very first OP, I 'Baaaaaah' at the city sheep, because if they don't see or hear you coming they startle, an' startling sheep ain't cool.

At night, you can't just make any old sound, because anything approaching the flock in dark is a potential big baaad wolf, and they will freak out.

Lately, they've been bleating back ...at least the lambs do. That's right! Here it is near winter and all the eves are lambing! There's a new baby lamb, damn near every day!

Even though they're tiny, you can instantly spot their brilliant new coats against the shabby, dirty wool of the rest of the flock. Yea, you can forget that sheep are supposed to be white, they turn so dingy-dull, but the lambs are brighter than white: they're pure-ultra-bright! <gleam> You can see why they were chosen to symbolize divine peace and joy: they're either bucking and prancing with Joie de vivre; while getting every wag possible outta their little stub of a tail. Or; resting blissfully in the grass with beatific smiles on their faces and their long-lashed eyes, sleepy with happiness. I t was the lambs, who taught me what 'Bah' meant. (Did too, shut up!)

Now that they've been herded to beside the bike trail right behind the chain link... (I've noted the flock is slowly being rotated around the (VTA) Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. They'll graze the fields in a counter clock-wise fashion, being moved every coupla weeks...) Here's the best part; since they aren't going far, they don't need to take a truck to work any longer.
Herding the flock is done the old fashioned way- by sheep-dog! That border collie expresses his own joy, with exuberant awesome speed, and whirls of such smooth effortlessness, that he's more of a low-flying, furry, luck dragon, than a dog.

Visual Aid- A Luck Dragon;





As the sheep are being whipped up by this whirlwind, they all bleat about it! They're all saying the same thing: which is what the lambies taught me: 'Bah' in sheep means 'Come!', 'Follow!', or: 'I'm coming!' 'I'm following!' When the flock comes together they instruct and assure each other: come-follow-I'm coming-I'm following!~

When I bleat out to the flock it, it calms them, 'cause I'm saying 'I'm coming!' to them. The lambies, as per their nature, are over-joyed to hear that, and call out a welcome, 'Yes, come/follow the flock!'

While I worry needlessly about these newborns withstanding the cold nights; that wasn't the worst part of Autumninum...

Not enough critters and one too many humans on the trail at night; that's what the problemo was. Been a long while since I've seen a bunny or a burrower, maybe because it's getting too darn cold! The only ones comfortable are the city-sheep, and they'll be moving along soon enough. <sigh> I don't wanna to be the only one out here if/when my stalker appears again. Well, he's not a stalker, per se, just some guy I keep awkwardly bumping into a little too often lately. He's the homeless guy I mentioned in that other thread; I'd told ya, I see him walking-walking-walking the streets, and only once on the trail at night? Well now, I've seen him twice more in less than a week. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid, these encounters are getting too close to the third kind. Last thing he needs to know, is that this is a regular route I take ALONE, and while I don't carry cash, he may not take my word for it, as he tries to mug me... and I don' wanna hurt the scrawny dude in self-defense. Unleash the Luchador !

Not to worry, the decision was made for me anywayZ, the job is shifting me and everybody else to days. I had had my last night shift, and soon I would rise (groggily) with the sun to work again. As if the Owlitos knew that.

As if for weeks, when I looked for them, they hadn't felt any need to do more than Skree from the trees, but not show themselves. The city-sheep had even knocked over the barricade again ..and no one had come to right it. Why? Were the Owlitos ...gone?

One night, the ride was over; I'd reached the corner; thankfully I'd met no one on the trail, so out of habit I coasted towards burrow base to see if anyone was on duty... No, the barricade was still down ...but there at Post 2 was

Papa!

He was perched on the Diamond sign, a little fluffy from the cold, but otherwise proud and posed as usual, and looking languidly down at Loca.

'Uoo-uoo?' I tried, politely.






'Si-si, carry on, I will watch and wait.' said El Señor sentinel silently, 'All's well."



"Gracias Señor, muchos gracias. Buenas noches."




<pull back on rider, cycling away home.>