Sheep Shearing '10

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door of the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flea from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."

John 10:1-5

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One of our favorite annual activities has to be sheep shearing. So when the call comes in to work out the scheduling, there is much excitement.
April 16th dawned bright and clear with only a very little chance of rain. That is definitely a miracle! The Lattimores have never been able to shear on the first scheduled day! The second phenomenon occurred when the sheep didn't give us any trouble when herding them into the pen. They only broke loose once during the day, but once again, they cooperated perfectly when herded into the pen. We thought for sure something really bad was going to happen with everything going so perfectly. But the Lord, in His mercy, saw fit to give us a good day with only minor mishaps.
Ray, Jr., Valerie, and Sara got to the farm at 8:00, and as soon as the fences were put into place and everything else was set up, the shearing began.

Fred, the shearer -- the sheep's most dreaded person : )

It's a busy day that requires a smooth working team if all is to get done in one day.

Sheep may safely graze -- on all days but shearing day : )

A back breaking job

The routine is quite simple and flows smoothly as long as each does their part. Here it is, step by step...

The holding pen
As you can see, the sheep don't volunteer.

Caught 'im!

Checking to see if it needs wormed
(Hint: as long as the sheep is on its haunches, it is calm and docile. All procedures, if cooperation is desired, requires the sheep to be in this position, or rather, off their feet.)

I may LOOK innocent....

The shearer starts on the belly and works his way around the sheep, keeping the fleece intact.

When it is let up, the sheep doesn't quite know what to do with its liberty. : )

The fleece is thrown onto a rack, and there all the tags are pulled from it. It is then rolled up and put on a tarp ready for bagging.

After we had gotten about 60 or more fleeces stacked on the tarp, Sara looked up from the sheep and said, "Uh, Mr. Lattimore....you have a live fleece over there." We all looked up, and the fleeces on the tarp were moving like waves. Upon closer inspection, we saw the little head of a yearling bobbing up and down as it waded through the sea of fleeces. It probably smelled its mother somewhere in the pile.

As soon as the sheep is let up, the wool is swept away ready for the next victim.

And so the process starts over...

Do you ever wonder where the saying came from...

"The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

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"Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep."

John 10:7-15