Joining the Herd -

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to accompany a herd of sheep on their nightly dine-and-walk adventure.

For realsies. Not a metaphor.

Our friend (and fellow beekeeper!) invited us to her farm (homestead?) to meet her animals and for dinner. We’re working on a website for her and need to build some photo and video content.

We’re bartering our skills: photo, video, and website development in exchange for things like eggs, homemade ice cream, milk, etc. I’m pretty excited about this project — mostly because we get to spend time helping a friend, but also because we get to spend time with these crazy animals!!

like her alpacas. Aren’t they so fun?!

and chickens

I *think* this is the one named after me. There are a couple of chicks that look so similar!

She started her operation with three sheep. Now, she has more than a dozen.

self portrait with some of the herd

Though a little nervous at first, most of the sheep warmed up to the camera and video camera by the end of the evening.

Doing his video thing! Shane has amazing video skills.

This one {I need to remember their names!} kept trying to share my drink.

Our friend walks the sheep to this gorgeous open area by the water each night. It’s amazing, peaceful, and so fresh and open. I love that our county has pockets of untouched land like this.

{I’m working on a design that features this photo…I love how it captures the fur and cute little ears of the sheep and the greenery leading to the water}

Don’t get me wrong: I love taking photos of food/plants, but it was entertaining to take a photo of a moving (and sometimes unruly) subject. There were moments of joint understanding, where I’d think or send a non-verbal message of “you’re pretty. I’m going to capture this moment” towards a sheep, and…magically, the sheep would hold still, or change her angle to showcase something extraordinary to me.

This little one and I had quite the conversation.

It is much easier to grab photos of cows–they move much, much more slowly. But it was fun chasing these ladies (and a few guys) around the pasture. I learned to sit still and let them come to me…much easier to grab photos that way.

Our friend was amazing with the sheep – she has this truly special connection with them…they would follow her anywhere. She gave Shane something fun to capture — a stampede! She walked toward the water, called out to them, and once they realized there was too much distance between her and them, they came running. Can’t wait to see that clip…

What a fun adventure! It’s amazing where our different skills and interest in bartering have taken us…

I cannot wait for more adventures.

Joining the Herd

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