October 22, 2012

About Lambie-Pie

I was wandering around Blogville and stopped by Punkin's Patch. There I discovered they are having a National Hug a Sheep Day ... also known as a Keep Calm, Hug a Sheep Day

It seems they open their sheep farms to people like me ... so we can hug a sheep.  How great is that?


Reading about this ... all kinds of memories came flooding back to more than a few years, ago. It was when I wanted a lamb more than anything.

I had never had one, didn't know anyone who ever had one. But it was my dream.  Perhaps it was the influence of the nursery rhymn, who knows.



At the time, Movie Star and I were living on our "big" farm.  We had plenty of room for about any animal I could reasonably envision. Actually, I don't do "reasonably" very well when it comes to animals.

Anyway, I had decided I wanted a Southdown lamb. After much searching, and a long drive ... we found a Southdown sheep farmer in Southern California. I was pretty amazed about that. 

We arrived at just the right time for this cute little pile of wool to leave her family and come home with me.

Everything was ready. We had built a cute little shelter for her with her own lawn and a white picket fence.


Even though years later she was clearly a "sheep" ... she was always my little lamb. 


However, in time I worried. Was she too fat?  Was I feeding her too much?

Wanting to go to the top source, I called the Cal-Poly sheep department and asked to speak to the professor in charge of sheep.  He was a really nice, s-l-o-w talking man.  He inquired about my urgency.

I said that I was concerned that my "lamb" was too fat.  He asked, "does she have a name"?  I said, of course she does.  He replied, "then she's too fat".  I did get my answer and some good advice. Lambie-Pie went on a diet.

Next, it was vet check-up time. We don't have sheep vets that make house calls around here. It took some searching to even find a "sheep vet".  But, sure nuf, there was a goat-sheep vet about one hour away ... taking the freeway.

I didn't have a truck ... only a convertible.  No problem.  With the top properly up, I loaded Lambie Pie in the front seat, opened the window just enough for her to stick her cute little head out for fresh air.

I didn't cause any traffic jams, but more than a few people heading for Los Angeles pushed the pedal to the metal to see if they saw things correctly.

Finally arriving at the vets office, I discovered this vet conducted business barefoot and had a shedbarn for her office. I had never seen anything like this before. We only had "normal" vet offices. 
 
But arrive, we did. Lambie Pie was such a good girl. She had on her pink leash and trotted herself in for her "perfectly healthy" exam.

On the way home, I picked up a bale of hay and had it put in the trunk of the car. Then it was back to the freeway and the gawkers.

I had hardly arrived home when my friend called. 

He said:
I know that was you on the 5 Freeway!  I can't think of anyone else that would drive a sassy convertible with hay sticking out the back and a lamb in the front seat.


Thanks to "Hug A Sheep Day" ...  I have just had some very enjoyable wool-gathering.

  

27 comments:

  1. This made me smile! Lambie-Pie is too cute!! I would have loved to see her driving down the free way in a convertible! Haha!

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    1. Hi Allison,
      It was a bit of a blast on a crowded freeway!

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  2. OMDog! Who could not love anything named Lambie-Pie? She's so sweet.

    Really a wonderful story and great "visuals" in my head.

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  3. Oh how funny!! I have this big, fat picture of you in your shiny convertible flying down the freeway with your sheep and hay...what a commotion you must have caused! Love it!! My husband and I, many years ago took a vaca to Cali meandering down the 101 and then Hwy 1 seeing the sights, did Disneyland and one day drove our old Ford PU with camper down Rodeo Drive taking in the sights. Talk about drawing some speculative looks and even some disapproving stares...we still laugh about that drive! Now you've given me some wool-gathering memories to make me smile! Thank you!! It's fun to be something out of the ordinary sometimes. :)

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    1. Will say that was just too much fun! But driving around Rodeo Drive in a Ford PU is just a scream! I love it! So sorry to have missed seeing all the people with their big purses snorting their way into the Gucci shop.
      Like can be so much fun!

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  4. Anyone who owns a farm needs at least one good experience with livestock in their vehicle! What a lucky sheep to go on convertible ride!

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    1. That really was a "trip". Actually, I didn't see much difference with a lamb or a dog in the car, but other people seemed to be a bit confused.

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  5. I love this! I can just imagine the looks you got with lambie-pie in the front seat sticking her cute little mug out the window. So glad she has you, what a fun time for her too.

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    1. Hey! I figured out how to reply. Yehhhh! That was a great deal of fun. Such a good girl!

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    2. Thanks again for being my "how to do it reference". Appreciate it!

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  6. I love the Cal-poly guys answer, he is sooooo right:).

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    1. He was so right ... she was fat. All because she had a name. Guess that is pretty logical. Hopelessly spoiled.

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  7. What a great story:) Southdowns are one of my fqavourite breeds of sheep, they have such nice faces.

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    1. Hi Rowan, So glad you told me that was your favorite. I had no experience, but saw a Southdown at a Fair and fell in love with them.

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  8. Such a cute story and welcome back to your blog - missed you and your stories and photos!

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    1. Hi Linda, So happy to hear from you. It great to be back in touch with such great blogging friends!
      Marvel

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  9. Fun story. I used to drive around L.A. with a guinea pig on my shoulder. That got me more than a few strange looks. Looking back, I'm glad I never had to brake quickly.

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    1. Cruising LA with a guinea pig certainly counts in the attention department. Hummm ... quick brake, not a plan. Are we having fun on the freeways, yet?

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  10. Everyone that has every told you that you need to write a book is right! This would be a perfect chapter!!!

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    1. Hi Cindy,
      How nice of you to say that. Lambie-Pie does have a few chapters in her little briefcase.

      I just love your blogsite. It's my "ahhh moment" when visiting there.
      Marvel

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  11. Ack!! That is hysterical!!! All of it! "Does your sheep have a name? Then, yes, she's too fat." snort :-D

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    1. Thanks for your post about "Hug A Sheep Day". It inspired me to remember my adventures with Lambie-Pie. And ... I'm crazy about every sheep on your farm!

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  12. What a wonderful story and image! I would love to have seen you driving along with the beautiful Lambie-Pie in the front seat next to you. :) I haven't written about this lately on my blog, but my husband and I are longing to get a small milk cow. One thing that stops us is not knowing if we could ever bear to sell or rehome her babies, and we don't have enough land to sustain a growing cattle herd... we get our milk from a local cow named Molly and that has slowed down our decision. Recently Molly took herself on a date down her lane and met up with an Angus bull - she is now with calf and no milk for us until the new year!

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  13. Hi Billie,
    How great it would be to have a cow ... maybe a Jersey? However, selling any of the babies, I'm with you, couldn't do that! Congrats to Molly down the lane on the new babe.

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  14. Oh how I love your story...and how I have missed you and those stories! And yes. You should write a book. Uhhuh!

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  15. Hi Susie,
    Thanks, Susie Q! So glad to be back.

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