Snowstorm!!!

The storm that arrived this afternoon was one of those storms wherein snow is accompanied by great wind creating blizzard-like conditions. Dad is out of town this week so all chores are left up to me before/after work as necessary while he is gone. So when I arrived home from work last night, I was already late because of the driving conditions and made the most unfortunate discovery that the sheep had not come in from the field for the night.

So having trekked about in the “little field” a bit to make sure they hadn’t come in for water and were simply not in their shelters, I was like “oh brother” and debated heading back to the house for Fernie’s harness and leash, but the snow was blowing, the fog was descending, and it was getting darker by the second so I decided to chance it and lifted both of my dogs over the fence and we braved the storm in quest of the sheep.

While walking in the snow on the way OUT to find the sheep was not easy, I was to find soon enough that the return trip was much more difficult. But we went on our way – it was difficult to hold the correct course as I could not actually see where I was going; my flashlight could not penetrate the fog and the snowflakes, but now and again vehicles traveling down the freeway would light the night enough for me to at least know I was headed in basically the right direction. Bonnie gamely trekked along behind me in my footsteps – picking up lots of snowballs on her way and Fern (how that dog has so.much. energy, I cannot say) was running about hither and yon – I think she was smelling places the sheep had been previously-- or maybe they were rabbit trails (literally).

It seemed like ages had passed – I began to wonder if I hadn’t completely missed the hay feeders in the dark when we finally saw a patch of something that did not quite match the rest of the surroundings! It was the sheep. They had started on their way home, but either the darkness, fog, and storm had confused them or they simply did not like walking into the storm (can’t say I blame them for that).

 "I once was lost in darkest night. Yet thought I knew the way..."

Well, Fern and I got them started on their way home (even though Fern does not yet know how to be a sheepdog, at least she has finally mastered enough self-control to help with this) and then we went the rest of the way to the feeders to make sure no sheep had left behind (there weren’t). And then began to head back. I suddenly became aware that my little dog was no longer keeping up – I soon figured out what was wrong: she was basically one giant snowball :/ She is so close to the ground and rather fuzzy that the snow was clinging to her fur all over her legs and undercarriage. So in addition to fighting the wind and the blowing snow, I also had to pack Bonnie most of the way back. 25 lbs might not seem like a lot… at least not until there are a few extra pounds of snow and you are walking for distance in wind and deep snow 😕 When we got close enough to the corrals that Bonnie could actually sense that the journey was nearing an end, I managed to put her down and keep her moving with the promise of “doggie dinner” 😀 Food of any kind is a massive motivation for this little dog; by the end she was making faster progress than I.

The snow and fog was so thick by this point that all the way back, I never caught sight of the sheep again. But Fernie did – she kept them moving and we practiced her skills at patience and waiting and not going too fast (the last thing I wanted was to set the sheep off in a panic). It is just a good thing she is black or I would have lost sight of her in the snow too.

We finally arrived back at my house, Fern and I were coated in snow – poor Bonnie was covered in snowballs (which she immediately began to pick off and leave all over the floor). Everyone has received their promised dinner – and I am totally wiped out. This snowstorm does not bode well for the tasks of tomorrow…

When we like sheep had gone astray our shepherd came…