Sheep

Sheep - March 16, 2007

I am fascinated by sheep. Before my stay here in Portugal, I never paid much attention to sheep nor did I ever really think about them. Now that I see them every day, I find myself thinking about them a lot.

In the Tras-os-Montes region of Portugal there is a great deal of agriculture. All around us are small herds of cattle, goats, and sheep. Moving these herds around are the shepherds. I am not entirely clear whether these shepherds are the owners or if they are caretakers for the flocks of sheep. Regardless, the life of a shepherd is simple and seemingly very serene. Day in and day out the shepherds walk through the fields encouraging the sheep to keep moving so they don’t over graze an area. Landowners invite the shepherds and their sheep onto their land to allow the sheep to graze. This keeps the grass short and well fertilized. The shepherds carry a stick and are usually accompanied by a dog or two. They are all too willing to strike up a conversation when we come across them is large open expanse of nothing but sheep, grass and trees. Shepherds begin moving the sheep in the mornings and come in for the night at dusk. The sheep are closed in a barn or shed for the night to keep them from eating grass that is moist with dew. Moist grass can ferment inside the sheep’s stomach and cause so much bloating that the sheep could die.

Yesterday in a mountain town called Monte Alegre, we were watching a shepherd come in with a huge herd of sheep and goats. The mountain was rocky with sparse vegetation, so we could see him descend the mountain far off in the distance. When the herd finally approached us, we were amazed at the number of animals – perhaps 100 sheep and goats. Some had tags, some had green ribbons, some were painted with a red or blue spot. There was a musty smell that filled the air as they passed. There were rams with curling horns. There were little lambs, bounding along with the youthful energy. A few of the goats with their black coats stood up high above the others. The dogs that ran alongside the herd were friendly and happy – running up to us for a quick hello before they went back to work. We followed the shepherd and his herd down the road and I was absolutely enthralled with what I saw when we got to the village. The shepherd walked the animals into the narrow streets of the village. Outside by each house, stood a woman waiting for her goats or sheep to come home. At each house, the respective animals would be dropped off with their owner to be shut in their shed beneath the owner’s home for the night. It was just like the bus driver dropping the kids to their homes after school.

At Quinta da Mata, there is also a sizeable flock of sheep. During the three months we have been here, we have seen many sheep being born. It’s fun to watch them go from walking on shaky legs to keep up with the others only on their second day of life to becoming big capable sheep ready to have their own lambs.

Just as we have seen life, we have also seen death. One lamb died only three days after it was born. It’s mother had an infection and was unable to nurse. We did our best to save the lamb by feeding it from a wine bottle with a nipple attached. Oddly and to my utter lack of understanding, this very same mother gave birth to the dead lamb’s twin on the very day the first lamb died. This lamb lived. Unfortunately, these sheep live to die. Many of the cute little lambs that we admire so much end up on the dinner table. I cannot eat lamb.

Jenna loves the sheep. She looks forward to visiting with them each day. We call them “meehs” and she does too. The sheep and Jenna speak the same language. Marcos likes to help Filinto put the sheep away for the night. I could watch the sheep for hours. They walk, eat, rest in the sun, “meeh” and move on. The young lambs are playful. They like to jump down the hills and play with other lambs their age. When they nurse, their tails shake.

I think it is healthy to co-exist with animals. There is much to be learned from the birth and death cycle. Farm life certainly has shown me a lot of that. I understand now why people use the expression “counting sheep.” These peaceful animals with their cloud-shaped bodies grazing on green fields of grass are a sight that surely encourages even the most uptight person to take a deep breath and realize that there are moments in life that are so very beautiful.