Winter Pasture

This time of year something really exciting happens on our road.

The sheep go to winter pasture.

Now this might seem really odd to you...
to have hundreds of sheep walking up your road,
blocking traffic and eating everything in sight along the way?
You might not know what to do... do you keep driving or stop and let them pass?
(Just so you know, you keep driving... slowly through them... they will move).

Sometimes you'll even see a black sheep or a ram with horns among the masses of similar white sheep. They make noise and a mess as they eat all the brush on the side of the road.
They leave a trail telling of their presence as they go to the winter pasture.

My favorite part is the end of the herd. There are usually 2 dogs,
big and bushy and working hard at keeping the straying ewes in line.

Then their master's, the shepherds, come next. They walk casually along the road, bundled up in puffy vest, with a baseball cap, saying "Hola" or "Yaateeh" (Navajo for "hello") with a smile and a wave. They seem to like being a part of this common day parade.
They hoot at a sheep to stubborn to leave the dry brittle grass, prodding them on ward to something better.

Then last is the Shepherd's wagon (a trailer shaped like a small domed hut). It rattles along, pulled by a beaten down truck.
I always wonder what is in it and do they stay in it all winter or just for a time?

This parade of sorts helps us mark the seasons.
Winter pasture, Summer pasture.

This and many other reason are why I love where I am.