Baa Baa Baby

Over the last couple of months, the Sun City Neighborhood Association (the 55-and-older community my parents live in) has been hiring out to combat fire risk in the protected areas of the neighborhood.

Large groups of sheep and goats have been herded in to eat the grass--and eat they do! They make short work of it, and using animals to cut down the grass is an eco-friendly solution that eliminates noise and air pollution.

Turns out it's a hit with residents, too. On this weekend, when families are visiting, there were many groups of grandparents bringing their young grandchildren to see the goats and sheep--especially because right now, there are a ton of babies.

This morning, Mom, Dad and I stopped by to have a look. There was already a small crowd of people when we arrived, listening to the shepherd on duty.


There were three solitary ewes on their own across the way. Turns out they had brand-new babies and wouldn't move with the rest of the herd, so they were left alone until their babies were up and moving.


As we approached, the little babies were frolicking and making us laugh.



I took a video to capture the sounds of the animals, and ended up catching the most adorable Mama/Baby reunion. You can hear the delighted laughter of Mom, me, and many others in the area.


There are two trusty herding dogs on hand, Luna and Jack. Jack was out watching sheep, while Luna stayed close to the shepherd.


The shepherd picked up a little goat (a girl) to let us pet her. She has a twin brother.


The babies were delightful to watch--so cute! We stayed for about 10 to 15 minutes before going back to the car. Before we left, I got a picture of a hard-working dog.


I guess I'd need a nap, too, if I'd be up all night guarding sheep!