Neighborhood Sheep

We have lived in our current home for about 5.5 years. We are in a suburb, east of Columbus Ohio, in an area that has taken over farms and little country roads. Our intimate neighborhood is a cul-de-sac off of one of those lovely, winding, rolling country ribbons. For the most part there is just one subdivision entrance after the other -- oh, and several churches, too, dotting along Wagner Road, with the notable exception of one family's operational sheep farm.

For five and a half years I have thought it would be lovely to photograph the sheep across the road from our cul-de-sac. As I have passed it daily I have amused myself with the antics of these creatures -- their comings & goings. You see, my mom has a sheep collection which has been fun to add to over the years for her significant occaisions. Birthdays and Christmas' have yielded antique sheep molds, folk art sheep, sheep jewelry, well, you get the idea. My dad was always something of a 'shepherd' and his congregations were filled with sheep for him to 'tend' thru the active years of his ministry. And so to have a sheep farm in the middle of our suburban sprawl has been a personally soothing sight that welcomes me home.

Driving home the other day from Christmas errands and the shopping for groceries, I was awestruck by the combination of the sheep and the snow covered ground and the red barn and the split rail fence. Just as soon as my groceries were stowed, I put on some heavy boots and grabbed my new striped birthday gloves from Mrs. Snow and walked back to the farm, vowing to finally make good on an intention that I had considered for more than five years.

Keep in mind that I must cross our meandering country road, that now hosts a WHOLE lot of traffic traveling theoretically at 45 mph, without the benefit of any sort of actual berm..... but I traveled the distance safely and was rewarded with these shots. I'm not certain whether it is the actual pictures themselves or the 'accomplishment' of something on my heart's mental 'to-do' list that is the greater sigh. In either case they bring me delight. [The next time I make such an outting I will remember to wear a hat.]