We've been so busy on the farm this spring that I've barely had time to write my blog. But I had to write about Rosemary. Rosemary is my favorite animal on our farm. (She's in the forefront of the picture). She was the last lamb born last spring, and the smallest. She had a birthmark that looked like a black teardrop by her left eye. I named her Rosemary after my mother.
The bigger lambs would go quickly to the feed trough and never leave room for Rosemary. She didn't grow as fast as they did. Then she got sick and we spent some time nursing her back to health. My husband said if she made it, that we could keep her as a pet and never sell her.
So we put her in the barnyard with our two massive Livestock Guardian Dogs, Samson and Delilah.
After a few days of chasing her around, the big dogs accepted her, and the three became fast friends.
The only problem was, after a while, Rosemary began acting like a dog. The dogs would chase the pygmy goats around the barnyard and Rosemary would join in on the chase, I said, "Rosemary, you're a sheep. Sheep don't chase other animals". Then she began putting her two front legs up on me to beg for animal crackers. (I know, but they all love animal crackers?!?) I said, "Rosemary, you're a sheep. Don't beg like dogs do".
. We had two older pygmy goats and then we bought two babies and put them in the barnyard because we couldn't keep them enclosed anywhere else. The baby pygmy goats began following Rosemary all over; they had made her their new mother. And she seemed to relish the attention. I said to my husband, "Rosemary can't decide if she's a dog or a goat". She became part of the "west pasture gang" for awhile. This gang of sheep and pygmy goats; who by then had added three members, baby pygmies, would parade down the fence line in the morning as far as they could and parade back to the barnyard fence in the evenings to sleep for the night. I said, "Rosemary, you're a sheep. Quit acting like a goat".
My husband said when we got our 12 new ewes, we would put Rosemary back with the sheep. They would be younger than her and maybe she would fit in with them. Last week, my husband picked up our new ewes and put them in the pasture. He put Rosemary in the pasture with them. She stood for 3 days at the barnyard gate staring at her beloved dogs and goats. I said, "I'm afraid we've ruined Rosemary from ever becoming a sheep"
But, like all good stories, this one has a happy ending. After a few days, Rosemary decided to be a sheep. In fact, she's the leader of the pack. Those smaller sheep follow her everywhere she goes. Because she's first in line, she gets the choicest grasses. She seems happy and peaceful Like Rosemary, we all need to find our place; a place where we belong and feel accepted. My place is at the feet of Jesus. There is no better place for me.
"I will never fail you, I will never abandon you", Hebrews 13:5..
