Wednesday, 2 November 2011

How cool is this (not as cool as Marla but pretty close)

Before I start, Berthe and Claire I miss you both.  We had lots of laughs and we made a pretty good threesome, the Classy Crazy Canucks.  You can come and visit anytime.  Binky, I miss you.  Wish you were closer.  Hi Therese, glad your trip to Calgary was good.  Carmen mon amie, sort le vin car j'arrive a Noel.  Rachelle, I see that you tried to skype but I was not here. So many people to say hi to.  Corinne, hope you're enjoying work.  Marla is still cool and Gladys I miss you too.

Today I brought my camera to work because I wanted to take pictures (isn't that why you bring a camera, duh!!!).  Fall is here and at Beaumont-Hamel the leaves have all changed colors and it's beautiful.  So I took a fewpictures for you to see. 

Monsieur the Shepherd man was taking his sheep back to his place for the winter.  That means, if winter doesn't set in, I'll have to go eat the grass.  We better have a storm soon.  I wonder if they have snow days here.  However,  he had told me about walking his sheep from our site to his farm, right in the middle of the road but I couldn't imagine how he did that.  He also told me that the first time he was allowed to walk the sheep back to the farm, he was 10 years old.  It was the proudest moment of his life, he said.  Not every young boy had the opportunity to do that and especially not at this young age.  He has been doing this ever since and he is now 70.   I don't often have my camera, especially at work and why today did I bring it.  This I believe was the reason.  There he was, coming down the road with his dog.  We'll call him the Shepherd Dog.  I don't remember his name.  Little kids were coming on their bikes with their parents just to watch.  I believe that it is a few kilometers away from our site.  Such a beautiful thing to see.  I kind of, well just a little, well not really, helped.  The sheep were coming down and I placed myself on the side of the road so they would all stay together and not wander from the rest of the herd.  Not once was I afraid of the thousands of sheep running me down.  OK, not a thousand, maybe 50 but I was brave.  Just imagine if they had been bulls and I was wearing red.  Good thing my uniform is green.  Anyway, I stood there with my camera in hand and watched them march behind Mr. the Shepherd man.  Here is what I saw.  Well first you'll see the trees.


Beautiful Fall trees among trenches.
As you enter the site, this is what you see, the
29th Division Monument.  Behind it to the left, is the Caribou.

This is Monsieur the Shepherd man in action.
You only see this in movies.  At least I've only seen this in movies

A little while after, Monsieur the Shepherd man came back to the site.  I was outside and greeted him.  I'm so polite.  Another one of my many talents. Only kidding.  He wanted to show me his 2 day old little lamb that he had in the van.  I went with him and I felt like Mary had a little lamb.  I got in the back of the van and this little thing was standing up, scared.  I picked him up and he went baaaah baaaah, this means, I love you and I want you to be my mommy.  Can you bring me home with you tonight.  Oh ya, I talk sheep talk now.  I explained that I couldn't as I lived in the city and that I had too many stairs and he would trip with his four legs going up and down.   He baaaah baaaahed again which in sheep language meant, OK I understand but can you come and visit me.  I named him Baguette as he was long and skinny.

Well that was my day and now bedtime.  So Jean, I'm very happy that you had a good trip. Talk to you soon.  Please make lunch plans because the Bird is coming to town.  Gee this was a short blog.  I'll try to do better tomorrow.  Carmen, sorry I couldn't call tonight but I had company but I will tomorrow.  Lache pas la patate.

1 comment:

  1. What a neat sight to see a shepherd moving/leading his sheep. Pretty awesome. Today was just gorgeous here. Did some yard work, raked leaves, cut grass, etc. Now I am very tired!!

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