Well, my "semi-retirement" was soon something of the past! I have raised sheep for nearly 30 years and had owned a flock of about 200 purebred Wensleydales and Jacobs and their crossbred offspring in Denmark.
I settled down to the quiet life, but one day got a phone call from a police department in southern Sweden. They had confiscated 70 sheep from a farm where they were poorly treated and some of the animals had my eartags.Would I like to reclaim my sheep????
I settled down to the quiet life, but one day got a phone call from a police department in southern Sweden. They had confiscated 70 sheep from a farm where they were poorly treated and some of the animals had my eartags.Would I like to reclaim my sheep????
I had heard rumours that something had gone wrong in the flock to which I had sold some sheep'
I asked the policeman how many of the sheep had my eartags. He wasn't sure but he was sure there was an enormous creature with 4 horns. MY BLACKER.
I decided to drive down and check out the situation. Packed a good supply of food, blankets, coffee, torch, a spade, extra battery for my telephone. It was the end of January and there was 4 feet of snow in Jämtland. I slept and drove.
There were 70 sheep, 10 of which had been mine.
They looked pretty miserable but were in reasonable health. The police department were prepared to sell them all to me for a reasonable price. The alternative was the slaughter house the following week.
What a dilemma. I wasn't penniless but I was definitely pennifew.
For several months I had been creating a type of "blog" about my way of life on Ravelry, a fantastic forum for people interested in handicrafts. Arriving home I felt wretched. I had driven for 3 days in very bad conditions without proper sleep or meals. I knew it was not in my power to do anything for the sheep.
In my wretchedness I merely wrote on Ravelry the facts. The sheep were 700 miles away, I had no money, no winter accomodation, no hay, no solutions. But my dear friends had solutions. Hej, some would adopt the sheep, others would donate to pay for transport. My neighbours would lend me their stables. Stables that have been empty for half a century.
The next fortnight was busy with a capital B.U.S.and Y.. My Swedish was very inadequate for all the planning that had to be done. Here my neighbour Karin was an invaluable support. She arranged transport with a firm that specialised in driving around Sweden picking up animals here, delivering them there.
It was an amazing business. The driver had, along with my sheep, two pigs that were travelling to the Norwegian border and a horse that would had a new home in Lappland. Ten cows were to be picked up in a village 10 miles away and more sheep were joining this modern noah's ark at Ornsköldsvik. At each stop the lorry was meticulously cleaned - food, water and fresh bedding shared between the menagé.
It was an amazing business. The driver had, along with my sheep, two pigs that were travelling to the Norwegian border and a horse that would had a new home in Lappland. Ten cows were to be picked up in a village 10 miles away and more sheep were joining this modern noah's ark at Ornsköldsvik. At each stop the lorry was meticulously cleaned - food, water and fresh bedding shared between the menagé.
News spreads quickly in our small community. It has never ceased to amaze me that, the less densley populated the area, the quicker one knows what so-and-so is up to!
This was no exception.
Let me explain. I do live in the back and beyonds. There are 30 cows in the village but otherwise no domesticated animals for miles and miles. The last sheep to be seen in the vicinity was 40 years ago.
This crazy Englishwoman had bought 70 sheep from the police 700 miles away and was bringing them, in the middle of winter, to Söderhögen !!! There hadn't been as much excitement since Björn Borg became champion at Wimbledon.
As you see, one of the neighbours waited 10 miles away at the main road, to have the honour of escorting the precious load to Långbacken.
The operation ran perfectly. Out came 70 weary, thin, matted sheep which were put into their respective winter quarters. Out came 70 sheep - and two lambs
This was no exception.
Let me explain. I do live in the back and beyonds. There are 30 cows in the village but otherwise no domesticated animals for miles and miles. The last sheep to be seen in the vicinity was 40 years ago.
This crazy Englishwoman had bought 70 sheep from the police 700 miles away and was bringing them, in the middle of winter, to Söderhögen !!! There hadn't been as much excitement since Björn Borg became champion at Wimbledon.
As you see, one of the neighbours waited 10 miles away at the main road, to have the honour of escorting the precious load to Långbacken.
The operation ran perfectly. Out came 70 weary, thin, matted sheep which were put into their respective winter quarters. Out came 70 sheep - and two lambs
