tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post5313893239507094394..comments2023-10-01T09:35:35.894+02:00Comments on Antipodes: Return of the sheepWilliam Skyvingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10052367756561555096noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-65407204609751838582008-03-26T13:05:00.000+01:002008-03-26T13:05:00.000+01:00Children are told that, to catch a bird, you merel...Children are told that, to catch a bird, you merely have to spread some salt on its tail feathers. Then they react according to their particular mental structures (I'm referring to the children, not the birds):<BR/><BR/>— Children who are destined to become scientists will ask: "<I>Why would the presence of salt have such a calming effect upon a wild bird?</I>"<BR/><BR/>— Children whom God intended to be poets, artists or priests will inquire: "<I>Wouldn't it be better to paint the bird's tail red or blue?</I>"<BR/><BR/>— Meanwhile, children with a good chance of becoming business leaders or politicians will observe: "<I>If I can get close enough to put salt on its tail, then I'll be able to grab the bird and stuff it in a bag.</I>"<BR/><BR/>If only I could creep up on my nine sheep, I would hit them with rugby tackles and rope them up. That's the usual technique when the animals are in a small pen. But trying to play rugby with nine wild sheep that are roaming around in liberty on mountain slopes is a hopeless game. They're an unbeatable team.<BR/><BR/>This morning, I spoke seriously on this subject with Pierrot, the municipal employee. He's a shepherd of kinds, and I already told him he could keep the sheep if he succeeded in catching them... which he can't. He told me, for the first time, about the official possibility of obtaining hypodermic darts from my veterinarian, and then calling upon the local hunting federation to fire these darts at the sheep. Then there's the question of conveying the sleeping animals back to Gamone, to be slaughtered by the butcher. It's a complicated affair.William Skyvingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10052367756561555096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-33116321182346519432008-03-25T21:52:00.000+01:002008-03-25T21:52:00.000+01:00There might be another solution: in some regions i...There might be another solution: in some regions in the South of France, they use sheep as a sort of "lawn mover" in order to prevent fires in summer...cmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13628012646010636255noreply@blogger.com