Wooly wonder stops traffic
The clouds parted and the sun broke through Monday morning just as the undulating, off-white mass approached the crowd along Highway 55. The town and the tourists had turned out for another big event in the hill country of Idaho. Sheep rancher Frank Shirts escorted around 2,600 ewes and lambs in the annual journey across the highway into the foothills in search of greener grazing grounds. The flock of sheep filtered from the hillside onto Brookside Lane, picking up speed as they crossed the highway, then dipped onto the Ada County Bike Park trails. Dry Creek Ranch resident Julie McClellan said she first saw the crossing last year and had been eagerly awaiting its return. “All year long, I have been waiting for this to come back. … It was just so delightful,” McClellan said. “The kids absolutely love it.” You can watch the parade in the video below.
As the sheep spend the next several days moving around the Ada County, the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission advises trail users to respectfully share the space. An important part of this is to remember to leash dogs around the sheep, spokesperson Steve Stuebner said. If dogs are unleashed, the flock’s Great Pyrenees guard dogs could see them as a threat and confront them. Mountain bikers caught in the parade should dismount and walk their bikes through. The commission recommends not trying to outrun the guard dogs by bike. The Great Pyrenees sheepdog guardians are meant to protect the flock from coyotes, wolves and other predators, like bicyclists. The band of sheep will eventually make their way to the Boise National Forest for the summer.
Idaho has a rich history of sheep ranching and herding. In 1918, sheep in the state outnumbered people 6-to-1. Before statehood, many “Basque people” from northern Spain settled in central Idaho and became known for their sheepherding abilities. Now, the sheep parade must navigate a major highway that’s blocked off by law enforcement, while sheepdogs keep them in check. The parade includes sheep dogs, shepherds, ATV’s and gawkers trying to get a picture in the flock.
In addition to providing the sheep delicious greenery to munch on, the grazing activity helps reduce fire fuels on the public lands where they move through, he said. Despite happening around 9:30 a.m. on a weekday, Stuebener estimated that Monday’s crowd was one of the biggest ever. “This is what makes Idaho great. Look at the community turn out. The people that are laying in bed don’t know what they’re missing.”
Get your sheep together
What is the difference between Texas and California?
In Texas the sheep have four legs.
An accountant was complaining of insomnia. “Even counting sheep is no good. I counted 10,000, sheared them, combed the wool, and it spun into cloth, made it into suits, took the suits into town and lost $21 on the deal. So I haven’t been able to sleep for a week.”
I knew a guy with such a bad case of insomnia that one night he counted sheep so long the sheep got tired and quit.
An Irishman comes upon his neighbor carrying a sheep under each arm.
“You gonna shear’em?”
“No, they’re both for me.”
May 1st Birthdays
1988 – Anushka Sharma, 1939 – Judy Collins, 1945 – Rita Coolidge, 1975 – Tina Campbell
1982 – Jamie Doman, 1967 – Tim McGraw, 1997 – Bertie Gilbert, 1981 – Wes Welker