Sheep Escaped

 Yesterday, we heard someone calling from our gate, so  I drove down to see if I could find the guy.  We have a long driveway on the ranch, so it takes a few minutes.  When I got down to the gate, a neighbour pulled up and told me that some sheep were loose in his oat field, and that they had escaped where a couple trees fell across the fence.  He said he had chased them back, so that was good.  I told him that I would take a couple guys over there to make sure the sheep were out of his field, and resolve the situation.

As you can see, a couple trees from the neighbour's property fell down across our fence.  As the sheep came up to the fallen trees, they just crossed instead of trying to negotiate so many branches.  Myself and a few of our guys went and cleaned it up and put the fence back up.  Even though it was the neighbour's trees and his responsibility to clean it up and repair the fence, it is good to make peace.  

We also checked out the field of oats, but could only see the grass and hay at the edge of the field trampled.  We could not see signs of damage done to the oats.

As you can see, the oats are over to the left, and the damage is to the grass, weeds, and old hay around the edge of the field.  Now, this is not to say that a sheep did not go into the oats, it is only to say that this was what was visible to us.  Regardless, it is good to make peace.  At least the neighbour was civil.  We have had people come from the neighbour's property, cut our fences, trespass, threaten us, spread rumours, and steal our crop as well.  But this time, everyone was civil at least for now.