Lens-Artists Challenge: Habitat

My regular reader (sic) may recall that where we live in the depths of rural France is very much sheep country. I’d estimate that most of the local farmers have at least some sheep as part of their agricultural ‘portfolio’, so to speak, although none of them do so on what you might call an industrial scale.

Our nearest neighbour and her late husband were full-time sheep farmers, albeit only on a modest scale. Their flock used to graze in our fields, which certainly kept the undergrowth under control. Now retired, she still has a small flock of maybe ten ewes, more as a hobby than anything else.

Their new habitat is a field just across the road from our house, from where they view me, should I happen to pass by, with a mixture of curiosity and contempt, as I wrote about here.

Lens-Artists Challenge: Habitat

Street scene with stray sheep

This is the road that, about a mile and a half further on, eventually gets to the hamlet that we call Tranquility Base.

The sheep isn’t supposed to be there of course, but it’s not at all uncommon around here to come across one that’s managed to escape from wherever it’s meant to be.

CWWC 23 May 2024

Cellpic Sunday: The Uninvited Guest

As I’ve mentioned on many occasions, out here in the sticks we are surrounded by sheep. They easily outnumber the human population, not only of our commune but all those for miles around.

The nearest sheep to our house are actually just across the road – a small flock of about a dozen that belong to our neighbour. This ewe must have been feeling particularly adventurous, because it somehow slipped through the gate or over the fence (or under – they can be quite enterprising sometimes, although mostly they’re just terminally thick) and came trotting down the side of our house. She cropped some grass and then turned round and went back home.

Cellpic Sunday 28 January 2024

Mind the sheep

The back road up through Chansigaud can be a handy short cut sometimes, depending on where we’re off to. Sometimes, though, the best-laid plans can be thwarted if the local farmer happens to be moving one of his flocks to a new pasture at the same time…

CWWC: features animals

Lambing Time

Out here in rural France, we’re surrounded by nature of course. That doesn’t mean it’s all idyllic, but it’s hard to take a walk during lambing time in spring and not feel, at least for a minute or two, that all’s well with the world.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Nature

March’s Last Photo

Spring is upon us, and in a field next to our local déchetterie (recycling point) here are the lambs to prove it.

March’s Last Photo

Shear Hard Work

A sheep shearer shows off his skills at a village display in nearby Saint-Martial-sur-Isop.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: People at work

Circulation Perturbée

Down here in la France profonde, the more common causes of circulation perturbée (traffic problems) – such as roadworks or a jack-knifed lorry – are just as likely to be supplemented by finding yourself on a country road  behind a local farmer in the process of moving his flock of sheep from one field to another.

The ubiquitous white van is the modern-day sheepdog.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: must end in ‘ock’

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Common

A common enough sight round these parts:

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Common

And the winner is….

Cee’s theme for her Fun Foto Challenge this week is ‘Smile’.

The nearby town of Le Dorat is hosting the World Sheep-shearing Championships next month and already the place is en fête in anticipation. An amusing feature of the preparations is the decoration of shop windows with paintings related to the theme, including this one.

As far as I know, the Mondial de Tonte, as it’s called, isn’t a sheep beauty competition, but the winner here is certainly smiling, even if the runners-up don’t look too happy.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Smile