Let me introduce you!

 

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family...

 

A merino ram. Ha! How funny does that sound?! Well we went to a ram sale today. It could also be called a well-bred sheep auction, I don't want to mention that four letter word for well-bred, pedigree animals 'cos I don't want the viral crazies to target this little pretty blog of mine!!! And this chap is what we came home with. No, not in back of our car with the kids, though I have known of rams leaving sales in similar places within the car ;-) Nope, this chap travelled home in a stately manner (befitting the princely sum we paid for him!). In a small stock cage on a trailer. He stood, upright and proud, for the whole journey.

 

He is a strong fellow. Standing for two hours in a stately manner. According to the gorgeous girl it was so he didn't sit in his own mess! Wouldn't want to dirty that fine wool he wears! According to Mr Logical it was so he could use all four legs to brace against the movements of the car/trailer... Oh, so logical.

This is the line-up at the sale. The littlest one was very impressed with all of the sheep with the curly horns. She was so impressed she even deigned to 'pat' a couple of them. They probably appreciated the gentle 'pat' of a 3 year old after multiple prods, pokes and unmentionable groping (you see, all of us new owners hope they will be quite capable in all of their bodily functions)!

And this is the one below is the one that got away... Of course, he wasn't our first choice, you are willing to pay much more for those chaps, but he would have been a reasonable addition to the clan ;-) Ah well, you can't win 'em all!

So there you have it. We've bought a ram. We still haven't settled on a name. The favourite at the moment is 'Costa', though we're keen also on 'Motza'... This perhaps gives you a hint that we're not quite yet used to the prices one must pay when adding to the family ;-) Even after three small people.

Well, I hope you are all well. I'm heading to bed. It's a wearying business; this sizing up of rams!

Perhaps the exhaustion is more about a day spent with rams plus the addition of all the small people in the family; we're in full school holiday mode now. The rest of the week looks full of good times and good people, along with more painting (must post pics soon!) and the usual, never-ending washing/ironing/cleaning cycle. Plus there are a few plans to be made in our lives... more on that in the coming months...

Last pic - we just happened to be about when this press shot was being taken and I couldn't resist snapping this shot of the owners and auctioneers. How rural is this shot!?! Takes me back to uni days. Before family was my responsibility :-) Now that ram on the left is part of my family responsibility - quite surreal!