Before I took off for another load of chestnut in Goujounac, I wrote down the time and odometer mileae. I don't usually go to Goujounac except to park there and start a bike ride. But now that I'm getting chestnut for our staircase at Seguy's sawmill in Goujounac, I thought it might come in handy to know to the minute in case I found myself tempted to race over just before the 2 hour midday pause.They have closed off the D45 for utility work at the village of La Masse so you have to take the back road to Les Junies, then the obscure D151 back to the highway. My split-second time check went out the window when this flock of sheep showed up around a bend. I had my camera on the seat in case there were interesting pictures to be had at the sawmill.
I pulled off and stood stupified at the sight of these just-shorn sheep and Marcel, the dog. The owner yelled over to me, "They are very young" So I guess they were past being considered elderly lambs. I was getting my tongue together to ask him about training the dog: did the dog grow up with the flock, did an older dog assist with the training, showing the young one how to "wear"--get a mean look on his face to concentrate the minds of the flighty sheep.
I asked how long it took to train such a dog. He laughed and said "That depends entirely on who does the training. Bonjour!" and gave me a big handshake. He had no time to waste but even so put the dog through his paces just for me, a private show. He yelled, "Marcel, boite!" (box) and Marcel started running the sheep into a compact mass. "Marcel, gauche!" , "Marcel, pied" (which seemed to mean, crouch motionless until I say different.)
Before I knew it, this fat man had taken off running like a bat out of hell, evidently concerned that the electric fencing was intact all around this pasture. I saw his wife working her way the opposite direction.
Babe is a cult movie in my house but I didn't have the nerve to say to the guy, I know a better way and start the secret sheep obedience mantra, "Baa, ram, ewe! To your fleece, to your breed, to your sheep be true! Sheep be true! Baa ram ewe1" If it had worked, Marcel would have felt awful.
