Sometimes You Just Have to Take a Leap

I’ve done it both ways. Each one works. One way is slow and painful, the other quick and shocking. What am I talking about? Well, jumping into a swimming hole at the creek of course.

In the early part of summer, when the water is quite cool or especially frigid when experiencing a creek, that initial shock of getting in the water can be overwhelming. The slow way is hard. You stick your toes into the cold water, feeling the tingling sensation running up your whole body, shuddering at the idea of actually being under the icy water. But then you go in deeper, deeper, up to your knees, then your waist, slowly shrieking every step of the way as you creep into the coldness. Sometimes you just give up and get out. But when you act with boldness, you eventually just sink into the deep and go all in as your heart races and you go under.

Some folks never get in, or maybe they only get in up to their ankles. But to experience the benefits of the cool creek water when the sweltering heat of summer is beating down, you have to submerge yourself into the deep coolness to get the full experience of really cooling off at the creek. Of course, the quickest way to end all the drama and get it all over with is to just jump in with all you’ve got, going under and then coming up gasping for air as you shriek with excitement and trauma all at the same time. But once you’re in, you’re in.

So, what does jumping into a creek have to do with anything at this very moment? Well, I am the skeptic at our household, the examiner of examiners, the one at our home who generally studies things to death before making a decision. I’ve been the one who creeps into the creek slowly, or maybe not at all. I suppose many of us are like that, always wanting to ensure we extensively study a situation prior to moving forward.

This week I took the leap. Without much thought at all, just a few days ago, I said yes to something big. Well, two things big to be exact, two creatures with four legs. And now I’m in the middle of figuring it out, cleaning it up, working through this little experiment in real time.

What do you suppose it was that I made such a hasty decision about? Well, I just couldn’t resist. I’m a sucker for a free sheep, or shall I say, two free sheep.

Yep, when I heard the word “free” the other day, the wheels started spinning in my head at the opportunity of a small investment of my time and energy for a potential gain. So, when I got the message from a neighbor asking me if I wanted a couple of free sheep, I just couldn’t say no.

Let me be clear. I do, in fact, own a small sheep farm, which makes me a sheep farmer, otherwise known as a shepherd. I don’t live in the city or even a suburb. We live smack dab in the middle of the country. I’ve been doing this sheep farming for a few years now, so I do have some sheep experience under my belt. However, I would still classify myself as a newbie when it comes to shepherding. But I’m getting there.

Enough space available? Check.

Feed? Check.

Hay? Check.

Get along with my existing herd? A definite maybe.

Well, those were the things I was thinking when I learned of this golden opportunity. When my neighbor said the words “hair sheep”, I was thinking they would just be along for the ride with my other eighteen hair sheep, Katahdin sheep to be exact. Essentially, a hair sheep is a breed of sheep that does not produce wool. They are primarily sought after for their meat, not for sweater production. Think short-haired dog in the summer with a thick coat in the winter. In the spring months, when our hair sheep begin losing their winter coats, clumps of white hair can be found gathering here and there around our fields.

So, here I am, in the midst of being a sheep trader, trying to figure out where the next location should be for a pair of sheep I’ve taken possession of. I’m looking for a quick turnaround here, and in all honesty, would like to come out ahead financially as this plays out. Show me the money, right?

Here we are, currently at the twenty-sheep mark. Now, when walking outside our back door, you can occasionally hear the deep baritone bellowing of our new residents. We’re going to come out of this okay, I’m certain. My leap into the deep pool of sheep adoption, trading or whatever you want to call it was indeed a shock to my system. But we will soon be refreshed, come out of the water and dry off for the days ahead. And we will learn something from this, yes indeed.

Lesson one: There’s no such thing as a free sheep.