Queen is gone

This morning Queen, our 13 + yr old Cheviot ewe died. It was not unexpected; she has been fading a bit for the last 6 months or so. Yesterday was a good day -she had asked to go out with the other sheep, she bugged me for her cut up apple and she seemed to be doing reasonably well. I had begun to think she might make it through the winter & get to enjoy spring.

This am when I went down for barn chores, she was down & she died almost immediately. Funny, but I was glad to be there for her departure.

We have sheep to train & work the dogs (as opposed to a "real" sheep farm where they have dogs for their sheep). My heart dog Beep was a wonderful working dog -never injured anybody but tons of presence & power. More than once I had to miss a herding trial run because even lying quietly at my feet he was too intimidating for sheep not accustomed to an upright herding dog.

And then along came a little lady Cheviot. Somehow Queen & Beep connected. She would work, quietly & steadily for him but she would also come up to him & lick his muzzle while he licked hers. NOT normal behavior for a Terv or a Cheviot! She acted as a steadying influence on new sheep that were learning about herding. She also got along with the horses & would sometimes scoot under the fence to graze with them.

Queen continued this relationship with Beep's son Hokey. Not quite as intense,but she obviously liked Hokey too.So her loss is a double loss - I miss her & I miss one of the few links I still had to Beep.

May you have green pastures, warm sun & lots of cut up apples, Queen!
Deb E