The Black (Jack) Sheep

Photo.
Sheep.
Shepherd.
Black Jack.
Sheep are clever.
No doubt who is winning.



Found at Insanity Planet.

Sheep Say Boooaaaaaah!

It's getting cold out here. If I was able to, I would grow a thick fleece.
Days like these ask to stay in a warm bed. I feel a bit shleepy, so I get back to bed (too chilly over here). Sheep normally say 'baaah!'. A yawning sheep says 'boooaaaah!'.

So I salute you with a big: Booooaaaaah!. Off to where it is warm and wooly!

Sheep News: Otago Family Amazed by Self-Shearing Sheep

While it is getting colder over here in The Netherlands (the first snow reached the southern parts), it is becoming spring in New Zealand. Sheep have to be sheared. Well, do they have to be?

A North Otago family has discovered an amazing phenomenon on its farm – a self-shearing sheep.
...
Grant Martin's children alerted him to the unusual occurrence last week, saying it looked as if one of the sheep had fly-strike.

As Mr Martin reached out and grabbed the sheep's back, the wool started pulling away.

"There were no maggots on it."

He carried on detaching the wool from the ewe, finding no sign of fly-strike and ending up with a complete fleece in his hands.

"It fell off in one piece. There's a perfect velvet coat underneath."


Read the full story at New Zealand's STUFF news site: Otago Family Amazed by Self-Shearing Sheep.

SheepShopping: Sheep Alarm Clock

Sheep pick

A nice sheep-shaped alarm clock from Fun-Clocks.com. Who does not want to be woken up by a sheep?
For only US$59.95 (about 46 euro) it can be yours!

Product description

This sheep-shaped alarm clock is made of heavyweight, quality plastic, and uses one "AA" battery (not included.) It measures 6" x 5" x 1 1/2", You'll love using this in your bedroom, or on your next vacation!

Online

You can purchase your clock online: Sheep Alarm Clock.

This post is part of Youssouf's Guide to SheepShopping

Maastricht's Marl Mines

In Maastricht, well near Maastricht, you have the Sint Pietersberg (it is called 'mountain', but it's more of a hill). In that hill there are the famous marl mines (in Dutch: mergelmijnen). Better known as caves, but they are mines. They dug out the marl stones, soft limestone-like material, to build houses and bridges. They did it since the Roman empire. It resulted in a labyrinth of 30 feet high mine tunnels.

Of course I visited these tunnels when I was in Maastricht. High humidity. A constant temperature of 10 degrees centigrade. And totally dark. Except for the few gas lamps the guide provided.
Without the guide you would be totally lost. Quite scary and impressive for a little sheep like me.

All this talk for a simply great picture of me, Youssouf, in a marl mine tunnel with a gas lamp. You can sense the spooky yet warm (or chilly?) atmosphere. Ideal for ghost stories. Unfortunately it was 1 week before Halloween.