Have you ever had a chance to watch a sheep shearer at work?

I find it to be mesmerizing.

The way wool comes off in one big piece, the sheep rolling in front and underneath the shearer as he turns them around and around.

The way he knows just where to grab a leg, push on a head or pull at an ear to move the animal easily into position.

The way he and the sheep make it look so easy that I want to try it too.

Instead, I looked at the length of his legs compared to mine, mentally calculated the weight of both sheep and clippers and decided I would join the watchers at the gate.

Some of us had an easier time finding a good spot to watch than others.

But she tried and tried.

And what Jane lacks in height she makes up for in perseverance…

… and smiles!

Just about when Jane got it figured out we moved locations.

Which is when I found myself sitting on a pile of hay in an old barn.

The rain on the roof was just loud enough to drown out the pockets of conversation between family and friends. The sheep moved about in the fresh straw while the kids helped feed them and as the shearer continued at his work, I sat and enjoyed the moment.

A  moment of calm in what has been an unusually stressful and hectic week as we continue on with our “relocation.”

A moment that smelled of hay, sheep, and warm rain.

A moment of the best kind.

Have you ever had a chance to watch a sheep shearer at work?

I highly recommend it.