For the love of Leo

Ah, Leo

AKA Leonidas Mac Capt. Jack, Bugger Butt, Turd Head, PITA, and, ultimately, my sweet boy. 

Leo had a pretty rough start as a baby.  He was the third born of our first set of triplets to a first time mom ewe, Miss MoMo.  Brother Rudah was first, as a single leg presentation, followed by sister Dearg, a no leg presentation, then Leo, a single leg presentation.  Mom was loving on big brother and sister, but totally ignoring little runty Leo.  I tried every trick I could think of to get her to accept him with no luck. 

After about 2 hours I decided to take him into the house.  Got him some colostrum, diapered him, made him a snuggly house complete with a stuffed animal, and waited to see if he would survive. 

He did not stand alone for his first 12 hours of life, and did not walk for the first 24 hours.

Vet said that sometimes one triplet can get shorted on space, food, and blood supply, and that he needed a brain reboot. 

So, we waited. 

He spent most of the first 24 hours laying on my chest, covered in a blanket.  He was so dang tiny!!

Once he decided to start walking, it was no holds barred!!  He was cruising around the house, following me all over.  And when he finally got tired, would demand my lap, or would curl up with Reba, the amazing Mother-to-all-on-the-farm cow dog. 

Consequently, Leo grew up thinking he was a people/dog.  When we transitioned him to life outside he made a bee-line for the LGD’s in the corral and demanded to join their ranks.  They, being the big lovies they are, took him under their paws and he became one of the pack.

When we moved to a farm with better pasture, Leo got a taste of the “big world”.  Leo did his best to become a sheep and follow along with the flock. 

This did not appear to sit well with his psyche.  He yearned for something more. 

He decided he was going to be a horse.  However, the horses were not all that enamored with his attempt to be one of them and in short order, they kicked him from their group.

Leo did his best to try to be a sheep for a while, to no avail.

He then discovered Miss Loo Loo the cow and fell head over hooves in love with her.  It was a match made in sheep heaven for Leo. 

On a daily basis, we had to scour the pasture for the unlikely duo in order to get Leo into the safety of the corral at night.  Too many predators for him to have to deal with having only one cow as a body guard. 

This went on for quite a while.

Sadly, we had to make the decision to sell the cows.  You never saw a sheep as depressed as Leo was after that.  He spent all day looking for and calling to the love of his life.  (I know the feeling, Leo)

Winter came and went, and Leo assimilated back to being a sheep with LGD tendencies. 

Once spring had sprung, Leo again discovered the horses.  This time they accepted him as one of their own.  Now we are back to scouring the pasture daily to find the trio. 

I gotta say, for two big reddish horses, and one sheep in a white coat, those suckers can hide like champions.  They get back into those trees and just disappear like they were sucked into a black hole.  There have been a few nights where we just cant find them and Leo gets to sleep over in pony land. 

I don’t sleep well those nights.  Course, I don’t sleep well anymore anyhow, but the added worry that Leo is out where the predators are makes it worse.  The horses can run, Leo, not so fast on his shorter legs. 

Morning arrives and it becomes my main job to go find them and make sure bugger butt is still here.  Once found, he does a good job of being contrite, by leaning against my leg and snuggling his head in for skitchies.  Oh, and giving kissies. 

Such a suck up!

I adore my Leo.  A huge personality in a moorit fleece.  And he knows it!