TROUPEAU DE MOUTONS

 

 

 

 

Avec des chevres (with some goats). And yes, they are a troop, as you can see from this sign:

 

This particular troopeau consisted of about 100-200 sheep + a few goats, and were less than a kilometer from my house on the back road I take to the village of Mazan. I was so astonished I had to take a photo or two. They do not live around here, the fields where the photos were taken are fallow or in vines. I've never seen a herd of sheep around here.

 

Here is the shepherd and his dogs. He is wearing the official shepherd outfit with black broadbrimmed hat and carrying a stick. He was a fairly young man.  At this stage of the meal the sheep were on both sides of the road.

This is the group on the other side of the road. Really a lot of sheep. I couldn't tell if they were wool sheep or food sheep, or I suppose both. I saw no younger looking sheep, they were all quite similar in size.  

 

I would have liked to know how he got them here. Not in a truck, too many. They had to have walked here, which would involve crossing numerous roads and going through areas with quite a lot of houses. I will try to remember to ask some of the local people if they know anything about it. I felt like I had driven into another century. 

THE BLIZZARD

 YES, that's snow. Infrequent here, and it makes the bamboo sag.

This is my rear "japonesque" garden, the gaura in the center looks great covered in snow.

And the juniper on the entry terrace is quite picturesque, its a snowy japanese landscape.

Looking south towards the pool, from my small terrace. Its not very cold, its all melting now, but it looks nice. However, I did not go out in my car as planned. I don't do snow driving.

Hope you're all fine, please stay that way.

bonnie