Friday, May 6, 2011

They Always Hog The Water Fountain Too


You all know how fascinated I am with Sheep Shearing. It's just one of those jobs around the farm that I can spend a whole day watching. Seeing a skilled clipper take off the wool in one piece without leaving any marks on the animal is akin to poetry to me. It's an artform.

When I was in elementary we read a book called 'The Sundowners' about a depression era family who travelled from sheep farm to sheep farm to make money during the sheering season.


Little did I know there was an actual movie version of this novel. In all the things I ever was shown from grades K-12, there was NOTHING that had my focused attention like that movie did. I still can't tell you why I loved it so much. I just did.

When they asked us in those beginning of the year questionnaires what we wanted to be when we grew up I always put 'sheep shearer' which inevitably led to the teaching trying to convince me to shoot for a more lofty career goal - like maybe President or astronaut. Astronaut never appealed to me because I knew that there weren't any sheep on the moon.

I loved my first trip to Australia because my Brother-in-Law had arranged for me to go to his buddies farm where they were doing the yearly sheering. He thought I was joking all these years and would get caught in a lie.



To see those woolly creatures as we approached the pens made me squeel like a tween at a Justin Bieber concert. Being able to get that close to the operation and seeing how must skill it took to do right - well I was in heaven. Leaving the farm that night depressed me because I knew that all the wishing in the world would not make a 24/7 sheep shearing channel a reality.

The top picture reminded me that sheep are not perfect. They do have a nasty habit of hogging their time at the water fountain. It's like they are oblivious to the thirst of others.


So tell me, is there anyone else there that has a weird fascination with something in this world. It may be pizza guys throwing the dough into the hair to create the circular crust or a cop using a tazer gun to bring down an unruly suspect. What can you watch all day long regardless of how people would react to your truth?

7 comments:

TS Hendrik said...

I have an unhealthy obsession with laundromats. When I lived near one, I used to go nip over there, when I didn't have laundry to do and write. Something about the atmosphere I love. Though I hate doing laundry.

I've always thought it was cool watching sheep shearing. I don't have the fascination for it like you, but it's really neat to watch.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I remember reading The Sundowners in school too and seeing the movie. Didn't it have Robert Mitchum in it? Anyway, what amazes me about that sheep-shearing video is just how huge that single sheepskin is when it's all laid out.

M. D. Jackson said...

I have a fascination for these dark places where they serve alcohol and women dance around and take off their clothes.

Come to think about it, there seems to be a lot of people who have the same fascination. The place is usually pretty full and on weekends its packed.

...uh... that's not what you meant, was it?

Kal said...

No, MD, this is exactly what I was expecting and hoping for. If strip clubs can hold your attentin for hours then that is great. I tend to get bored with them if several girls in a row are sub par. But there is truly nothing sweeter than a girl enjoying her work and doesn't go to drastic steps like breasts inplants. The fake boobs are always noticeable for being fake so they become a deal breaker for me. It's more fun when the girls is having fun and enjoying what she is doing. That makes me enjoy the club even more.

Belle said...

In a million years I would never have guessed you wanted to be a sheep shearer! And to think you would watch it on TV all day. Amazing. You should buy one lamb, Kal. You really should.

When I was young and healthy, I could look for fossils all day and love every minute of it. I did it for two days in Drumheller, Alberta. It was the best two days of my life. Later, I read about ancient Egypt, so I wanted to be an archeologist.
After my first husband left me and I wanted to go to university, you should have seen the counsellor's face when I told him that is what I wanted to be. Me - with two little kids. He quietly discouraged me from that goal.

Nomad said...

Apart from watching Daisy Lowe dancing to Maximum Balloon - Tiger it would have to be walking.
Once in high school I didn't want to wait for the to the end of my spair to go home on the bus so I just started walking home. It took me 4hr, 32Km of country road.
After that I went walking any time I just felt board.

Kelly Sedinger said...

I have no weird fascinations of any kind. None at all. Nothing should be read into the fact that my Tumblr is dominated by pictures of women in overalls and people in various walks of life getting pies in the face. And nothing should be read into the fact that the first thing I noticed in this post is that the woman on the left in the first photo, with her back to the camera, is wearing overalls!

(Holy crap, I'm a weirdo. Oh noes....)