Today, a first for me, Issachar, one of our new twin wool sheep, came up to me and he seemed to want to cuddle. I’ve been entering the pasture for years with border collies and no sheep has ever wanted to or been permitted to get too close to me.

I just never got too close to them or spent too much time with them, and they always associated me with border collies who bossed them around.

On an impulse, I leaned over to scratch Issachar’s nose, and he just put his head on my shoulder. I was startled by this, and Maria quickly took a photo.

Issachar is a very affectionate animal, more like a dog than a sheep, and he followed me to the pasture gate, something that would never have happened when Red was around.

It was a new experience for me, it was sweet. (Photo by Maria Wulf)