Sheep honour RAM
 
At 6.30am the other morning I was startled by a sheep.
It wasn’t that it adopted a threatening stance, bared its fangs at me or suchlike, but simply the colour of its fleece that set me back on my heels and caused me to do a double-take.
As I was taking my morning constitutional I looked over into the patch of land which was previously Roose cricket pitch. At this time of the year a local farmer uses it as a maternity wing for his lambing ewes and the sight of new born lambs always seems to bring a smile to my face and make the world a better place. However on this occasion I discovered that on the wool of the quadrupedal ruminant had been painted a rainbow. On casting my eyes further afield I saw another two sheep similarly decorated. The rainbow of course being the emblem of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariners it was obviously someone paying tribute to that wonderful order.
There was no danger to the ovine beasts as the dye used was of the type which is in general use for marking them. The lambs with their mothers had not been decorated as no doubt it would have been impossible to keep them still for long enough. I do not know who was responsible but he had provided a useful clue in painting his initials under his work – NHS.
My son and his wife, who both work as porters at Furness General Hospital, later tried to convince me that it was something to do with acknowledging the work of the National Health Service and saying “thank ewe” to them!
Another strange turn of events occurred when I was putting out the bins ready for collection on the next morning. I pride myself in doing even this basic task with a certain degree of style and aplomb, but even so I was not ready when, at 8 pm on Thursday, as I took them out the whole street was on their doorsteps applauding my work. Truly humbling but it is nice that ones efforts to keep up standards are appreciated!
Keep safe, keep your distance and help the NHS by restricting the spread of Coronavirus. You know it makes sense.
Words and pictures by Dave Sear