Transition:

Pronunciation:

\tran(t)-ˈsi-shən, tran-ˈzi-, chiefly British tran(t)-ˈsi-zhən\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Latin transition-, transitio, from transire

Date:

1551

1 a: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change b: a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transition

Returning from Field Days was easy for the sheep. By the time Sunday came they had grown tired of being in a pen with people poking at them. Their neighbors to the left were a pair of llamas who were characteristically aloof. Molly May and Jason tried to make friends, but were rebuffed. The neighbors to the right were mare and her foal, huge black draft horses that were able to reach right over and make contact. The sheep were unimpressed.

Joseph was taken out on lead a couple of times a day and did very well. He will be fine going to a show. Molly May was alarmed at leaving her little flock and cried so pathetically. Folks stopped to see if I was hurting her in some way. No soothing her at all. She is too young and needs more practice on lead.

Annie was given grace off lead, she is pregnant and I think due in September.

Jason was simply his usual devil dog self and would not behave on lead at all. Twisting and turning like he was Ferdinand stung by the bee. Tried on lead only once, but he was the darling of the display. A true ham, sticking his little nose out and allowing kids to pet him. A group of children gravitated to him and I allowed them, one at a time to go into the pen and sit with the sheep. Jason would just go to them so that he could be loved. Some of the children came back several times and just sat in the pen for over an hour. At one point I had quite forgotten that Eliza had been in with Jason so long.

Loading up was pretty easy. Everybody was on lead, the children had all come back to help load up, we walked to the truck and picked the lambs up, one by one. Closed up the back and drove off. Much easier unloading at home. They all knew to get out of the truck and walk back to the pasture and the rest of the flock. No need for quarantine, they were the only sheep at the fairgrounds and had no contact with other ruminants.

Watching the lambs return to the fold was interesting. They all cried out to each other. Then went off to graze. The pasture by the house is pretty spent. They have been down here for the last two weeks. The flock came back to me shortly, crying out for better feed.

I had some fence to repair in the upper pasture, it seems the bear had gone though and several fence poles were down. The solar battery is dead again. Grass needs to be trimmed around the perimeter. Grabbing poles and replacement fence wire I made the repairs then back to the flock. They followed me eagerly up to the pasture and settled in. No need for electric last night. Enough food and the comfort of the flock being together will keep everybody in.

This morning all is quite. The transition from field to fair was a bit bumpy for the lambs as it was for me too. Faced with scary surroundings and living with the upheaval for a few days is exhausting. We return to our familiar settings a little changed from the journey.