Flies and an 'escape'

Here Arie is trying to escape the flies.
They drive her absolutely bonkers. In this picture she is under this lean-to because I had made her come out of her house where she will stay during the entire day.

The flies have been bothering her for the past week especially. The problem is, she will stay inside ALL day long then at dusk she comes out and is raring to go ALL night long, barking incessantly.

I've been applying an herbal bug repellent but, they still buzz around by her which drives her crazy.

In the late afternoons I've been letting her out with the sheep and goats. She has been doing well with the four but then just before I turn in for bed I go out and put her in a smaller enclosure where she can go inside a pole building. The pole building is her "house" where she eats and sleeps. However during the past week she refuses to come out until it is almost dark and the flies are gone.

Several evenings ago when she was loose in the big paddock with the sheep and goats she escaped for the first time ever. I believe from hiding out ALL day long and sleeping most of that time she has a lot more energy now at night which may have contributed to her escape. I have had the electric fence turned off as well because I need to go around and trim some grass that has grown up on it. So the fact that the fence has been off didn't help either.

I always thought that if she ever got loose that I would have a hard time getting her back. Especially if she saw a deer I figured I might not ever see her again. Well, that night our daughter came to me and said she could hear something under her bedroom window. She thought it sounded like some kind of an animal. So I went to her window to see if I could hear what she had heard. It didn't take long and sure enough I heard the same thing, it was definitely an animal, then silhouetted in darkness I saw Arie's light tan body. It was Arie and she was loose!

I quickly ran out side and called her. To my relief, she came bounding up and greeted me enthusiastically! I began to pet her, telling her what a good girl she was and she rolled over, like she often does, to get a good scratching. So I led her to the truck and drove her back to the paddock.

I was glad that all the work I've done with Arie has paid off. She actually came when I called her which was surprising because out in the paddock she may or may not come when I call her. I suppose with her running free in an area she isn't real used to I probably was a familiar thing to her which probably gave her some reassurance.

A funny thing about Arie being out running around like that is, she found my collection of animal skulls that I keep out in the yard and she was playing with them. Now I realize that might sound like a strange thing, a "collection of animal skulls", but when ever I skin out an animal I keep the skull. Kind of a hobby of mine. But, thanks to the skulls, my daughter heard Arie out playing with them. And that is what she was doing when I looked out the window as well. It was quite funny really.

I don't know what actually prompted Arie to get out that night but, so far she has stayed in the paddock the past couple evenings even though I know she now knows how to get out. But, soon I'll have the electric fence going again and that should help.

I hope to install more fencing before the season is over.

On a side note.
Arie has almost shed out entirely, her winter coat. She looks different now. Her tail is the last thing to shed. I would guess in another week her shedding will be complete.