On the lamb...

Sometimes you just never know what you are going to run into in this town.

One day while my folks were visiting, we took a walk on the island of Djurgården--the same island the Vasa Museum is on. All of a sudden, this huge flock of sheep came pouring out of the woods!

Djurgården, meaning 'animal garden', is a mighty big park. It used to be the private hunting preserve of the king until he got uneasy about something and turned it into a public park in the 1750s. But the park is right smack in the middle of town. Even though it is wooded and all, it is still a city park like Central Park in New York. I mean, you still meet sweatered chiuahuas and weiner-wagon kitchenettes out there. You just don't expect to run into a flock of sheep.

But there they were. They came zipping down out of the trees with a couple of collies yipping and nipping at their heels, and then--totally unfazed by our presence--they settled down to business--all kinds of business. Until that moment this had been one of the prime picknicking fields on the island. Then the sheep arrived--marching right through one picnic spread--and set about their grass processing... with the inevitable lawn fertilizer treatment.

But at least we know the grass will be greener next year. Really, it is a pretty good idea; the city parks only pay a single handler. The dogs consume only a tiny operating budget and the sheep--virtually self-sufficient--save millions of crowns worth of fuel and expensive mowing equipment. Plus they create a nice ambiance, fertilize the grass, and don't make much noise--just a rather disgusting slurping and chawing sound. Really, a very good idea.

Besides, people are always inclined to chase the geese. So the city might as well get a bigger lawn maintenance creature less likely to 'take off' on its own and complete with its own protective canine escort, right?