SHEEP SHEARING (ROUNDUP TIME)
   by Madonna Pomroy

Roundup time began in early to mid June. Rod, Loly and Tommy Carroll would go into Scrape Cove and drive out the sheep and four or five people would make a line to keep the sheep from going down around the harbour. The sheep were driven up into a lane going up to the big well which was fenced on both sides, then a fence was made on the end to keep them in.

Bo was the one who loved shearing the sheep. One day while she was shearing the sheep (a black face one at that) the animal was getting a little rambunctious, Bo grabbed the sheep by the head and told her to be ‘civil’. By this time she had the poor sheep cut to pieces with the blunt scissors. (If Greenpeace had been around at that time, she would be in big trouble). Anyway, when she was finished barbarizing the sheep, she untied the sheep's legs and told her to go but the sheep didn't budge. She caught her by the head to help her up but unfortunately the poor ole sheep had hit her head on a rock and died. So Bo gathered up the wool, went home, and told Dad the sheep was dead. What a pity! She gave up shearing sheep and went in for hair dressing.