E I E I Oooo

Ah yes, it's that time of year. The holidays approach! But here the holidays are a little different. Rather than turkey, sheep is on the menu. You aren't allowed to buy it at the grocery store either, all nice and shrink-wrapped. Nope. You need to keep the sheep (or goat) alive until just before you eat it.

In the last week I have seen tons of little tents popping up all over town with bored-looking sheep laying in their shade. I am also seeing lots of hay for sale. Because of the lack of green stuff around here a sheep can't just be left in the yard to fend for itself. A goat perhaps- they eat everything- but sheep are more delicate. Our guard told me today that some people feed them wet cardboard sprinkled with salt to avoid paying $6 per day for hay.

It certainly is interesting having all these animals in a major metropolitan area. 98% of the population will be celebrating this festival and if we estimate one sheep for every 20 people that means that leading up to the holiday there will be approximately 50,000 sheep and goats living in an area the size of Saint Cloud, Minnesota (or Plymouth, England). That's 1,570 sheep per square mile sharing quarters with the 32,400 people who also live in each square mile. Add into the equation thousands of cats and dogs, hundreds of horses, and even an occasional longhorn cow, and this place is hopping!