Located on the northeastern edge of Missoula is Mount Jumbo, an important wildlife habitat and very popular recreation area. The mountain was being inundated with knapweed, until several years ago when a local rancher began pasturing his sheep up there during the summer months. And today was the day the sheep were moved. About 100 ewes and lambs, several Border Collies & Australian Shepherds, a couple of Great Pyrenees guard dogs, one ranch hand on horseback, and several "assistant shepherds" on bicycles made their way down a normally busy highway, across equally busy train tracks, and along some back roads and side streets. Within only a couple of hours they made their was from a few miles west of Missoula to the "North Side", past the old city cemetery, and beyond the city dump, heading for the lush, green, hillside meadows.
The animals and bicycles made for an interesting procession, followed by a truck and horse trailer to catch stragglers (sheep, not humans). Unaware motorists found themselves stopped dead in their tracks, surrounded for a few moments by the bleating (and somewhat stinky) flock of sheep.
Trying to stay ahead of them was a bit tricky. I needed to let them get close enough for decent photos, but not get caught behind them in the dust. I did manage several good photos before leaving the flock to head off to work.
