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Pa ge 3 0 T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 1 8, 2 01 4 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a Needed most this m onth • Canned Juice • Past a & Meat • Pampers • Hot Cere al TO DONATE OR FOR SPECIAL EVENTS I NFORMATION visit www.Go ergetownBre adBasket.ca WE NEED YOUR HEL P 55 Sinclair • Unit 12 905-873-3368 Tues. 5-7pm • Wed. 8:30-noon • Sat. 8:30-noon Needed most this m onth • Canned Juice, Pears, Pe aches, Pasta • Shampoo, Conditioner, S oap, Toothpaste visit. www.George townBreadBaske t.ca WE NEED YOUR HELP Are you coming? Halton Hills Christian School offers an exceptional faith-based academic learning environment for Preschool - Grade 8 students.Come and visit our new spacious campus and learn about our programs, teachers and special education opportunities. Visit us to find out more. 905.877.4221 haltonhillschristianschool.org GYMNASTICS TRAMPOLINE TUMBLING WINTER PROGRAMS BEGIN JANUARY 3Rd CALL US (905) 877 - 4330 www.haltonhillsgymnastics.com 36 ARMSTRONG AVE, GEORGETOWN, ON L7G 4R9 Dr. Keith DaSilva Specialized dentistry for infants, children, teenagers and all patients with special needs New Patients Welcome! 13219 15 Sideroad, Georgetown 905-877-0900 Fax 905-877-0500 No referral necessary. COMMENT In the days leading up to Christmas, we had a sad loss here at Brown Farm. Last Saturday morning, I entered the barn to find Hemi, our senior ram, had died in the night. His death wasn't a surprise-- he'd developed a condition, and even after sending blood sam- ples to the University of Guelph Animal lab, the results were inconclusive. In a flock of sheep, the ram is the most in- fluential animal in the barn. His genes impact every ewe he is paired with, and the quality of the resulting lambs from that pairing are the yardstick one measures him by. And though livestock are not pets to the farmer, they develop personalities. We feed them, greet them twice a day, and work with them as partners within the farm operation. Hemi was our second ram, following in the hoof prints of Dodge (as in 'Dodge Ram', get it?) and was named Hemi to continue the Ram par- ody. Hemi arrived two years after Dodge, and the moment he landed, we knew he was different. He was big for his age-- and hellish aggres- sive. Dodge's laid-back manner came from having broken a leg early in his life. I handled him extensively until the leg mended, and he simply never forgot. Hemi on the other hand, arrived in a flurry, hell bent for leather. With a major chip on his 'shoulder' he was deter- mined to let the world know he was 'the boss.' Rams are an interesting species. Their so- cial makeup dictates that they establish an 'al- pha male' in other words, the boss, as soon as they come in contact with another ram. When Hemi arrived, he became the alpha male-- except of course for me. In his eyes, he accepted me as his alpha male. Hemi was the most aggressive ram in the barn. After Dodge moved on to another flock, we brought Angus into the flock. Angus and Hemi were like night and day. Angus is a pussycat beside Hemi. He was also, in Hemi's view, the Number Two ram. Except for the two months they are breed- ing, our rams have their own separate side by side pens in one corner of the barn. One day, Hemi decided to assert himself and pounded his head (which was like an anvil) against the side of the pen next to Angus. I stood in awe, as he snapped a 2 by 6 with his head-- across the grain! I had to line the pens with plywood, so the two rams couldn't see each other. The Sidekick wasn't very brave around Hemi. He'd stand in the pen, pawing the ground, snorting a bit, knowing full well she was intimidated by his 220-pound presence. And though I was the 'alpha male' in his eyes, I'd certainly never turn my back on him. As the years passed, Hemi mellowed. He'd stand on the edge of the pen, reaching over to me when I fed him, so I could scratch his ears. He'd trot over to me for some attention when he was in with the ewes-- something unheard of when he arrived. As he faded away in his pen last week, I'd kneel beside him, and hold him, while strok- ing that massive head that had challenged many, and won so many battles. Saturday morning, when it was over, I ad- mit I shed a tear-- he was a significant addi- tion to our farm, and I'll miss him. As I entered the pen Saturday morning and saw his lifeless body resting in the straw, I was reminded of that poignant line from Shakespeare's Hamlet. "Alas poor Hemi, I knew him…" A Ted Bit Alas, poor Hemi, I knew him... By Ted Brown tedbit@hotmail.com