---
title: "of sheep farming and retirement"
date: 2006-11-07T20:41:25-05:00
url: https://blog.lmorchard.com/2006/11/07/of-sheep-farming-and-retirement/
author: Les Orchard
tags: [asides, sheep, retirement, cats, pets, stress, mom]
---

# of sheep farming and retirement

Hmm.  A [comment by Joe Grossberg][jg] leads me to consider that perhaps referring to "[sheep farming][sf]" as my eventual stressed-out programmer out-to-pasture phase is as insulting to [those who herd sheep][who] as [using "Mom" to stand in for "naive user"][mom] is to [actual mothers][actual].  Maybe what I'm really after is to [*become* a sheep][become] - though that's a bit scary.  Or better yet, I'd like to be [one of our own pampered cats][cats].  

Yeah, that's the ticket.

[cats]: http://flickr.com/photos/deusx/60976291/in/set-1316941/
[become]: http://www.bloosheep.com/Furry%20pics/picturesofframpton/Sheep-n-Skunk_JPG.html
[actual]: http://www.mommybloggers.com/
[who]: http://www.sheepusa.org/
[sf]: http://www.sheep101.info/farm.html
[mom]: http://www.whump.com/moreLikeThis/2006/08/05/your-mom-is-not-an-example-user
[jg]: http://decafbad.com/blog/2006/11/07/firefox-rss-xsl-from-anger-to-apathy#comment-47968

<div id="comments" class="comments archived-comments">
            <h3>Archived Comments</h3>
            
        <ul class="comments">
            
        <li class="comment" id="comment-221087979">
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                <div class="author">
                    <a class="avatar image" rel="nofollow" 
                       href="http://bright-green.com"><img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=56a92f0c36ff78d8ab2e0d8255588ecc&amp;size=32&amp;default=http://mediacdn.disqus.com/1320279820/images/noavatar32.png"/></a>
                    <a class="avatar name" rel="nofollow" 
                       href="http://bright-green.com">Alan Green</a>
                </div>
                <a href="#comment-221087979" class="permalink"><time datetime="2006-11-08T02:08:33">2006-11-08T02:08:33</time></a>
            </div>
            <div class="content"><p>Ewe do come across as one crazy cat. </p>

<p>More seriously, my father recently decided that being an Oracle guru was too stressful, so he gave that up and bought a newsagency. He now works harder than ever - 14 hour days, 6.5 days a week - but is really loves the work, particularly dealing with customers and growing the business.</p></div>
            
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        <li class="comment" id="comment-221087983">
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                    <a class="avatar image" rel="nofollow" 
                       href="http://www.coxesroost.net/journal/"><img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=3e12425a65c72d80bc36c5c8d696e667&amp;size=32&amp;default=http://mediacdn.disqus.com/1320279820/images/noavatar32.png"/></a>
                    <a class="avatar name" rel="nofollow" 
                       href="http://www.coxesroost.net/journal/">Will Cox</a>
                </div>
                <a href="#comment-221087983" class="permalink"><time datetime="2006-11-08T15:29:08">2006-11-08T15:29:08</time></a>
            </div>
            <div class="content"><p>Les, re shepherding as an escape, see Donald McCaig.</p>

<p>http://www.amazon.com/American-Homeplace-Virginia-Bookshelf/dp/0813917751</p>

<div style='position:absolute; top:-3456px; left:-3456px'>
<a href="http://www.fahlstad.se/2006/09/11/got-myself-a-day-job/">custom essays</a>
</div></div>
            
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        <li class="comment" id="comment-221087985">
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                    <a class="avatar image" rel="nofollow" 
                       href="http://www.decafbad.com"><img src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=2377f34a68801b861c3e54e1301f0dce&amp;size=32&amp;default=http://mediacdn.disqus.com/1320279820/images/noavatar32.png"/></a>
                    <a class="avatar name" rel="nofollow" 
                       href="http://www.decafbad.com">l.m.orchard</a>
                </div>
                <a href="#comment-221087985" class="permalink"><time datetime="2006-11-08T16:11:23">2006-11-08T16:11:23</time></a>
            </div>
            <div class="content"><p>"Affectionately describing his working dogs, farm animals and wildlife, he gives the grim details of putting down more than 100 diseased sheep at one time."</p>

<p>Ouch.  Poor sheep.  Yeah, I certainly wouldn't make a good farmer.</p></div>
            
        </li>
    
        </ul>
    
        </div>