Yes, folks, it's that time again. The sheep go up to the mountains in the spring and come down in the fall. They've been doing this since sheep ranching began in Idaho over 120 years ago. You can set your sun dial to them every autumn, and every year hundreds of sheep lovers descend upon our community to witness this living historical event.
The Trailing of the Sheep Festival starts today and runs until Sunday, culminating in the parade at noon on Sunday right down Main Street. The parade is special to me not only because I announce it every year, but because you never know what's going to happen or when. One year, the sheep turned left instead of right to the river trail and ended up going through a lot of restaurants and businesses, scattering many surprised locals before they (the sheep) got turned around the correct way. Then, there was the time, one year, when three young men thought they were in Pamplona and joined the flock in their own "Running of the Sheep" extravaganza. The lads wore colorful outfits and immersed themselves within the 1,500 wooly beasts, apparently hoping to get gored. And, a few years back, "CBS Sunday Morning" came and televised the entire weekend, with the parade being the finale. It was great to tune in on that next Sunday and see our town on Channel 11, CBS, with the whole world watching.
One of the most unusual parts of the parade is not just the sheep and the bagpipers and the dancing—it's the lulls. If you're feeling laid back on an October Sunday morning and you're tired from running around all week, then this is the place for you. We're talking lulls here! Some short, some long, but we got the lulls, and being the announcer that means a lot of ad-libbing. "The Lounge Act" days have actually paid off. I'll be on the balcony of Sturtevants again, like always attempting to keep everything rolling along. One parade, I read the entire Sunday New York Times aloud between the bagpipers and the flock; another year, I told the story of my life featuring the progress of all my children. In another fall ceremony, I led the crowd in a rousing rendition of "Bringing in the Sheaves" changing the words to say "Waiting For the Sheep?" I've also named every sheep coming off the mountain and through the town as a gesture of good will. And, most of all, we all laughed and had a good time. That's what it's really all about. Love that parade?
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