Shortly after Charlotte and the two other sheep, Queenmere and Chloe, arrived at the sanctuary to help keep the grass down for Pegasus the horse, Charlotte gave birth to Wonder. She actually should not have had another baby after nearly dying the year before trying to give birth to a gigantic lamb, who died in the process, but Charlotte’s guardian at the time hadn’t been careful to keep the rams away. Fortunately, this time she bore twins, so they were smaller and she was able to manage their birth, although the second lamb, Wonder’s twin brother, was born dead.

Charlotte’s former guardian told me that Charlotte was psychotic, but I soon discovered that all Charlotte needed was a stable (literally and figuratively) environment, her flock around her, and space to roam. Her confinement with Wonder for the first four weeks of his life gave Charlotte time to get to know me and she soon showed her true personality. She thrives on deep connection and will stay for a long time for pets, hugs, and talk.

Though Charlotte died on May 6, 2009, I still speak of her in the present tense because she is so very present.

For more about sheep, see about farm animals.