Not What You Say

Growing up, I heard over and over, "It's not what you say but how you say it." Not sure why that's popping into my head this morning as I listen to Bill make some pretty annoyed sounding baa's out there. After almost an hour of it, he's starting to lower his voice and there's more space between baa's. He is ticked. I know it will get easier and he'll eventually adjust to being separated, but in the meantime it's hard to hear him sounding so mad.

Bella and Hendricks 2010

After almost five years with these sheep, I have learned to listen for the different types of baa's and have found a simple pleasure in listening closely for the intonations that make one bleat very different from another. Like birds and their songs and calls, sheep have a language that is their own. It's taken time, patience and some degree of interest in this phenomenon to even start to understand it - not literally. The patterns are distinctive; at times, a certain baa will be used and at other times, a totally different sounding baa will be. One of my favorite sounds is the 'nickering' that the ewes do with their new lambs. It starts during the birthing itself, which I have observed many times. After birth and during the cleaning-up time, it's incredible to hear. I have never heard them make that sound except during late stages of birthing and early weeks of life, and every spring when I listen, it adds another layer of joy to the whole lambing season. I know that slowing down and listening closely is how we can really hear what people are saying. Sheep, too. Ovine Linguist. Funny.