Dear Curiosity Journal,
A life of working with animals is filled with a lot of beautiful routine, time for reflection, and ample metaphors for life. I’m currently settling into the daily routine of rotational grazing and the practice of moving the electronet fencing. I’ve made peace with what was once intimidating, wondering why I thought it was so hard. While I set up fences, I reflect on how boundaries manifest in the physical. They are a labor of love, to keep animals safe, secure, and in a nourishing place. Sometimes a different current or quality of energy (electric/shocking) is necessary in a boundary. Some characteristics respond differently to boundaries. The prudent sheep don’t test the boundaries as much as the curious goats. The sheep tend to get shocked once or twice, then mind the boundary very cautiously. The goats tend to keep shocking themselves, just to see if that boundary is still painful, always seeking a breach in the boundary. Sometimes boundaries get tangled up when animals or the environment snag them, and they can be frustrating to untangle. Boundaries sometimes carry more mental weight than physical reality. For example, the fence may not be plugged in, but the sheep think it’s plugged in, so they stay far from it, even though they could walk through it. This does not work for goats. Temporary boundaries are easier to build than permanent ones, but both of them require labor and consistency.
~Joy
