Salutation of the Lambs

A baby animal can, I think, be compared to an undifferentiated stem cell: it doesn't quite know what it's going to become when it grows up.

One day, I was walking with a friend along the country road that joins up to Balintore Castle's western drive. The local farmer was driving in the opposite direction, on his quad bike, with a Spring lamb held in one arm and his sheep dog on board, who was clearly enjoying the ride.

I waved at the farmer in a neighborly fashion and shouted out "Hi!". This little lamb waved one of its forelegs above its head in response, and then bleated back at me. It was too young to know it wasn't supposed to be human. I couldn't quite believe what I'd just seen - the cutest thing ever - and it took a few moments to compose myself before I could blurt out that cliched phrase "Did you just see what I've just seen?" to my companion. :-)

My companion was a little less entranced "Perhaps, he just squeezed the lamb?", but I know what I saw.

the little lamb that waved back