One afternoon when we were living in Hayward, California, Bernice and I went down to the lower sheep pasture to repair the wire fence. It was a warm sunny day and Bernice and I were enjoying the outdoor sunshine. Sheep are always sticking their heads through the wire fence to get the greener grass on the other side of the fence, Sheep like humans, think the grass is greener on the other side. We had repaired one section of the fence and I ran out of staples to continue the repairs. Bernice went to the barn some 60 yards away to get some staples so we could finish. She found the staples and to carry them she put them in a large coffee can. She then left the barn to return to where I was working on the fence. I turned around to see a major event about to unfold. A disaster was about to occur.

The red coffee can she was using was the can I used to put feed in to feed the ram his oats laced with molasses. The ram observed her carrying the can and plainly ignoring him and his desire for the food. As Bernice blithely and without concern walked over to where I was working, the ram decided to take matters into his own hands or head as it turned out. He proceeded with a headlong charge to rapidly run towards Bernice who had so indignantly ignored him. I yelled out but too late. The ram with his head lowered caught her in the rump whereupon she went up in the air over the ram's back and unceremoniously hit the ground with a thump. The ram then went to the can only to find it was only filled with staples. I'm not sure who was more disgusted, Bernice or the ram.

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