I want to count the lambs every day, but it’s hard. They spread out and move around, especially as I approach them. Some walk away, others come up to me. Many years ago I saw a thing on TV. It was the sheep-counting in Australia.
Thousands of them were being counted. At that point I didn’t really understand what I was seeing, but now I realize how they did it. The flock was herded toward a gate that let through no more than two abreast. When the flock pushed forward, the animals ran through the gate at just the right speed for the person who was counting them. The same situation just occurred here completely spontaneously. The sheep are keen to go through to a new field if a gate is opened. I opened it a little and realized that if I held it open just enough, the sheep ran across at the perfect speed for me to count them: thirty-seven lambs!