In these trying times I am continually looking out for news that might bring some fun into the world and in so doing, brighten up your day. There is a farmer in Bathgate in Scotland who came up with a novel idea for brightening up the day for motorists who drive by his farm on the M8 motorway.

This story all started back in 2007 when a Scottish farmer  named Andrew Jack decided to color his sheep blue to celebrate the Scottish national St Andrew’s Day holiday. Don’t worry the sheep didn’t get hurt as he used a special animal friendly spray paint. The effect was quite stunning don’t you think?

The reaction to his blue sheep was tremendous. When asked for his reaction, Bob Carruth of the National Farmers’ Union Of Scotland  commented “It’s a very patriotic gesture and it also reminds people how important sheep are to our agriculture”  This support encouraged Jack and he decided  to also add a few red ones to his growing flock of funky sheep. 

According to Jack he liked the idea of the funky sheep as it was his way to “Spice Things Up A Bit”  so people could smile on their way to and from work while driving on the motorway. Once again the reaction was overwhelming and the drive past Jack’s farm became a bit of a tourist attraction.

Jack’s reaction to the publicity was to expand his color range even further and today if you pass the M8 you will most likely see a rainbow effect of colorful, funky , Scottish sheep all diligently brightening up the day for all the folks who drive by and It may look something like this.

Jack frequently re-sprays his sheep and they remain colorful until it is time for shearing. If you are still concerned about the effect of the paint on the animals, the editor of “Sheep” magazine, Nathan Griffith states that it is not harmful to dye sheep with the right products, and that many sheep farmers count and identify their flocks by color coding their fleeces.