An Australian farmer couldn’t go to his aunt’s funeral because of pandemic restrictions so he paid his respects with a novel alternative: dozens of sheep arranged in the shape of a love heart.
Drone-shot video of pregnant ewes munching barley in a paddock while unwittingly expressing Ben Jackson’s affection for his beloved Auntie Deb was viewed by mourners at her funeral in the city of Brisbane in Queensland state this week.
Jackson was locked down at the time across a state border at his farm in Guyra in New South Wales state, 430 kilometers (270 miles) away.
“It took me a few goes to get it right ... and the final result is what you see. That was as close to a heart as I could get it,” Jackson said on Thursday.
Jackson started experimenting with making shapes with sheep to relieve the monotonous stress of hand-feeding livestock during a devastating drought across most of Australia that broke in the early months of the pandemic.
He discovered that if he spelled the names of his favorite musical bands with grain dropped from the back of a truck that the flock would roughly adopt the same shape for several minutes.
“It certainly lifted my spirits back in the drought,” Jackson said.
“This heart that I’ve done for my auntie, it certainly seems like it’s had a bit of an effect across Australia,” he added, referring to emotional social media responses.
“Maybe we all just need to give ourselves a big virtual hug,” he said.
Jackson said he was lucky to have any grain left on his property after a mouse plague this year that followed the drought.
He continues to supplement the pregnant ewes’ diet with grain to improve their condition before they give birth.
Be Well: How These Beauty and Home Care Hacks Can Save You Money
Animal care shelters in New York City are reaching capacity. Cheddar News spoke to the director of Animal Care Centers of NYC, the largest in the city, who said it's been the worst she's seen in years. The shelter said it's seen a 20% spike in animals.
Charitable giving declined in 2022 for only the fourth time in the past four decades. Inflation and cost of living are believed to be the key factors behind the drop.
With summer officially here, parents are looking for seasonal camps for their children to keep them busy and experience the great outdoors. Cheddar News spoke with two mothers about the best way to prepare as kids set off for camp and activities.
Chef John Fraser, who owns restaurants in New York, California and Florida, is giving back to restaurant workers with a new initiative called "The Industry Table," which provides hospitality employees the chance to eat at restaurants at cost. Chef Fraser explained the program to Cheddar News.
Chef John Fraser, a three-time Michelin Star recipient and founder of JF Restaurants, joined Cheddar News from La Marchande to cook up a breakfast dish and discuss his favorites in the kitchen.
PWC Forecasts Entertainment and Media Market
Andrew Tate, a social media personality known for expressing misogynistic views online, was charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to exploit women, prosecutors said Tuesday.
From Trevor Noah's new podcast to the statue Adele demanded, here's what's happening in entertainment.
Travel expert and author Sarah Dandashy offers some tips on how to troubleshoot your vacation when things don't go as planned.
