Ah, the Noe Valley area of San Francisco. It’s a little bit funky, somewhat artsy, family-oriented and leaning toward eccentric. You never know what you’ll see on the main shopping drag, 24th Street. This morning it was one of the lambs of Spring. Yes, a little lamb, walking on a leash past my favorite coffee shop and across the street from where the farmer’s market is held.

The friendly owner explained that Leonardo the Lamb was rejected by his mother, who already had six month old twins. Since Leo is quite young, he needs to feed every two hours. So the owner, when he needs to be in the City, has to bring Leo and bottles of milk with him.

I wish I’d gotten the owner’s name as he was so nice, explaining about Leo’s situation and letting the kids on the street pat him. (He looked and sounded a bit like Anthony Quinn, so I’m going to call him Anthony.)

Little Leonardo the Lamb needs to eat every two hours. So the owner is taking him everywhere these days.

Little Leonardo the Lamb needs to eat every two hours. So the owner is taking him everywhere these days.

 

Anthony explained that Leo is a Barbados Black Bellied Sheep, a “hair” sheep who sheds rather than having to be shorn. He’ll grow to about a hundred pounds. At which point, he probably won’t be walking down 24th Street on a leash. But for now, he’s sure taking all the attention away from the usual Golden Retrievers and Labs you see on the street.

 

Little Leonardo is the kind of resident wed like to see in Noe Valley!

Little Leonardo is the kind of resident we’d like to see in Noe Valley!

 

After all the bad publicity Noe Valley has gotten thanks to Stephen Fowler, the arrogant popinjay from Wife Swap, isn’t it nice to remember that Noe Valley is the kind of neighborhood where lambs can gambol down the high street?