Sheep Sorting Alley Muddy Gate

Mud coats the wooden planks of a livestock sorting alley, where lanolin has rubbed into the timber grain under the weight of hooves. Dappled light falls through overhead leaves, creating shifting patches of brightness on the churned earth floor. A metal drafting rail runs along the side, leading toward a loading gate in the distance. The air carries the damp weight of a brief sun shower, glistening on the wet wood surfaces. Layers of depth recede from the foreground fence line into the open paddock beyond, where the dry season leaves the ground cracked and dusty between the wet patches. One hoof print remains filled with dark water near the timber edge.