Forgotten Sheep, Faithful Shepherd
Last Friday, Tess and I walked through a valley of dry bones. Well, it wasn’t really a valley; it was a pasture. As for the dry bones, I wish I were making that part up.
Due to the Welsh Enduro Motorbike race taking place in our little village last weekend, I decided to avoid our usual trails (many of which were used as part of the race route) and explore a trail I had spotted on a few occasions but never tried. As is common with many Welsh trails, the initial path led to a sheep pasture.
Seeing the field empty and knowing how much Tess loves to run and frolic, I decided we would wander around for a while. She could run, sniff, and play off-lead, while I meandered at my own pace. At first, everything was going great.
Are You a Bummer Lamb?
I was watching an interview with Christian author Sheila Walsh the other day when she began talking about "bummer lambs." Having lived in rural Wales for a few years, I've learned quite a bit about sheep farming, but this particular term was new to me.
A bummer lamb, as it turns out, is a lamb that has been rejected by its mother. Sometimes, the ewe has twins and can only feed one. Sometimes, the mother dies during birth. And sometimes, for reasons only the sheep know, a mother simply refuses to accept her baby.
When this happens, the shepherd steps in. He takes the rejected lamb into his home and hand-feeds it. He keeps it warm by the fire, wraps it in blankets, and tends to its every need. The shepherd essentially becomes the lamb's parent, giving extraordinary care and attention to this tiny creature.
More Than Meets the Eye
I had to chuckle yesterday at the amusing scene I encountered during my morning walk. As I passed by a nearby farm, I noticed a farmer walking along the perimeter of his sheep pasture, stopping at intervals to inspect the wooden fence posts. In his gloved hands, he carried a bucket filled with tools and supplies for repairing any loose posts or gaps in the wire fencing.
But the funny part was the flock of sheep persistently trailing him! As he made his way slowly around the pasture, those woolly creatures walked right along behind him, from post to post. I couldn’t help but laugh as the farmer tried shooing the sheep away several times, only to have them return moments later to resume their woolly procession.