Here they are again: more than 100 sheep grazing on the huge water meadow. As every year, and not every farmer is delighted at that.
The profession of shepherd has changed a lot.
Once the shepherd was a gnarled loner, with a long loden coat and a big slouch hat on his head leaning at his wooden barren-hut gazing at his sheep, his sidekick, the faithful dog running around to keep the sheep together. Trust me: as a child I saw some of these duos.
When I drove my purchases home, the shepherd, quite youngish, leaned at the hood of his car and stared on his cellphone. He didn't look up. His faithful dog seemed to regret that he hadn't a cellphone either - to him the sheep were too -- sheepish -- so why should he care?
Next morning the sheep had left (an euphemism: they bunked) - "The grass is always greener on the other side" - and show me a weak electrified fence that can keep a stubborn sheep with an intention.
A neighbour of mine came and tried to bring them back - another neighbour telephoned. The shepherd slept in his house in another village, and had taken his faithful dog with him.
And we wonder why so much is heading south?
Baa....
They always need the first brave one who dares to cross the fence and then they all follow her. I've seen a few of those too.
ReplyDeleteDear Yael, that reminds me of people :-)
DeleteOften, if one starts, the other follow (my father always said, when I pleaded that "everybody" was allowed to do something: "We are not "everybody". And then he added: "If someone springs from a bridge - would you follow because everybody does it?")
This is a lovely example of our ever changing world Britta.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that no other generation have ever witnessed such enormous lifestyle changes before?
We enjoy travelling on the local bus once a week to save using the car, but see toddlers in pushchairs playing games on devices whilst mother plays with hers. There is no communication between them as our beautiful world outside slips by. Whereas we delight seeing the first daffodils, new buds emerging on the trees, and the joy of new life beginning.
Dear Rosemary, yes, communication between people is so different today, a sad development. When I sit in the subway in Berlin, I watch people, and mostly nine out of ten stare at their cellphone. A beautiful girl: not noticed by a good-looking guy - because both stare at their cellphone.
DeleteI read today that thousands of grown-up men have a KI-"girl", an avatar, as "girl-friend" - and she does not contradict him, listens with high admiration to all he tells her - a "paradise". (Honestly I hear the devil snigger).
And yes, as you say: small children with tablets are a shame - the poor things are calm, yes, and mother or father stare into a screen - showing no interest in their offspring.
I am glad that the triplets have no tablets or anything but books, (we read to them) and are not allowed to watch TV (meaning: grown-up don't use it either in daytime) - but they are able to show me places with the first snowdrops or call the right bird a robin or buzzard. Early enough they will leave "Bullerbü" and enter the other world - and of course I want them to learn to use that too - but all in its time.
We still have traditional shepherds in the uplands of the UK. They have competitions for the best dogs. There was a TV program here called 'One man and his dog'. I loved it. Controlling the dog with whistles.
ReplyDeleteDear Tom, I would have loved to see the contest! Here sometimes I watch a man who teaches dogs to behave (on TV) - though I have no dog. But especially in Berlin I saw strange things, when animals became substitutes for children - and when I pass a shop with clothes and costly collars and golden plates for dogs (!!!), I am really angry.
DeleteThe last traditional shepherd I saw in the Lüneburger Heath.
The Australian kelpie is a great sheep dog. And when it is too hot or wet to send him outside, he can stay inside and round up your children.
ReplyDeleteDear Helen, I looked the Australian kelpie up - yes, he looks intelligent and I read that he likes to move a lot. Here in Bavaria a neighbour has a Border collie - that is a very pleasant dog too.
DeleteShepherds are highly qualified these days. They all have Masters degrees in shepherding.
ReplyDeleteYes, dear Tankers, but that is nothing compared to their dogs: Those have to study at Canine-University in Wolfsburg - and without a training for a doctorate in leadership they have no chance on the tight tense employment market. Woof.
DeleteHere the dogs go to the University of Wolverhampton.
DeleteThe more urban ones study in London, Isle of Dogs, I heard?
DeleteThat's a shame. It won't be fun trying to get them home wagging their tails behind them. (Sorry. I couldn't resist.)
ReplyDeleteDear Emma, that would be funny! though I think it is not easy without being able to pull the wool over their eyes :-)
Delete(I am glad they still have all that wool: it is quite cold when they have to sleep on the meadows).
Many shepherds are female around here. They make very good and reliable shepherds.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel, I looked it up: in Germany we have round about 950 shepherds - and almost a a tenth are woman.
DeleteAnd a championship for the best shepherd exists too, once a year. Last time a woman won the "Silver sash" - the golden one was won by a man.
A sad story of the venerable shepherd. I looked up "loden" to be sure. I felt it must mean green with age coat and it does mean coat, generally a foresty green.
ReplyDeleteDear Joanne, then you might have read that "Loden" in the Middle Ages were a synonym for coat. Most often Loden was worn by farmers (because the fulled wool coat was hard-wearing,)
DeleteNowadays you see it mostly in Bavaria: it is part of a garb, but also here (not in Hamburg :-) fashionable too - it is a bit as with the little black dress: if you don't know how the dress code might be, you can't be wrong with a stylish (and expensive) Loden-Janker (a jacket , which might last a lifetime).