Typical Day of a Shepherd

First point I need to make is that there is never a typical day when shepherding. That said here is the closest I can get.

05:20- 10:30  Wake up and get dressed. From here I have one of two activities depending on the        day.          

                  One: If it is a holiday or Shabat "Saturday" I go out with the sheep to pasture.  

The sunrise as I took the sheep out the other day.

       If I take the sheep out I am usually out with them until 1030. This time with the sheep allows      

       for the best quiet times ever! It helps me think, reflect, and discuss things with God. I can pray  

       for an hour or two and not even realize it. I usually bring 2 pieces of pita bread with peanut             

       butter and nutella for breakfast. Along with a thermos of hot water with some coffee a friend     

      got me. 

Thank you!!! Brenda White =)

This is Veeka. She is the best sheep dog and a big help to get the sheep where they need to go.

       Being out with the sheep is one of my favorite times. But as I said there are never typical days.
       So I provided some pictures below of mornings at the pasture. 

The sheep filling up on some yummy food.

Beeeeaaaaaautiful sky

This sheep gave birth at pasture so I called in reinforcements
"Amir" (son of the host father) to take the lamb and her mother
back to the sheep barn. While I stayed with the rest of the sheep.

Oh wait!! Amir come back. There is another one.

Green food!!!

The next door neighbors give hot air balloon rides. So nice to
see in the morning.

        Two: If I do not go out to pasture with the sheep their grandfather comes out to watch the 

                 sheep. If this happens I take the sheep out and then come back to the sheep barn to do 

                 whatever job needs to be done. Feed the sheep that do not go out, fix gates, and clean up 

                 poop (no picture provided). I do it all. The other day Nissim, Amir, and I built a fence.

Feeding the sheep hay.

Building the fence

Adding some supports.

And we did it!!

      On the day of the video below we cleaned a sheep enclosure and put some new hay down. They

      were pretty excited to say the least. They jumped and ran all over.

10:30-10:45     We milk the goats and bring the fresh milk to the house for breakfast.


10:45-11:45     We eat breakfast. Sorry no picture because I was to busy eating. It usually consists
                     of a lot of bread, hummus, salad (cucumber, tomato, onion, and olive oil), fresh goat  
                     cheese, and sometimes eggs, if the chickens decide to lay any.

11:45- 2:45       This time is always up in the air. Sometimes we work, sometimes we rest, and most
                          of the time do a combination of this.


2:45-3:10        At this time we start the afternoon feed of the heard. They eat a combination of 
                        barley and pellets that have tons of nutrients.

We just filled the barley.

Barley for those who have never seen it. Which was me before
I came to Israel.

The food is put in the trough.
Then the fun begins.

They know it is time to eat. They push on the gate sometimes
so hard I can't open it.

And they are off to the food!!

When I see this everyday I ask myself. Am I this excited for the
word of God? (my spiritual food)

Now they are eating.

         3:15-5:30   I take the sheep out to pasture for the second time. 

         5:30-6:45   Dinner time!!!

Cooking the dinner. They have a stove, but this is how we did it tonight. 

Food is done and now time to eat.

     

      6:45- 9:00 Free time to shower, update blog, hangout with the host family, or whatever.

      9:00 I am usually exhausted and fall asleep.

*This is my typical day. If you want to call it one.