All We Like Sheep

Whenever I asked Donica what her favorite part of Scotland was, she'd always respond with the same thing: the CASTLES.

By the sheer volumn of photos I took of castles, I'd probably agree, but my very close second would be: the SHEEP.

I've thought about why I loved the sheep, especially the little-lambs-eat-ivy's. Was it because I was a preacher's kid and, growing up, heard all the Bible stories about sheep and how we are like them, going astray? And how dumb they are? And how Jesus chose to be the spotless Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world? And how God always seems to choose insignificant, weak, lost, dumb, marginal anythings to make God's greatest points? Ruth, I like that you and Don called them "the brethren" all those years ago when you saw them.

If I had had my own car and time, without anyone having to wait on me, I would have taken as many pictures of sheep as I did castles. In fact, I would have taken a tent and camped out somewhere to get the perfect shots. Sometimes you have to watch and wait, which is all I wanted to do.

Speaking of which, we saw innumerable postcards of the Highland Cow but rarely saw one when we could stop to take a picture...until our last day on the way back to the airport! Donica spotted him/them first and stopped for this shot. Not a sheep, of course, but where else was I gonna show him?!

I eat cow, of course. But this trip I ate lamb and venison every chance I had. We actually saw a deer farm and took a second look. It surprised us until I read somewhere that Scotland has 3 kinds of deer. But now I digress....

Maybe I like sheep just because I like them! As does Nicholas!