Bear and the Local Scene

The sheep coming into the barn has not completely suited Bear but it has not been all bad. 
The weather has been lovely so he has had access to the countryside and has had some lovely long walks.
As well he now has a balcony and can happily obsess over the goats and cats. He can be annoyed by the ducks and completely puzzled by the pet deer.

But being in the barn only in the mornings has meant that I have had the time in the afternoons to make it up to him by touring the local countryside.

This has been an experience of subtle enjoyment for me and some excitement for Bear as he familiarizes himself with his new environment. 

He has had his nose in holes in the ground and the other day his whole muzzle went straight down. I had visions of some nasty little burrowing creature biting half of it off and quickly called him off!

 

  These are the fields directly behind the barn at Moosheim and are typical of the country around here. The only thing missing are the forests that you see around Lampertsweiler. Roads like the one you see criss cross all the fields and are well frequented. You might think that the car is driving to nowhere, but up will pop a village, just like Moosheim does in the second photo.

But most of my ambulatory efforts have been from Lampertsweiler.


There are many more background sounds from the birds now. The chirping sounds of smaller birds and a few that have the look of finches are about. But some bird of prey that circles close to the ground is the one I love. Naturally, I have not had my camera when it has circled just in front of me.

And there are more people about. Usually there is just a hallo as we pass but Sunday I passed a dairy farmer as he was walking out of his barn and we started to speak. As I explained why I was here and mentioned Georg's name he lit up and explained how he had one of Georg's dogs. He then lead me into his house yard (with Bear on lead), calling out to "Lucy". I thought I was going to be introduced to his wife. It was his dog!!!! She is a sister to Zora and Zampano.
A delightful cameo. It is those things that make my day. 

JUST LIKE BELOW!

YES....this is Bear standing next to the Bambino that I referred to in the blog that sung Kermit's praises.

  

And this is in Lampertsweiler. There is someone who obviously specializes in classic Italian cars. How's that for serendipity.

And I do like these little field barns. They are dotted every where, but especially closer to villages. They seem to stand their ground with elegant simplicity. And they are always well cared for.




And of course there is always the informative sign to keep the walk intellectually stimulating......

Lampertsweiler is on the European water line that marks the the point where on one side water flows north and the other it flows south. Just like the Rockies mark the flow of East and West in America.

I have wandered into most of the villages in the area. And most have two or three walking exits that end up leading to another village. If I choose to go through the forests I have to find someone to tell me where I am!! Its not far and I could always retrace my steps but I prefer to wander over new ground. And NO I do NOT use Google maps.

On these walks, usually 1 to 2 hours, I have Bear either on a long 5 metre lead or, when I can see for miles, he is off lead. Certainly when I am near the woods he is on lead. Not only is my vision restricted but the woods have deer, wild pig, probably foxes and many other temptations. I do not want to be doing a "Benson" as my dog takes off.... Its clear that spring is coming. He is much more alert than a couple of weeks ago. I think many of the animals are on the move after their winter break.

So, after all that wandering I am ready for an Eis in the town square
where..

A Stork. No several Stork. There are two nests.

And that tiny speck of white in the lower nest is a Stork.

Its true that they do live on top of the churches in European towns. But is it true that they carry the babies??

I shall have to keep my eyes open as I walk............................

Life in the Barn

All sheep and dog activity is now solely at Georg's barn. 
I am enjoying this part of the shepherd's life immensely, although poor Bear is not. He has no part in it. He is left home in the mornings while I go off to shovel silage, hay and straw. 
The hay and the straw are a breeze but the silage is a heavy pain in the butt and I cannot seem to develop a consistent technique. Sometimes I lift a good amount, other times its a pretty lean fork.

But of course it is not the routine of looking after the sheep that attracts me. It is the activities of the eight (8) wonderful GSDs and their interactions with us, with the sheep and between themselves that intrigues me and keeps me fascinated the whole time I am there. 
This a whole new world for me. A pack of working dogs running loose in a confined space with their stock and behaving in such a reliably work/Georg oriented but free way. They are not unsupervised but they are very free. Like kids in the playground.
This is an unexpected highlight. All the time I am in the barn Georg and the dogs are teaching me, opening my eyes, showing me and amusing me highly. If there were chips and beer I would think I was at a vaudeville show!
I know I will never replicate it and it distresses me that not many will in the future. The dogs are kenneled at night so this is a special period for them too.
Like all working dogs they are hyper active so there is movement the whole time. Occasionally they will take themselves off for a little break but at the first sign of action they move.

The sheep are currently in two groups. The group without lambs go out to an extra large pen all day. So the lambs and their mothers are shifted about so we can clean and feed. George will usually use Dana to help him move the sheep around the barn. (Actually it is the lambs that are the problem. The ewes move fast as they know where the new food is.) The other dogs hang around as the second line of defense. Ready to take over if Dana should falter.  
**Look at Georg's page for a list of the dogs


Georg was bringing the tractor into the barn.


Of course dogs are not the only action in the barn...or are they...

 

Even setting up outside they are in the picture!! I think our photographer is a little biased!!

And Bear. What has been happening to Bear you ask. Well, he just has to be patient. But we have had some special walks together. 
Bear will be the star of my next blog.

Wind in the Willows 2

Meet Toad  aka die Krote

alongside his travelling companions die Molche

My German teacher, Herr Reinhold Scheible is part of the group of volunteers that every morning and evening, for about 6 weeks, collects the toads who have been stopped from crossing the road on their way to a breeding pond.

And this is just up the road from me. I usually walk Bear there in the mornings. AND Herr Scheible used to live in Lampertsweiler (where I am) and moved to Braunenweiler (where Georg and Margot live).

So I was pleased to be able to go with him this morning, although as it has been very cold again only a couple were collected.

A Barrier is put up

So the toads are not run over 

Their progress is blocked.

They are taken across the road
and hide from the crows till night

And all of this happens just to right of screen!

The view from my balcony

And so does this! Imagine my surprise and delight.

A shepherd had parked there overnight and then moved on. When I mentioned it to Georg he, of course, knew the shepherd. Thank heavens I saw them. They came and went very quickly. Most of the fields you see have had tractors on them during the last week so the sheep would not have had access to them. I was very excited to see them, and so was Bear. It enlivened his stroll no end!

Shearing Again

Well, we have just had a HUGE day in the barn shearing all the sheep who were brought in from the fields yesterday.
Georg walked them in from around the other side of the hill.

All sheep will be in the barn until they are taken to the Schwabische Alb in the middle of April. They are now divided into two groups - those that have recently had lambs and those that haven't. It should be much simpler to manage as we (ie Georg) have been moving the pens round on a daily basis in the last two weeks.
Georg has two lambing seasons. Now and in Autumn. Some of the sheep will lamb twice and some will not.

Georg has a field around his barn so in the fine weather he will take his sheep out. Bear will continue to have training but it will depend on the weather. Future Posts may include the delights of the trail walks about the area as I try to compensate for the lack of activity out in the fields.

****Oh and expect a Blog on the Baths of Bad Saulgau. Yep, the Bad is actually the hot springs/mineral waters and I am going for the first, but surely not the last, time during the week.

Bear's First Report Card

Well, the first fortnight for me has been a wonderful experience.
But what has it been to Bear? The other partner in this adventure.

Well, Georg has not sacked him! So that is definitely a success!

And I have seen some wonderful behaviours that give me great hope that he may surprise me and go further than I hoped. But of course there has also been a couple of set backs (and only a couple I am pleased to say) when he has either shut down or has decided he did not have to listen to me. Of course he listens to Georg so one time I missed something and I heard the roar of NO from a great distance and guess who went quietly about his way?

It will be two weeks tomorrow since we arrived, after a very arduous journey for him. The country is even more foreign to him than it is to me. He went crazy on our first walks as the smells were so totally new and strange. And then I put him under the control of  a guy who firmly demanded high standards. But he has learned each time he has gone out, and has made Georg pleased. But as I said in my ordinary German to Georg.......if he were too easy Georg would be bored!!

And Georg is a wonderful dog handler. Just wonderful. I love watching his dogs. They are so grounded in their work. Lively and excited but without being hyper. Confident and totally responsive to the slightest indication from Georg about what he needs.

I have a million photos but they are a bit like baby photos - only a mother can tell the difference (and cares!). I do not want to turn away whoever is reading this. I would like to be interesting enough for you to continue to read on so I will only give you a taste of my many "that is Bear with the sheep" photos.

A restful Bear

Looking the part

What a Fortunate GSD

What! A picture of Bear running along some grass with some sheep. What a surprise!!!

Wind in the Willows

Meet Mole, aka der Maulwurf.

Or at least this is his home. Despite Bear's best sniffing he cannot get Mole to come out.
You will notice this in the background of many of the photos. It is ubiquitous in this area.
I have not yet worked out the  attitude of the farmers to it. 
Georg does not like it as it interferes with the grass available. And he also mentioned something about the water table that I did not grasp. 

**On another animal note. The foxes here are not a threat to the sheep but their crows are considered dangerous threats.
Again, I am not certain if this is not related to their animal husbandry. As soon as (if not before) a sheep lambs she is taken into the barn. That is why Georg has his trailer. He will put either a ewe and her lamb or a ewe near lambing into it and bring her to the barn.
He will do this even in the summer when we are in the Schwabischen Alpen.

Out of Hibernation

Just a quick note on one of the the joys of living in rural Germany.

Because there are so many villages so close to each other and because the farms are so embedded within these villages farming action is close and personal.

The sun coming out has let loose an absolute flurry of activity by many creatures (esp birds) but the most notable creature to come out of hibernation is the TRACTOR. Tractors and their like are everywhere. On the roads and in the fields. Going for broke to achieve what they must before the weather changes. You see them and you meet them often in the villages. One was even parked in the street as I returned from my daily morning walk with Bear.
  
 🚜 🚜 🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜🚜 🚜🚜 🚜 🚜 🚜🚜🚜🚜

Fields are being rolled, fields are being ploughed and, the one that catches me out (at Bear's expense), they are being fertilized NATURALLY. ie the slurry of all the animals in the barns over the winter is being put to good natural, SMELLY use. It is particularly rotten soon after it is put on the fields and Georg and I have discovered that STINK is a universal word.

🌾🌽🌱🌿🍀🌾🌽🌱🌿🍀🌾🌽🌱🌿🍀🌾🌽🌱🌿🍀🌾🌽🌱🌿🍀

"A Wandering We Shall Go"

The Wandering Shepherds in Germany are called that because it is a fair description. 
They are not necessarily moving from A to B in a straight line. 
During the two weeks I have been here Georg has been moving around this area (see photos below), grazing some of the many fields contained within it but not all. 

Note how the fields are defined by subtle natural boundaries and are of different sizes. And note how they are next to land that will be cropped. And those large, white birds are in fact Storks. I am sorry that I am not using a good camera. Just my phone.

This means that each night Georg

 has to set up the pen for the sheep. It is a lightweight netting that is electrified. It does not take long to put up, but it is a daily chore. I spoke earlier of the Repenning. It is part of the German herding competitions and also of the Australian and American herding C Course competition. And it is in fact an exact replica of the daily task of the shepherd......to return his sheep to a pen overnight.

In the video below, because of where I was standing, you do not see the dog till the end. But Georg called him up and he needed no more instruction to take up a position that, in a competition, would be technically totally correct. Georg himself did not like the mess at the end. But what the heck. 🐑🐑Lambs.🐑🐑