Well, I don’t believe in coincidences. It seems to me, that if we are open, we will be gifted with being able to see connections. I believe it is our choice if we will act upon the connections or ignore them. Connections lead to more connections. Connections lead to connecting.

Connecting leads to belonging, and belonging is a good thing.

Yes, it was pretty random that we kept getting phone calls about “our sheep on the road” and even today we got another call from police dispatch. I saw the sheep again today on the road by the lake, a few days ago there were eight, now there are only five. The officials don’t know what to do with these lambs, as they certainly have no idea how to catch them. I have an idea that Andy needs to “harvest” them, before the coyotes get them all.

But in trying to find the owner of these lambs, that I drove through Javier’s country, and in doing so, found Elias.

Tonight, we were to go pick him up at 8 to bring him back here for dinner. Today was messed up, as our calves were out down the valley and it took a while to get them and for the man to fix the fence, then I had to go to town and deliver two lambs. I wanted to blow off the dinner, as it would be too late, and a school night, and last night when we drove through his country, we could not find him. The man knew Elias would be sad and alone.

So we decided to pack up the car with dinner and try and find him and his sheep camp.

They were just coming home, and we could see them on the hill.

and Elias, off his horse, on the other hill, overlooking the stragglers of his 2000 head herd.

He gets on his horse and starts down.

His dogs were working the herd, to take them to the sheep camp. Click on the video to hear the amazing quiet, with the sheep bells.

So we head up towards the sheep camp as the sheep start to settle in.

It was alarming how many of them were severely limping, or lame. Elias later told us that since it had rained so much in the spring that their “zapatos were broken” (shoes were broken) and that they have to give all of them so many shots of medication, all the time. But they are still limping and lame.

His sheep camp was in a gorgeous spot, and we brought chairs to sit outside, but he was cold and tired, and wanted us to come inside to eat.

He first had to take care of and feed his horse, and the dogs.

As we were eating (lamb sausage, arugula and green tomato salad, smashed fingerling potatoes with herb salt and parmesan, and sweet potato pie) he was telling us of Javier going back to Peru… and that he has two more years here. More stories of the bad boss, and I pried out of him some of his needs. He had a thin quilt on his bed, and a very thin jacket, which were to keep him warm in the freezing nights to come.

He showed us scary pictures on his phone of a very huge, dead bear, which he shot after it had killed several of his sheep.

and that his 32nd birthday is on Wednesday.

He dropped his cell phone in the creek, and lost Javier’s number in Peru, and all of his friends. He does have a new cell phone, and of course knows the numbers of his family, but no money. His boss transfers his $400 a month directly to Peru, and he has no money here, or a way to call his family.

hmmm. We told him we will celebrate his birthday with him on Wednesday, and I do know of a few things he needs for that.

I do not feel it is a coincidence that we happen to meet him, right now, and just before his birthday. I feel it is connection, and we are grateful to be a part of being connected with all of those who have connections with us.

The white dogs he has were Javier’s dogs, and Javier’s amazing herding dogs went to a less experienced herder. Elias is doing an expert job of training puppy herders.