Popular 2020 Posts

2020 was an interesting year for my blog as I did not do much physical wandering. Instead the blog was more about being at home, reminiscing about previous travels, and where my mind happened to wander.

Tonight I thought I would share some of the more popular of the posts I wrote last year.

Steffisburg Bern Switzerland Home of Yoder and Kauffman Amish ancestors

Steffisburg – Google Maps

A post I made about the Amish Homeland was the most popular of the new posts. However, it was not entirely new but a  re-post of something I wrote long ago. I did make a few edits and updates.

Geneaology, ancestry, hochstetler, multiple descentHochstetler Descents was also a popular post. Not all of the genealogy posts that I write get a lot of views, but this one did. But, there are a lot more Hochstetler descendants than in other branches of my family.

James the antique man, covid-19, Iowa, memoriesA post that was difficult to write, but honored a childhood friend was also near the top of the list of most popular posts I wrote last year.

James the Antique Man passed away back in May during the early days of the pandemic. James’ brother sent me a few items to remember him by, and I have them sitting in my office area.

1918 Flu Epidemic, Spanish Flu, Vincennes, Indiana, First Hand AccountIn early March as the virus first started to spread I wrote A Family Letter about the 1918 Flue Pandemic.

It is sad that almost a year later we are still dealing with this awful disease.

Unfortunately, we did not do well in applying lessons that we should have learned a little more than a 100 years ago.

Triple 7, Boeing 777, Flight to Tokyo, SFO - HND, AirplaneNext Wandering Postponed was another popular post.

This was the story of the year. So much this year was postponed and it is yet to be known when many things will be able to be resumed.

Of course there were many more posts that had a lot of views, but these were some of the most popular. However, it will be interesting to look back in a couple years and see if these post have continued to get views. It is sometimes surprising which posts have long term appeal and which may only be seen shortly after posting.

I wonder what posts I write this year will be popular a year from now. hmm.

Steven

 

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A Shepherd at Work

This evening our Psalms Bible study group covered the 23rd Psalm.

This had my mind wandering to sheep and shepherds so I though I would share some pictures I took while visiting the ruins of The Hittite Capital Hattusha in Turkey.

The pictures are of a shepherd at work with his flock of sheep.

Shepherd, Turkey, Hattusha, Hittite Capital Here we see the shepherd with his rod watching over some of his sheep.

Do you know the difference between a rod and a staff?

The staff traditionally has a crook on the end and is often what we see in pictures showing Christ as a shepherd. The staff is usually used to either guide the sheep when they are being moved, or to help keep them together as a flock.

Shepherd, Turkey, Hattusha, Hittite CapitalThe rod is much shorter than the staff and is used mainly for protection of the flock. The rod can be thrown or swung at a predator, or used to prod sheep to safety. The rod can also be used to help inspect the sheep by spreading the wool to see what is underneath.

The rod is more of a utility tool that can be used in many different ways to help protect the flock. The staff is used more for guidance.

A good shepherd will know when each tool should be used for the best management of the flock. We also need to remember that we need both guidance and protection.

Look at the majestic scenery in the background of this picture. Could you imagine spending all day watching your sheep in this environment?

Shepherd, Turkey, Hattusha, Hittite CapitalHere we see the shepherd’s donkey. The donkey helps carry supplies and also can be ridden while moving the sheep to a new location.

Shepherd, Turkey, Hattusha, Hittite CapitalHere is a wider view of the flock of sheep. You can see that it is quite a large flock of sheep. You can also see the beautiful scenery there.

Kangal Dog, Guardian Dog, Turkey, Anatolian ShepherdI am not sure if this is a Kangal or an Anatolian Shepherd. There is disagreement whether they are even separate breeds.

In any case, the Kangal is a guardian dog and protects a flock of sheep. You can see the spiked collar that the dog is wearing. This is to protect the neck and also is used as a weapon when guarding the flock from predators like wolves or jackals.

Kangal Dog, Guardian Dog, Turkey, Anatolian ShepherdI definitely would be careful around this dog. I have been bitten a few times by big dogs so I am always a bit leery around them.

However, if I needed a dog to help me guard my flock this would be my pick.

Steven

Shepherd with Dog, Turkey, Anatolia, Hattusha

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