Sheep, of course!

Saturday afternoon, I gave Piano Teacher a tour of the monastery. It was an icy winter day, but inside the chapel, with its plain stone floor and wooden benches, the air was warm. We breathed the scent of incense and melting wax while I showed her the harp that Brother Tractor plays and the stone statue in the crypt lit by flickering votive candles.

Then of course, we walked through the sheep barns. I love the huge stacks of hay, which smell wonderful up close, and the way the sheep turn to watch when I walk through the yard. One sheep kept trying to climb out of its pen to see us. Even though it was cold, we lingered to take pictures. “I have to bring home photos of sheep,” I explained to Piano Teacher. “My readers expect it.”