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| Rubye, Stewart, his wife Judith, cousin Jen, Don |
Describing this experience is like trying to scoop up the ocean with a child's pail. My heart could not contain my emotions upon seeing this beautiful country of my ancestry.
Our cousins, Gary and Jen of Colchester have had a love affiar with Wales for many years. They were gracious to take us on a car tour which began in Pembrokeshire, Haroldston West. The name of this Country Guest House was Haroldston Hall. The proprietor, Stewart, and Don had fun going at each other.
I was especially taken with the sheep--the sheer numbers, and the way they grazed so purposely and peacefully.
I had the opportunity to explore this cemetery and found my family name, Owen, which is a variation of Owens, my maiden name. My mother had always told me that my father's "people" were Welsh. This was purely an emotional moment for me--excitement and a little sadness, too.
We observed this beautiful mountain meadow and lake from above as we drove the winding roads. When we got to this place the sign on the gate welcomed visitors by simply saying, "Please close the gate." How very thoughtful and generous the landowners were to share this bit of heaven with us.
We saw farm after farm, with hedges for fences to contain the sheep. Having grown up on a farm, I had no trouble imagining that I could live on any one of them. I stayed on the verge of tears for at least 2 days while we toured this area, taking in the breathtaking countryside. I think it was an unexplainable connection with the land. As a child I roamed 90 acres of farmland, coming and going mostly as I pleased. The rush of memories was overwhelming.
With more sheep than people, Wales is known for mutton and wool. When I looked upon the distant hills and small mountains, I could see even more sheep, and I wondered to myself, "Where are the owners?" and "How do they keep up with all of them?" I was reminded that the Good Shepherd knows every one of His sheep, as do those owners. The purple is heather, never more vibrant than on this cloudy day.
