Fly Tipping

Morning dog walk with Flash and Luna.

When we got Flash in 2003 at 8 weeks, he was officially called "Funky vom Hof Villa Kunterbunt". 
Hof= farm/estate: Kunterbunt= colourful, motley, all in a muddle.

Hof Villa Kunterbunt was the name our friends who had bred him had started using as their farm had animals of all shapes and sizes and colours. Several years earlier, I had convinced them to get a Border Collie for the farm and from this first dog, named Asta, they had several litters.

They always kept offering us a puppy but we kept refusing as we were both working in Munich and had little time. However, when they said Asta had just had her last litter, and we had now moved to a house with better possibilities to have a dog, we agreed. And so we came to have him, one of the "F" litter.

I wasn't over enamored with the name "Funky" for a Border and went through the list. Fly was probably the most common name but eventually went for Flash.

At the very start of the walk, came across a wonderful German version of "fly-tipping", illegal disposal of rubbish for my non-UK readers. See extra photo.

The Germans are pretty good at rubbish disposal and recycling. We chose the smallest rubbish bin size of 80litres when we moved here. It's now also available as a 60litre bin and goes up to 120litres all in the same, from the exterior, identical bins but the bottom varies. One pays the annual rubbish charge according to the size. We pay €79 for the 14-day standard service. Back in 2003, we had to pay €89. It gets cheaper every year due to the ever decreasing amount of rubbish.

Two weeks ago we forgot to put out our bin which was collected yesterday after 4 weeks. It wasn't full and included a complete double wrapped haylage bale plastic. For normal people, the recycling yard won't accept silage bale wrapping, the farmers get an annual free service.

Next to a pile of silage bales on the edge of a field was a perfectly sorted and very neatly placed pile of plastic and some ceramic tile remains. All from a bath renovation project and seemingly from professional decorators as the paint and chemical containers were from trade suppliers. The paint pots were super clean. Everything could be given up at the recycling yard without any problem. I was there myself yesterday.

What goes on in such people's minds is beyond me, even if they were super neat! I have posted it on Facebook to try and name and shame but if it's still there in a few days, I will get it recycled.

On the way back to the car, I spotted a horse and rider in the distance and heading our way but with another animal in tow which I couldn't make out. Great Dane perhaps?.

As they got closer saw it was a small horse and thought that although not quite the right time of year, it may be a free running foal. So quickly got off the track and to the side so that we didn't scare anyone.

Turned out to be a small pony and it was on a lead. I asked the rider from a distance if I could take a photo and she said yes and with a wonderful smile. Only got a poor shot as Luna was very disturbed by the sight. She goes out weekly with Angie who always also has a lead horse. I suspect Luna could not make out what the pony was.

Flash, of course, kept calm. He never lived up to his name. He is a perfect casual, relaxed gentleman. Always does his duty but always with British calm and self assurance. He doesn't need hectic, barking or making a fuss. He hasn't even got a Twitter account.