Spring?

Angie back in the saddle after her tooth pulling. When she started cleaning Sultan masses of his winter coat came out, normally a sign spring has arrived - in 2011 I Bliped Asyr losing his on 29th March, in 2013 on 25th April!

On the photo almost all the white stuff on the ground under Sultan is his coat. This was within a minute of Angie starting - I then left so didn't see the final mountain.

Weather again great today (+5°C) after a misty day yesterday (+1°C).

Now something personal for my diary and not for general consumption:

When mucking out the horses and as always with the radio on, I heard a report that the "Wernher von Braun" school in Friedberg near Augsburg was closing today. The school is a natural sciences, technology and foreign languages (English as main) specialised state grammer school. On Monday it reopens as "Friedberg Grammer School" (German: Gymnasium but not as in gym).

The reason: there has been great pressure from within Germany to do away with any public references to Wernher v. Braun heralded generally as the "Father of Rocket Science" and longtime head of NASA and responsible for the moon landing project. I have read on Wiki that at the age of 18 he attended a lecture given by the leading high altitude balloonist, Auguste Piccard, and said to him he would one day travel to the moon! The negative is his WWII work on the V2 rocket programme, more concentration camp labourers died building it than were every bombed by it. There is some dispute about his direct involvement but not that he knew about it and used it as did Mercedes, Siemens.........

Bliper Nogbad & I visited Dachau (near Munich) concentration camp back in 1989 and I doubt either of us will ever forget the indescribable atmosphere. I think it was some time after we walked back out of the gates before we talked to each other. Still makes me shiver thinking about it. Dachau was used not only to hold people of jewish background but also political opponents, gay and disabled persons.

I don't want to make any judgements on v. Braun's role but it does again show how the German youth have to deal with these types of issues. Without any question, schools need to teach their pupils about this episode in German history and above all the victims, must never be forgotten. It is interesting that German Wiki is a lot more critical of v. Braun than the English language version.

But should we still be painting Angela Merkel as Hitler?; should a German schoolgirl, celebrating her exam success with a holiday with her friends on a Mediteranean island, be worrying that she might be called a Nazi whore?

Do we Americans, Brits, Portugese, Dutch, French, Spaniards get blamed today for the 12+ million African slaves shipped across the Atlantic?

Perhaps it serves to explain why the Germans are seen to be humourless. They suffer from the dreaded "German Angst". While we Brits laugh at the "Don't mention the War" of John Cleese fame, the Germans are totally thrown by it, not knowing how to react but certainly not laughing. In the US, v. Braun was treated as a hero with many awards and even having buildings named after him such as the Civic Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, the place where the US space programme was born.

I thank God and/or whoever is responsible, that from time to time there are people like Nelson Mandela. Silly as it may seem, I even see "Blip" as a small cog in the chain of peace - seeing, understanding and communicating with people around the world in such a respectful manner can only help us to lose our fears of other nationalities, religions, customs etc. If only we could do something about greed and hunger for power.

Have a great weekend all you wonderful Blipers! Oh and for those in US, hope you get a warmish day or two but above all, that those in the British Isles still suffering from the amazing chain of constant lows and a forecasted belt of rain, a peaceful weekend. I could start on another hobby horse and suggest Sellafield and other such institutions be closed down but I think I have let off enough steam and hot air for one day - wonder if I am catching "German Angst"!

Now I can have my afternoon nap!