From Honey to Organic Milk Ice Cream

Young (4) Charlotte is my biggest honey customer (beating even her Uncle J) and breakfast time is a joy to see her tucking in to the jar. This was her first tasting of the 2014 spring crop. Before giving the final nod of approval for the supplies to be exported, she insisted the bees and their hives were inspected. This she delegated to Dad.

So dressed up Barry and I opened up the hives with Mum hiding just around the corner at a safe distance. I think Barry was quite taken by the girls but Kate was quite adamant there would be no bees housed in their garden for the foreseeable future. Kate, the biggest animal lover one could imagine, is clearly worried about her chickens, lambs, cats, dogs and children. I tried convincing her that given the huge size of her garden & fields she would have no problem finding them a quiet spot. However she remained stoically resistant. Secretely I am pleased - I should be able to hang on to my customer #1!

Angie and the gang disappeared to Ottobeuren for a walk with the dogs in the Bannwald which they seemed to enjoy and Charlotte and Elliot put a remarkable number of kilometers on their shoe leather "mileage".

Back home and lunch and then swimming. On Friday at the party, friend Christa had discovered an under-used talent in Elliot who can swim all by himself. She threw money in the pool (about 1.5m deep) and he dived down to retrieve it AND was allowed to keep the money! If times get bad, Mum & Dad now know who is going to keep them fed, just need to find a wishing well or Tivoli fountain near home. He did complain of needing better equipment so will have to sort that soon.

In the evening returned to Ottobeuren for a pizza followed by a stroll and a visit to Pedro's Ice Cream Parlour using organic milk from the farm up the road.

The Blip was taken at 20:46, 35 minutes after Full Moon which had been fascinating us the last few evenings. Apparently it was 14% larger and 30% brighter than normal, being unusually close to the earth.

As we sat down on the market square to eat the ice cream, the heavens turned black and Angie & I dashed to collect the cars only just managing to beat the downpour & storm. Seems the weather has broken but we have been extraordinarily lucky.