Blessed Monday

In an effort to rid Blip of the depressing "Mono Monday" fraction, I am starting a countermovement. I have to admit there are some rather good Mono Monday Blips & Blipers but today was the second Monday in a row when I have felt on top of the world and despite the weather not being ideal on either day.

Chance had it that today's enforced dog walk brought me in to contact with another catholic saint so a trend started. I won't limit myself to any one religion but in very rural, very catholic southern Bavaria, I suspect finding other cultures and religions will be a very big challenge.

Enforced walk I hear you mutter. Last night I phoned MrB asking where he would buy wood boards if he hadn't got any of his own trees and what type of wood/planks/boards were best for the trailer restoration project. I have used a sawmill south of Ottobeuren on many occasions but MrB recommended one in Stetten which I didn't know of as he had had good experience with their larch planks, the recommended tree type.

Just a note to my UKIP friends: Germans not only use "inch" measurements for almost all water/sanitary fittings but also in the wood business. The wood I was after was " Zoll" thickness "Zollbretter" and all German craftsmen use folding 2m long rulers (never tape measure) and they are called a "Zollstock".  Zoll is the German word for "inch" but also for customs i.e. those you find at the border controls keeping the Europeans out but allowing in their wines, cheeses, pates, fruit & veg, cars and printing paper for the Daily Mail to keep the presses churning out their headlines. Sorry! Rant over!

So set off this morning, got delayed on the way with emergency grocery shopping and didn't get to the mill until 11:55. Yes they had the boards but (now 11:59) it was lunchtime. Reopen at 13:30 (1:30 pm for UKIP followers). Asked if there was a good walk in the area and the foreman pointed me in the direction of a forest.

Left the car there and set off - not a great day with high fog (not Nogbad's often quoted: " Fog in the channel, continent cut off" stuff ).

Alone the approach to the wonderful deciduous (mainly beech) forest was spectacular with wonderful colours. On entering the forest quickly came across a large display of bird nesting boxes and information windows/doors on the various birds. The large central picture had been painted by a local child, one flap had an "official" drawing of the bird and on the other side in German and French, some key facts. Lovely display and forethought by the planners in leaving an English version out.

Then set off along the fitness trail (with pictures especially for UKIP followers). Didn't try them out for suitability but managed to get Luna to do some good jumps over a section of raised logs.

Had spotted a small chapel on the edge of the forest so went down to have a look. It was beautiful - only built 2011/2, by volunteer local craftswomen & men who wanted to preserve the tower from the village morgue/laying in rest chapel that was being replaced/demolished.

And that's where we came across St Francis. I'll spare the bit on what he is patron saint of and even resist a UKIP quip here.

The 90 minutes wait was long gone now, so we hurried back down the hill past other great displays to the sawmill and spotted why MrB had sent us there, The owner is a fellow hunter and does a roaring side trade in prebuilt high-seats/chairs.

Quickly loaded the wood and set off home. Next week I plan to do my bit for UKIP and find something connected with St Jude, known here as Saint Judas Thaddäus and under no circumstances to be confused with Judas Iscariot - not even by any UKIP supporter or British MP. Now I wonder what St Jude is patron saint of? I suspect ranting and rambling ex-Pats got thrown out of his patronage some time ago for not being curable.

On a very private note: I mentioned a week ago a story connected with Acker Bilk's Aria. The "first love" referred to, emailed me this evening apologising for not being in contact for a while (she doesn't look at [my] Blip - always knew she was a clever gal). This very morning, mucking out the horses with the radio blaring, Chicago's Nr1 hit of November 1976 was played at 8:39. Lump! Then during the evening muck- in, at 17:08 the Hollies "All the air that I breathe" and one of Annie's favourites from the early/ mid 70s. Another lump. At 18:00 I sat down outside the stable to look up the time on my mobile and see why it had bleeped a few minutes before - the email from Annie at 17:57. Now if you don't believe me check out the Bayern Radio 1 playlist for 10/11.

I was on cloud 9, dashed indoors and as Angie due home at 21:00 after her fitness session, thought I would bake her a treat using pears I had picked up from a solitary, tall and very old pear tree alongside a footpath leading to Ottobeuren's golf course. They were terribly sour then but now.... almost as sweet as honey. Peeled and cut up the pears added loads of cinnamon which I hate, but Angie loves and rolled them in a bought strudel dough and popped it in the oven, meanwhile making a pot of Bird's Instant Custard which she also loves but replaced some of the milk with cream to make it really tasty. The strudel looked a treat, the sweet juices oozing out, but the pastry stayed closed.

When Angie got home, I asked her how it went. Hard work, sweated a lot, and now I need something salty to eat!!!!!!!! Well I enjoyed it at least and was very pleasantly surprised how good the cinnamon was. Seems you can teach old crusty dogs new tricks.

Great day, great evening, depressing night!