Holy Monday

Third in a series this time for David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage and above all myself - hopeless causes.

Looked like the forecast morning fog was quickly gone when I went out to do the horses with the sun appearing. Within minutes, the fog came back, this time with vengance. The stable radio kept promising the fog would soon be gone. So I took my time but it didn't help.

Now getting towards midday and no sign of sun, so gave up & set off for the neighbouring parish of Westerheim. Found the chapel of St Judas Thaddäus - St Jude in English and not to be confused with the other Judas. Parked a few hundred meters away and set off for the dog walk over fields and in the forest.

Must have taken 2 hours though at least 20 minutes was spent talking to a lady we encountered in the forest pushing her bike up a hill. About 70-80 I guess. As we talked I could not detect an accent of any kind and asked her where she came from Ost Friesland the area between Hamburg/Bremen and Holland and on the North Sea. It's also THE black tea drinking capital of Germany (see Fridays Blip). She has been in the area for the last 35 years. Told her what I was up to and she seemed a bit sceptical about the chapel but said it was supposed to be very nice inside and the key to get in was kept in a neighbouring house.

However as I only wanted a wall painting of St Jude and it was now late, thought I would just take a quick walk around, a quick snap and get back home to warm up. Well turned out there wasn't a single wall painting, no sign, nothing, no stain glassed window, no crucifix, no name plate, simply nothing!

So had no option but to photograph the exterior and from the internet find out that it was built in 1967 by a local family, one of 5 churches & chapels in the parish.

Disappointed took off back home as I wanted to get the animals put to bed early as there was a burger meeting in the village at 8:00pm. We Burgers (Citizen) were to be informed about the rather late bills we were about to get in the post for the 2002-2009 repairs to the water supply. Looks like it will probably be around 2-3000 Euros for a typical house. For most this comes on top of a very large 5 figure sum for the new waste water system installed at the same time. Luckily (or not) we are not on the waste system. The calculation basis for the water repairs is based on the sqm house & ground area used for the waste system, so we have no real basis to work out what it means for us.

Village is 2014/5 in the process of getting a brand new water source, much more expensive than the old one but the cost of the well/pump house etc will be put on the annual bills. Not sure if the situation has changed in the UK but here all water supply is metered and one pays two bills one for the amount of fresh water around 0.77 Euros/1000 liters and waste water is 1:1 according to water supply but I think costs over 6.00 Euros/1000 liters. Great way of discouraging using mains water in the garden! Farmers get treated differently for their animals. People have been saving on water meaning the costs are steadily increasing (for the infrastructure maintenance/litre) and there isn't enough water landing in the waste pipes to clean them properly, resulting in costly mechanical cleaning needed! Some parishes with large industrial size buildings at the highest point in the waste water system get them to put their roof water in the waste system, something normally strictly forbidden.

Got the chance to quickly meet the new mayor and have a chat with a few friends in the jam packed hall. left at the break as the Q&A session looked like it was going the way of most such sessions.... petty individual gripes that need to be resolved offline and of no interest to the majority.

Wouldn't like to be a local councillor (I think I know a Dorset Bliper who had a go) or for that matter any politician. Need far more help than that from the Patron Saint for the Hopeless and the Despaired.

PS Anni who does the MonoMonday Blip and happens to be on a mission to Bavaria tonight, also includes a Daily Groan. Heres one:

What comes between "fear" and "sex"?

Answers on a postcard, in German to Tochterpleach. Nogbad & Miles Kington (no doubt interviewing St Jude) are not allowed to take part.

pps Answer is "5"