St. Bartholomeus Church in Herstelle

Its really funny to see how retirement and emigration to this mid-German river valley is changing my daily outlook. Again I was busy doing the sweatwork on extracting the remaining bush roots from our steep front garden. No time or attention for radical ecological hermeneutics. What the hell is the meaning of that?! No, just doing the heavy extraction work in a somewhat smart way. Not axing like a madman, but by digging a surrounding trench. Which enables to cut through many of the underground anchoring roots. Isolating and loosening the central tuber.


But you are killing green life! Well, as some of my readers may remember: we have to locate and dig free the underground sewer pipe there. We have diagnosed the blockage from within: roots growing into the sewer pipes have caused a very stinky overflow right at the frontdoor. And lots of water damage in the bathroom. We have started to do the heavy work with our own hands to avoid nasty contractor bills. And we are making progress, slowly but stadily. But I admit my warriorship does not promote a patient form of Bush-Whispering: would you please retire your sucking roots from down there…?

Our afternoon excursion did free us from the heavy garden jobs we did. In a bright afternoon sun we climbed up from St. Bartholomeus Church in Herstelle to reach the Westphalian Uplands in the Soutwest. Everywhere spacious changing perspectives. From the white Benedictine Cloyster in the West, the Deiselberg in the South to the Rheinhardswald in the East. We sail like litle white clouds over the country tracks and roads, looking for sheer beauty all around. In the Parrots Farm we sat down sipping our tea. Listening to all the odd talk around. No mystery tour today, but hard work and bright sunshine.