Meeting of a nice nature

Break from the bees and a (late) morning walk with the dogs in Ottobeuren as I needed to get some things from the supermarket - milk, plastic crow and some dill seed. Had to have the lifesize crow for 3.99 and see how Luna reacts. She is an exceptionally good crow scarer on the property and gives them a hard time when they try to steal the chicken food and, as for a week or two, the odd baby chick.

Before that we had done the "Angelique" walk which has turned in to my favourite, at least in good weather - a nice mixture of meadows, streams and the buildings of the Erich Schickling Trust buildings. The huge meadows still haven't been cut this year and are quite magnificent, with loads of lovely grasses and flowers. I wonder who they belong to. Hopefully they are in one of the EU programmes that rewards leaving meadows uncut, the longer the more money. I think the longest allows mowing after 1st July. Gives the birds a good chance of doing their brooding. undisturbed.

I was taking a photo of one of the about 15 peacocks/hens roaming around the roofs and garden of the Trust when a lady passing by pushing her Zimmer frame and I gave the traditional general (and independent of religious tendency) Bavarian/Austrian greeting of "Gruss Gott" (God greets you). I was pretty sure she was Mrs Schickling as described to me by one of the volunteer building workers last Friday and indeed in the ensuing at least 30 minute chat, this was confirmed. Now 89 still pretty physically fit and top fit mentally. It was very enjoyable and I learnt a bit more about her husband who died 2 years ago and lots about her upbringing and childhood. She tried to get me in to the chapel to look at the window on the Blip from the inside but I didn't want to, having the dogs although this didn't bother her. Also needed to be in the town by 12:00 and time was slipping by.

Germany is quite formal in the way people address one another and how much one "allows" contact. I know people who have worked together for 30 years, still don't use christian names and use the impersonal you. Recently had this with someone here who I got to know - a fantastic guy, a lot younger than I and we have a great time and lots of laughs together. However when I "offered" him the personal you and forenames (normally the elder person has to do this) he turned it down wanting to remain on Mr basis, saying it was a sign of respect he wished to maintain. I can understand what he means and not that many years ago in the UK I had a friend on first name terms but as soon as we were in company, I would switch to using his title - not at his asking, it just seemed natural even though one could say it was false.

Well Mrs Schickling didn't offer me christian names (and I would never have expected it) but stretched out her hand, said it was a delight to have met, asked to know my name, said how very much she had enjoyed the chat, hoped I would come by to see her husband's work on one of the weekly tours and perhaps that we would bump in to one another on our walks soon. That for Germany is something special.

Arrived too late in Ottobeuren and so was restricted to a quick supermarket shop of crow et al. Then dash home as Farmer Franz perhaps delivering 6 large hay bales. What then happened is fully described on the bee journal. Made for an interesting afternoon and a nice short Flickr video.