NO! I will not have that song ruined by the amount of time I spend in my own blackberry field forever. I love that song!
As I cut and snipped and piled up every meter into a little hill of nasty brambles, I couldn't help but start to question whether or not I'd be able to do this. Even unemployed, I may be out there fulltime in my blackberry field. It's not really a field, it's the backyard to our house, that drops steeply away after the orchard to the ponds. In Germany a steep drop-off like that is called a "hang" so that's what we call it. Our hang. It's about a half acre of blackberries. I took that picture standing at the back of the barn - you can see where the ground just drops off suddenly. 
I won't post the pic I took of my bleeding thumb, cuz it makes me queasy to see it. When you're digging through wet slushy snow to find blackberries, your leather gloves become soaked and less effective. Agh.But here's some good news. I was worried about living nextdoor to a dog - a boxer. But he saw me on "his" fenceline and get this, he did NOT bark at me! What dog wouldn't? I'm totally foreign here, smell like city, and I'm holding onto the dog's fence, trying to get leverage as I pull vines. He walked up to me cautiously, I put my fingers through the mesh and he just sniffed them. I was so pleased, I went to my bag and got him a tiny piece of cheese from my sandwich. I mean really tiny - I don't want him to get sick, the size a mouse would eat. I said "I'm gonna call you Barney cuz my uncle had a boxer named Barney." Of course my uncle's had no tail, and no testicles, but this is Germany. It's illegal to dock animals' ears or tails, and veterinarians tell owners it's healthier for dogs to stay whole. Hrm.
Mr. S came to the top of the hang and called to me, he always calls me Frau Wassermann because we haven't switched to the informal form of the language. It is odd to have conversations with people, friendly casual ones, and have to call them the formal "you" word. Anyway, I said "One question for You. Is there a cat? I keep seeing tracks." He said, "Oh, there are about 5 or 6 cats." "WHAT!! Whose?" "Oh, neighbors - they like to lie on our windowsill." !!! OK, I was really happy about a cat, but 5 or 6?
As I drove home, I was unable to keep the speed limit on these windy, narrow country roads. I was chagrined to see the sign that said the speed limit changes from 70 kph to NO LIMIT. A car was right on my tail, pushing me, and I was too nervous. It was dark, foggy, and wet, and I don't know which way the road will turn over the next hill. I bet he was looking at the W on my license plate and cussing, saying, "WUPPERTALER!" *shiver* I'll learn the roads eventually.
I finally took a picture of the barn wall we built. The planks we put up are to prevent Baasha from getting a hoof through that mesh. I think it's lovely, and for Baasha, high enough.
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7 comments:
So what is a wuppertaler??
I like that word hang. My pasture falls into a hang from the barn to the house.
So, does Germany have any problems with pet overpopulation if they don't encourage neutering and spaying?
Poor you and your thumb. Naughty blackberry brambles! bah forever!
Nice barn wall. What a lovely espalier. What kind of plant/bush/tree is that?
~Lisa
New Mexico, USA
The barn looks great. And you're way more dedicated that I, pulling those brambles in the cold and wet. But I bet it will look great in the spring!
Germany must not have our pet overpopulation problem.
yes, I probably would have waited until the snow melted.
It's good to have good doggy neighbors.
Now, you won't need to get a barn cat.
That was good thinking about the hoof getting caught in the mesh. I'm always worried that my horses will get playing and rear up by the gate, and then slide their hoof or leg down between the pole and the gate, then get stuck on the chain. Whenever I fill up their water troughs I make sure there isn't a gap between the trough and the wall for them to get a leg stuck in.
Wuppertal on wikipedia
I think we've talked about this before, but I'm learning Greek... there is a similar thing in the Greek language. More formal language depending on how well you know who you're speaking with. Or even what your relationship is with them (ie an employee should use the formal to speak to his/her employer) Seems to make even a casual conversation seem more serious! lol
So can people tell where you're from by your license plate?
Funny that German vets claim keeping an animal intact is healthier for the animal, and curious - does that include horses?
Although I'm guessing they don't have the overpopulation problem, somehow everyone seems to be more responsible there.
Lisa, I cannot say whether Germany has a pet overpopulation problem or not. I honestly don't know. There isn't any excess room to have extra animals, and there is a national "nosiness" that would prohibit most people from getting away with abuse. I would guess that it does exist, but nothing near the scale in the US.
Now, what is this - Espali...OH! that's what I've seen in the German gardening magazines Joerg's mom lent me! Cool. It's a grape vine, growing on our stall, and last year gave all its grapes to the birds, I hear. Hopefully this year I'll get some: )
Leah, if it were your first property, I think you'd be out there like me, like crazy, so excited: )
Nuzzling Muzzles - if I had Bombay in my stall, I'd have one more board up: ) Hehehe, he's just so much more apt to express his flexibility than Baasha, I think.
Latigo Liz - WOW thanks for the cool Wiki link on my city! I learned a lot - there are 4500 buildings in the historical registery! That's a lot! We were lucky to get one that is not protected - if you get one, you cannot alter it or renovate it. We live in Barmen in Wuppertal, but soon we'll be out in the country woooooooo: )
Cdncowgirl - Stallions, stallions everywhere. I've never seen so many stallions! Sure there aren't the nubmers of backyard breeders, but how do they manage so many stallions at these boarding stables?
Is being whole healthier? So says a friend of mine, that her lab would be fat and lazy without his hormones. I don't get why there aren't more dogfights.
I think people are more responsible with their pets here, but I really don't like all the dogs in restuarants/shopping malls. Dogs are a higher class of citizen here.
~lytha
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