I just returned from a three-day stint in Germany. I flew there to meet my father who was there on business and we had a fine old time. I sampled some local cuisine, including black bread (schwartzbrot, I think) and lots and lots of pig-derived meat. I also had a very tasty pastry item with hazelnuts and chocolate. My dad thought it would be sickly sweet. It wasn't. The city we were in was very green and pretty. And public transport everywhere. Trains, trams, buses, even cable-car thingies. We stuck to the train, as it took us from the town center to our hotel. And I like euros. Things were cheaper because the euro is worth less than the pound.

But I am glad to be back home. Partner couldn't come with me and I've missed him. He's still at work so I haven't seen him yet; his mother picked me up from the airport. And the dog stayed with her while I was gone--luckily she doesn't seem to hate me for abandoning her. But she has been looking for Partner. I think she's missed him as much as I have. And I know Partner missed me because there was a pile of dishes and a basket of laundry waiting for me. (He's not allowed to do laundry but he IS allowed to do dishes.)

Ode to Beauty

How much poo

Could a little dog poo

If a little dog widdled and pooed?

She'd poo all she could

That little dog would

If a little dog widdled and pooed.

I don't know how one dog can generate so much fecal matter. I collect a whole shopping bag full every week. I know it's only hers because the yard is air-tight. No dogs get in or out. And it's not like she's a Rottweiler or anything. She's just a little terrier. But she can perform miracles: turning water (or something) into poo.

I think our two weeks of summer may now be over. It is distinctly cooler with a lot of cloud and rain again. And to think, two weeks ago I was sunburned.

I pulled up some of our carrots and made them into soup last night. It was pretty darn yummy. I also pulled up a few beets for our dinner. Our peas and beans are also steadily increasing but it's been a bad year for tomatoes. I doubt we'll get much. My selection of cut flowers has been so-so. I've been picking vases but have to be creative in order to induce any sort of variety. I have plenty of carnations and the roses aren't doing too badly. And the dahlias are beginning to show. That's all, really.

I've been taking to locking the dog in the living room in the mornings because she tries to destroy any mail that gets delivered. She'll begin by barking and bouncing, and as soon as the letters slide through the slot she'll grab them and start ripping. If no one is there to stop her, she'll attempt to take them outside and bury the evidence. Luckily most important mail is in stiff envelopes. The flimsy junk mail takes the brunt of her anger.

At last we've had almost a week of sunny weather with no rain. I've been celebrating by hanging my laundry on the line and watering my hanging baskets and other patio containers. Haven't done that in a while.

Partner and I were given a sofa and two matching chairs by a relative who didn't want them any more. Our old couch is currently hanging out in the dining room but only temporarily I hope. I want to get rid of it but I'm not sure anyone will want to take it except the dump. It's hopelessly ripped and needs new slipcovers desperately. I do kind of like having a couch in the dining room, however. It's a south-facing room with a very big glass sliding door and is lovely to sit in the sun on a comfy seat during the morning. The dog thinks so too.

I have a week off work at the end of August and am going to spend a few days in Germany with my father. Partner can't get the time off work so I get to go alone. I'm slightly nervous about flying to a foreign country on my own, but I'm counting on the fact that the airport staff will speak English. Or at least someone will. Because I have to find my own way from the airport to the hotel. It's a bit scary.