You Go Nate!

GRÜN - GELB - BLAU - SCHWARZ & WEIß
The Colors of the North

Wolfgang, the husband of my third-cousin-twice removed, had his 60th birthday at the end of April with a celebration on the 25th. So on Friday, the 24th, I hopped on a train and rode the length of Germany from Munich to Lüssow.

The weather couldn't have been better as the train passed through the lush green countryside of Germany. Occasionally the train would pass by great seas of pure yellow as the rapseed fields were starting to come into full bloom.

I arrived in rural Lüssow amidst the yellow raps, the fresh green, and the white blossoms on bushes and trees. Such beautiful sights don't usually make one's eyes itch, but that was precisely my reaction due to my mild hay fever.

Because of the number of expected guests, I stayed with Sybille & Wolfgang's son Gunnar and his family while in Lüssow.

On Saturday afternoon the party began in the backyard with Sybille & Wolfgang's three kids and their families, Sybille's two brothers and their families, Wolfgang's sister, and a handful of close friends.

Wolfgang's favorite past-time is playing golf, so naturally, many of his presents featured something relating to the sport. From his three kids he received a giant package.

He opened it up to find it filled with crumpled newspaper and a golf-club-shaped object wrapped in golden paper.

He unwrapped it to find an old man's walking stick. An orange was taped inside the curve of the handle. Ha ha.

Then he was told to keep looking in the box to see if there was anything else. Stuck to one of the corner was another golf-club-shaped object wrapped chameleon-like in newspaper. He unwrapped this one to find a true 7-iron, and he was glad.

Elias and Sidney, as you might remember from previous posts, are my 5th cousins. We had fun playing cars & trucks, playing soccer, and looking for frogs by the stream.

A few weeks before, Elias was given a small guitar. Since then he has often been found holding it in position, strumming, and singing some song or other. Here he is giving a brief recital at the start of the party...

He was totally enthralled when an actual guitarist showed up and played some excellent Spanish guitar music for the party.

We didn't find many frogs by the stream, unfortunately...

Maybe the storks ate them...

The neighbor's rooster was also giving a concert of ki-kari-ki's (Cock-a-doodle-doo in German) from atop the wooden gate...

Then he took a bow as he dismounted from his stage...

Later in the evening we walked to a nearby bowling alley where we bowled to our hearts' content and ate and drank.

The next day Gunnar, Elias, and I went for a bike ride through the fields and forests of Mecklenburg...

We passed over meadows and pastures, through woods, and over streams, seeing cows, deer, cranes, storks...

...and a busy little fox...

We found a bright yellow rapsfield...

And climbed one of the game hunter's towers...

Elias's helmet matched the field...

We continued on our bikes along the waterway...

Crossing old bridges (where I taught Gunnar and Elias how to play "Pooh Sticks")...

A White Wagtail stopped by for a visit on the bridge.

Hello White Wagtail...

As we rode along, Elias would get tired and so he started to sing...

It was a fun little bike-ride.

For Sunday afternoon dinner the left-over party guests enjoyed a smorgasbord of cheese, breads, tomatoes, and eel.

I enjoyed a nice little nature walk through the fields as the sun set, excited for what would come tomorrow.

On Monday, I would get a new rock...

...