Hoy Monday - Stretched version

The Ottobeuren Basilica is in the background!

Dog walk along the Schickling route. Here the fields are not mown until late June/July time. The yellow is now mainly buttercups rather than dandelions, these being very moist fields alongside the river West Günz.

I suspect the fields are in one of the EU enviromental protection plans whereby the farmers get paid for leaving the grass unmowed until a certain date. This allows for wild flowers to exist and very importantly too, wild birds to nest and rear their young. I would see this as a positive EU move, some would see it as another money wasting Brussels initiative.

Anyway a very colourful, pleasant quite patch to go walking on today. Everywhere else is full of tractors and equipment bringing in the sileage.

Late afternoon went to the recycling dump with another load of thuja clippings - they are open for 2 hours on Monday. took the opportunity to do a quick walk, again alongside the same river as this morning, and we had the luck to meet 10 month old Border Collie "Dusty" and have a very interesting chat. No doubt we will meet again, I think even Luna was quite taken.

Did some clearing up around the fields and changed some 100 mower blades now that they are dry after the cleaning yesterday evening.

Well to finish on a "holy" note. Today is the feast of St Marmetus, the first of five "Ice Saints" who will accompany us this week. One says that it is the week where one can expect frosts. Also known as the "Sheeps Cold" a short period just after the sheep have been shorn when it turns cold. Generally one doesn't plant out bedding plants until this week is over.

Hardly seems possible given we could hit 30°C tomorrow BUT forecast for Friday which is the "cold St. Sophie, is saying around 9°C daytime maximum! So maybe something in it after all! There was a frost in middle Germany this morning.