Shepherds Saturday

(even if a brace of Tractor Tuesday Same tractors got in the shot)

Early morning set off for Hawangen and the dairy there to buy some "Chester" cheese (which they always tell me " It is Cheddar". I have given up trying to explain. However SHOCK HORROR they didn#t have any, the entire stock had been sold. Seems the guys in production had totally underestimated the demand and while they had now got some made it had to ripen and wouldn't be available until the second week of July!

It's about time someone from the UK Milk Marketing Board (I doubt it still exists) did something about exporting to Germany. I every supermarket I can buy Kerrygold butter and Irish Cheese. Last night there was a series of films about Ireland on TV but sadly I saw very little but I did catch one bit taken in the "English Market" in Dublin (so called, as in earlier days when the Brits ruled Ireland, the locals were too poor to afford the food offered in the market). One of the stall holders said that Ireland had only comparatively recently recognised the potential for exporting their foodstuffs - dairy, meat, fish etc.

On the way to Hawangen, passed through the hamlet of Stephansried and saw two old tractors being used to take away all the grass cuttings being produced by the "Maypole and Tractor Friends of Stephansried" club members. (If you follow the above link, the word "Bulldog" is the common word in Bavaria for tractor named after the first tractor, the "Lanz Bulldog"). This club of old-timer tractor friends has taken it upon themselves to erect and maintain the maypole and surrounding area. Got into a long chat and inspected their wonderful 1954 Fahr and 1952 Deutz.

Then moved on the agricultural supplies merchant in Erkheim to buy some metal fly net for a door at the back of the house. The flies this year seem worse than ever and the dogs can open the door themselves but don't yet know how to close it. A self-closing fly screen should stop this problem. SHOCK HORROR they had run out and nobody had bothered to reorder!

So went for a walk with the dogs in the surrounding farmland and sure enough, came across another Deutz with a small trailer collecting garden refuse. The same model as the one seen earlier but a 1955 version. Fotos of all three on Flickr.  

Back home some more sorting out of beehives before setting off with our "Easter Egg" cock packed in a cardboard box for the farm I was at on Tuesday.

Now, this could get me into trouble. On Monday had talked to my animal loving daughter in Ireland who had just had to put down one of her battery farm rescued hens - heart problems. The vet was very understanding she said, an unusual reaction to her request for "the injection". I have gone a different route with our cock - he was given to us a few months ago by people we didn't know but said he was an easy to handle guy. The reverse turned out to be the case. We have never known anything like it and after both suffering repeated attacks most with blood drawn from our legs, something had to be done especially as our chickens roam freely around the property. Added to this it was quite clear he was working himself up every time he saw us and subsequently followed us around the garden waiting to attack. The farmer I visited last Tuesday is also an animal lover in that he tries to offer them the best conditions possible - his 200 odd sheep do have to have a fence but his geese, ducks & chickens roam freely. However, he does slaughter animals as needed but with the respect due. He had offered to help out.

So 30 minutes after capturing and putting him in the box he was dead and oven ready. The farmer did say I should take the carcass home for Sunday lunch but I wished him a good meal himself. I had the feeling he didn't do it lightly - he had tried calling the tenant on the mobile to get him to do it but he was out on a tractor and didn't hear the phone. Not wanting the cock to be couped up in the box and suffer, he did the deed himself. Kate may take consolation in that the farmer got me to hold the head on the chopping block while he took the blow with the machete - in doing so he caught my thumb, luckily only 2mm deep!

It got rather late by the time I set off homewards and stopped off at the restaurant where I had taken the brass band photos on Tuesday. The restaurant was closed but there was a light on and a group sitting around a table. I knocked on the window and luckily the owner opened up and I could give him a DVD with the photos and videos. He seemed very pleased but didn't invite me in!

At the next village, Markt Rettenbach (featured on last Sunday's Blip) I noticed the Pizza Express take away was still open. Later found out they are open until 11:00 pm all week, amazing for this part of the world. So stopped to get a pizza, As I walked up the stairs, a smell came my way which had nothing to do with pizza, pasta or Valpolicella. My stomach looped the loop and cried out to have whatever it was that was on the stove/oven. Went in and looked at the menu ... pasta and pizza nothing else. I said to the German woman who takes the orders, I don't want either or, I want whatever is being cooked in the kitchen. "Oh can't do that -  the owners are Indian and they have some visitors and have had an Indian meal," I replied I had to have some of it - I am a Brit, my father was in the Indian Army in WWII and raised my on Indian food in Trinidad where half the population were Indian. I simply stood there are refused to order anything Italian and eventually the owner came out and agreed to let me have a portion but would have to wait 20 minutes while he made a fresh naan bread!

Dashed home, poured a beer and thoroughly enjoyed the curry and nan. Angie had long gone to bed so I didn't have to share it! They did say back at the take away that they were considering putting a few Indian items on the menu. Indian restaurants are even more rare in Germany than Cheddar cheese.

Blip is for The Shepherdess and if I could I would try to get you one of the tractors!