Timber

I don't know why Ottobeuren's Maypole was felled but have found a Youtube video from September 2014, showing the last one being toppled. As a rule they are replaced every second year but usually just before the new one is erected. Perhaps Ottobeuren's didn't pass it's annual safety inspection. One thing I didn't further investigate was that the stump seemed to be simply placed in a hole in the ground rather than the normal steel and concrete construction - this may mean the base rots more quickly.

Near the wall of the abbey buildings you might just be able to make out three flags - Vatican:yellow/white, Bavaria: white/blue, EU: dark blue. Not very nationalistic.

Often old maypoles will be sawn up in to small lots and auctioned off for charity. Perhaps that may happen this coming weekend when the town has it's autumn market.

Dog walk in the forest and had a longer chat with another dog walker I vaguely knew. Turned out he knew our house and even been inside - must have been 30+ years ago when he drove past and heard the alarm. He did something in the village and again driving past still heard the alarm and thought he should do something but was somewhat worried as the house is hidden from the road. Braced himself only to find a lady in tears, the nanny who said the alarm had been going for ages, the family were in Munich for the day and she had no idea how to turn the alarm off. They searched the house until they found the box and he cut off the power. The box and siren are still here, the siren is a massive device and I have never tested it! Simply worried that it will cause people to go to their air raid shelters and the fire-brigades from most villages within 10km will roll up.

Not sure if the village fire-brigade were called out to a car accident that must have happened late afternoon just 100m from the house. I didn't hear anything but Angie saw a badly damaged car being lifted when she passed on her way to Ottobeuren at 6pm and I then saw the chalk markings the police put down to mark the position of wheels. Angie called me, anxious about the cats - all four found and Eddie was safely lying on his hot water bottle.