Let’s catch up!

As we mentioned in our last post, we are taking a few weeks to do some exploring in Europe. As this is our journal, the posts may be a bit lengthy. Due to a very busy schedule, we are not posting photos on the blog but plan to review the hundreds on our phones and add to the posts when we return home.

After an over night flight we arrived in Amsterdam five days ago. We have recovered from jet lag and are enjoying a cruise to Budapest. To date we have visited the UNESCO Heritage windmills in Kinderdijk, Netherlands where the The Cat in the Cradle legend began, Cologne the 4th largest city in Germany that was 90% destroyed in WWII and Koblenz, Germany, another UNESCO city with a sobering Holocaust history. Currently we are cruising through 35 locks on the Main River toward Austria.

As much as we are enjoying the sites, it is the people we are meeting that makes this an incredible trip.

The local tour guides have made the Holocaust and WWII feel real. Although they were not yet born, they have heard the stories and read the accounts from their grandparents. Fifty one year old Ralph in Cologne expressed sincere gratitude for the Allied Forces that freed them from fascism. He wants his 6 and 9 year old daughters to never forget and plans to take them to Auschwitz when they are 16 so they can feel the emotions.

Thomas led our tour in Koblenz. He emphasized the unification of Germany in 1990, stating they learned a valuable lesson of hatred and is pleased they are now friends with France. 

The Viking crew is taking very good care of us and we are making new friends from around the world. As this blog is where we keep our travel memories, we will mention those withwhom we have made special connections.

An lunch the first day we met Toby and Michael from Sandpoint, Idaho. Later, Toby’s parents, Dan and Patty, as well as Aunt Louann joined them. We sat with them at dinner and were introduced to their Canadian friends, Kelly and Todd. Their friendliness and bubbly personalities are contagious. By the end of the evening we were exchanging barbs.

Dinner the next evening was shared with Tony and Debbie from Australia.  They are on a six week European trip; a very friendly and interesting couple with five children and a dozen or so grandchildren to whom they feed every Sunday.

Ed and Suzanne are from Athens, GA. ABN and Suzanne have agreed to meet each morning on the Aquavit Terrace for stretching exercises.

At this point, the most interesting couple are Elena and Pavel, a Romanian couple from Australia who escaped the Communist regime in the 80’s. Their story is one that deserves a separate post which we will share after we know more of the details. 

We still have a lot of friends yet to meet as there are about 200 folks on board. Sixteen are from Canada, 38 from Australia and the rest are mostly from the U.S. The crew come from various countries including Romania, Philipines, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic to name a few. 

More later but for now we are off to the lounge for an informational meeting. 

Change is in the Air

As we conclude our Spring production, we are preparing for out guests in the Summer season. The heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures this past spring have caused a sluggish beginning. So far, just a few hummingbirds have shown up, with only one returning to the feeder.

The Petunias have replace the Pansy Sisters at stage front, The Geraniums have taken their place in the patio boxes, new mulch added to beds, and the crew has put in extra hours planting milkweed, dill, parsley, mint, zinnias, marigolds and other delicacies for the pleasure of our summer guests.

Keeping with our practice to reduce, reuse and repurpose, cardboard from shipping boxes was placed under the mulch

and nonfunctional rain barrels were repurposed as planters

After several years dwelling in the untamed area behind the fence next to the alley, the Garden Fairies have made their way back to their former residence near the craft studio, which is now a community for fairies with disabilities.

The years have not treated them well as evidenced by their broken condition. With the loss of one or more wings, they can no longer fly, but do manage to do a bit of climbing.

Each day begins with an avian concert with Mr. Mockingbird as the lead vocalist. Adding drama to the performances are the Robin Family, 

the Cardinal Family, the House Finch clan and the Love Doves.

Mr. and Mrs. Goldfinch have made an appearance. We don’t know if it was a stop over or if they are still in the ‘hood.’

Speaking of ‘stopping over’, our good friends Juanita and Greg from Maryland stopped by for a couple of nights as they embark on an RV trip following the Lewis and Clark expedition trail.

Y’all, they are genuine globetrotters as they have traveled in Europe, Iceland, Africa, Australia, Canada and the U.S. And they have yet to reach their 60th birthdays!

For those of you with concerns over ‘Roger,’ his heart engine transplant seems to be successful. However, he did develope some incontinence fluid leakage and spent a few days in the clinic shop for repair. This was a bit of a hardship for ABN as she depends on him not only for transportation but to carry heavy bags of mulch, topsoil and other materials. The intervention seems to be successful. Let us be clear, this is ‘Roger.’

With the lull between Spring and the Summer productions, the stage crew are taking time off to explore other venues across the pond. We have been asked if we would be posting our adventure on the blog. It will depend on the quality of the internet and amount of free time. We do plan to post some on Facebook. As this blog is our retirement journal, we will do a detailed post after we return.

For now we say Auf Wiedersehen, Sbohem, Tot ziens, Búcsú.

“All the World is a stage, and all the men and women merely players (and stage hands.)” Shakespeare

The title of this play is Spring featuring Peggy Martin in the starring role for her 18th season.

 Supporting actors include The Yellow Iris Girls,

The Pansies

along with the young Redbud, Dogwood and Mr. Ivy.

Making a brief guest appearance, all the way from Texas, was Monarch playing a variety of roles.

Caterpillar

Chrysis 

and Madame Butterfly

Most of the action in April was backstage where the set is being renovated to accommodate the aging stage hands.

Anticipating a number of guests appearances for the summer season, a buffet of milkweed, herbs, and other host plants and pollinators is being prepared. In the process the compost bin was depleted.

Not to worry, another one is in the works.

Auditions are also being conducted backstage to support veteran ground covers,

Cascade Stonecrop, also known as Sedum Divergens, is a bit slow coming on stage, but once established is very dependable and looks vibrant most of the year.

Creepy Time does very well in spring and early summer, as temperatures increase she looks a bit scruffy but continues to do her job of controlling weeds.

The additional ground covers will also provide assistance to the tired stage hands. 

The finalist are 

Microclover

and 

Creeping Phlox

The stage is set, let the show begin!