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We left a little bit later than planned but all went well. It was a cool and overcast day most of the time. The up-side of that was no sun in our eyes, the downside was we both realized we have packed for an Arizona summer! We are both hoping that we have cold weather gear in Germany. Like idiots we assumed that we would remember what we had left there last year.
The route was busy but the traffic moved well. Lots of large trucks and enormous trains paralleling our route. The rest stop in LasCruces was exceptional and has been awarded “winning rest stop”. I have no idea what they one but the site is graced with a very large metal roadrunner made from salvaged metal and tools. It sits on a ridge and looks over the Las Cruces valley.
El Paso was something else. CONSTRUCTION everywhere! How people live there I don’t know. There was clearly lots of irrigation supporting orchards (pecans and stone fruits) no wonder the Rio Grande is dry when it gets to Mexico.
Once we left El Paso behind us the countryside became monumental. The overcast light added to the drama of the place. There were mountain ranges to the north and south. The landscape appeared a little greener than our local desert in green Valley. I did see a lot of Ocotillo and yucca plants.
Over the past four years, I have attended three Schützenfeste in Lipperode, Germany. The Schützenfest is a local village-based three-day festival that has its origins in the 15th century, where militias trained for village defense. Nowadays, the shooting is restricted to hitting a wooden target designed in the form of a bird. There are prizes attached to parts of the bird. The person who shoots the last piece of the bird from the target is crowned King and takes over the social activities of the Schützenfest club for the following year. During the three-day festival, there are many parades with marching bands from other villages as well as the host village. Needless to say, beer is the common accompaniment to all these activities. In Lipperode, the “uniform” is a top hat with oak leaves, a white shirt and pants, and a black jacket with a yellow and red sash.
It has taken me several years to feel comfortable at these events, largely due to my impoverished German. However last year, Werner, Andreas’s brother in law took me under his wing and steered me to the good places to get some sketching done. My German can get me started in simple conversations and so I am slowly feeling more comfortable with these events.
Life on my Own Terms 