This Time it's Bye-Bye For Real
Published for Tuesday - May 13, 2025
Written Sunday - 05/11/25 06:00 PM
This time it's bye-bye for real. I went back and added a blog for the Germany trip. But then I realized that this was all I wanted to add.
I'm well beyond adding blogs that have already been added in years past and I'm not really interested in further posts.
I'm getting tired of taking pictures but don't want to double up and reuse previous pictures. It's really time to call quits it and say bye-bye.
The internet just went down so that seems to confirm my intentions. This will be the end of my blogging. Later my friend!
Dishwasher
Published for Monday - May 12, 2025
Written Saturday - 05/10/25 02:45 PM
I had to leave for Germany with a situation involving the dishwasher. That's never fun to do but I knew I could get it fixed upon my return and so I put it out of mind for the trip. For some reason it was not draining out the old water.
Upon my return, I called my handyman and asked for an honest response to the question about his experience repairing dishwashers. Mike was honest with me but also referred me to a cracker jack repairman with reasonable prices. Mr. Clevenger was his name.
Upon calling Mr. Clevenger Wednesday night as I returned from Germany I was left with a message that he would be out of pocket until Monday morning. I called and left a message. I also purchased plastic cups and forks and foam plates and bowls. I figured this would get me through to Monday and Mr. Clevenger's return.
I must say that doing the dirty dishes manually was quite a wake-up call for me.
Mr. Clevenger showed up around 6 PM Tuesday evening and an hour of repair was all that it took. He found a lot of paper in the system and proceeded to do a clean- up on the entire system. This included running a full run with citric acid to do a complete clean-up. He did a great job and I was very pleased with both the cost and the result. And boy was it nice to use the dishwasher again.
By Wednesday afternoon we were back to normal and was it ever a pleasure to be fixed up.
In the meantime I knew Patty was going to be moving to add a dog to the family. And sure enough that's what is taking place. I was a bit surprised when she mentioned going to the pound but she indicated she just could not see herself spending the big bucks to purchase a Golden Retriever. After attempting to assure her that spending the money was okay with me, I gave in to her vision.
I guess we will be doing our dog finding journey locally and much more cost effectively.
Meanwhile, Jonathan and Amy are coming by to take us out to lunch. It promises to be a lot of fun and it will be great to see them and to catch up.
Follow-up
Published for Sunday - May 11, 2025
Written Friday - 05/09/25 04:45 AM
That's it for the trip to Germany. Now it's time to move on to the next season.
Rocking Chair
Well, Patty's rocking chair came with terrible assembly instructions. I wound up using
the wrong screws for the wrong things and now I can't go back.
Patty wants to give it all to Jonathan to see if he can do anything with it.
I would be just for tossing it but will see what, if anything, Jonathan can do.
The holes are too big and stripped out. I'm really let down by the whole thing.
Garbe Restaurant
Published for Saturday - May 10, 2025
Written Saturday - 05/03/25 07:30 AM
On our last day with the Snow family, we joined them to eat out at the Garbe Restaurant. Pictured is what I had (Trout) except that it came with a nice side salad of tomatoes and cucumbers and a vinegar based dressing.
Everyone else had the roast beef and gravy and those were also excellent dishes. We all enjoyed beer and wine and a bottle of sparkling water and a bottle of regular water.
The girls and the grandsons decided to walk to the restaurant but Josh and I drove to the location. Needless to say the walk wasn't very far and those who walked got there just ahead of those of us who had to grab the car.
They were only serving outside which worked out perfectly for us. That was our desire all along. Oh, and for dessert we finished up with a Plum Tart and Creme Brule. Both were shared among everyone and were amazing.
All of us watching the drone take our picture up on the 22nd floor.
This is the grandsons and the girls walking to Garbe's.
Taken with Josh's hi res cell camera from their 22nd floor home.
Patty and I at Garbe's.
Easter
Published for Friday - May 09, 2025
Written Saturday - 05/03/25 07:30 AM
Our stay with the Snow family fell upon Easter weekend and Allie had the egg coloring kits ready to roll.
France
Published for Thursday - May 08, 2025
Written Saturday - 05/03/25 07:30 AM
Patty indicated that she wanted to visit France so we traveled to Strasbourg. There we took in a large Catholic Cathedral that was quite a sight to see. It was the Strasbourg Cathedral aka Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg.
I also purchased a Strasbourg ball cap and have greatly enjoyed it.
The Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg, also known as Strasbourg Minster, is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely considered to be among the finest examples of Rayonnant Gothic architecture.
The maximum height of the cathedral is 32.6 meters or 107 feet and the length is 112 meters or 367 feet.
It is generally open to the public from 8:30 AM to 5:45 PM with a ninety minute lunch break from 11:15 AM to 12:45 PM. Parking was terrible but then again we went on a Saturday, so we should have anticipated it. The wind was also cold and gusty.
Patty's Heritage
Published for Wednesday - May 07, 2025
Written Saturday - 05/03/25 07:30 AM
Patty had wanted to visit a grave site at Urloffen to see some of her relatives. We made our way to Urlofen and Josh did his magic with the drone.
There he featured the entire area, including St. Michaels Catholic Church in Urloffen. Also captured by Allie were still images at the church and of mom's relatives gravesites.
I need to apologize up front but had difficulty downloading the video described today and also had some problems with spacing of text below images as will be seen on the May 10th post.
Black Forest
Published for Tuesday - May 06, 2025
Written Saturday - 05/03/25 06:45 AM
On yet another day during our stay we made a long drive to visit the Black Forest part of Germany. There I visited a cu-cu-clock factory and was able to find a German beer stein with a metal lid that I really liked and purchased.
We also had lunch at a nice restaurant and toured the town (mostly in the rain.) Once again I was not able to safely navigate the terrain and Josh stayed back with me. Together, and for the most part, we managed to avoid the rain.
The Black Forest is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany. It is bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is the source of the Danube and Neckar rivers.
Dachau Concentration Camp
Published for Monday - May 05, 2025
Written Friday - 05/02/25 03:15 PM
On yet another day during our stay we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp. A lot of walking was involved over gravel roads so Allie very kindly borrowed a golf cart type vehicle for me to use.
We made our way around the facilities and, as much as possible, I used the ramps to enter the buildings when and where appropriate. Even now, there is a very heavy spirit remaining over the camp. So much so that there were times where we had to just stop and pray for the deceased inmates.
After all was said and done, we made our way to a nearby McDonalds for a
cool-down meal. What a treat and a blessing that was to enjoy that meal after
a busy day.
Cinco de Mayo
Written Saturday - 05/04/25 07:20 PM
Despite the review of Germany, I don't want to pass 'Cinco de Mayo' without a mention.
After all, I'm a big fan of Mexican food and it happens to also celebrate our arrival
to Crawfordville, Florida and to the house on the gulf.
Around here, Cinco de Mayo is a big day for a lot of reasons. That's why it earns a
mention here.
Hohenzollern Castle
Published for Sunday - May 04, 2025
Written Friday - 05/02/25 12:20 PM
On another day, Patty and I joined Josh, Allie, and the grandsons to visit the Hohenzollern Castle. It's located in Bisingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
We parked in a parking lot farther down the hillside and were shuttled by van up to the castle. We were able to walk around and Josh and I enjoyed the beer garden and some curry werstern with fries.
My kind daughter, Allie, also purchased a beer stein with a picture of the hilltop castle. I was not as able to get around as the others and Josh very kindly stayed back with me so that the girls (and grandsons) could see all that they wanted to see.
Storms
Written Saturday - 05/03/25 07:50 AM
We had some major storms last night and it looks like the rain is picking up where it
left off yesterday (minus the wind.)
The evidence of the storms is clear for all to see. We have some limbs down from that
dead tree. And, we have plenty of other rubbish down from other outside life.
Looks like the neighbor had some problems too. They had a pretty large team of guys
working when we returned from our trip to Germany. They had a truck load of pine
stuff and were in the back yard finishing up.
Day 2
Published for Saturday - May 03, 2025
Written Friday - 05/02/25 06:55 AM
Our first day in Germany was also an introduction to the Audubon. To be honest Allie did not want us to have to ride the train to and from the airports (Frankfurt to Stuttgart and vice versa.)
The Snow family had a very bad experience on the trains (having to sit on the floor - even with reservations for seats.) This bad experience was confirmed by a couple of men waiting in line with us for our flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt. They said to stay away from the trains.
We left Atlanta Wednesday afternoon around 4:05 and arrived in Germany Thursday morning at 7:00 AM. We were greeted warmly by Josh and Allie and took a 2 hour ride, mostly on the Audubon, to their home in Stuttgart.
The big treat on day 2 (Friday evening) was dinner at a very nice restaurant (Carl's Brauhaus.) Allie had been bragging to me about the food and could not wait for me to be introduced to it. There I discovered Weiner schnitzel with noodles and mushroom gravy.
I had not understood all of the hype about meat and gravy but now I am a true believer and I understand completely. We took home many left-overs and enjoyed them at a later time during our stay.
Josh and I discovered 'Dunkel' or Germany's great dark beer. It became our beer of choice for the rest of the trip and a staple to our diet.
Taken from the internet:
People also ask, what kind of beer is a dunkel?
AI Overview
A Dunkel is a German-style dark lager. The German word "dunkel" translates to "dark," and these beers are characterized by their dark color, typically ranging from amber to dark brown, and a smooth, malty flavor. They are known for their balanced profile, often featuring notes of chocolate, bread crust, and caramel.
Here's a more detailed look at Dunkel:
Type: German-style dark lager.
Color: Dark amber to dark brown.
Flavor: Balanced malt profile with notes of chocolate, bread crust, and caramel.
Other notable characteristics: Relatively low bitterness and a smooth, malty flavor.
Popular in: Bavaria, Germany, where it was historically the most popular beer style.
Stuttgart Germany
Published for Friday - May 02, 2025
Written Thursday - 05/01/25 06:55 PM
Day one in Stuttgart, Germany was a treat, especially passing by the Mercedes-Benz Museum. (pictured above.)
Allie is a master Mexican dish preparer and I told her the only thing I wanted from her during the 2 week trip was one of her famous Taco Meals with her special chips and salsa recipe. It was only much later in the trip that I was also introduced to her amazing 'Mango salsa' alongside a basil, tomato, and mozerella cheese hors d'oeuvres topped with a rich balsamic vinegar.
In typical Allie style the Tacos were there the first evening waiting on me. Was it ever good! That was one of many treats that she prepared for the two weeks and far from all she had planned for mom and me.
The entire family introduced us to 'flip the deck - Uno.' It was a lot to keep up with - that is until I was introduced to 'Catan.' The only way I could truly participate in that game was to be a partner with a very good player who well understood all of the rules and had a good feel for the game's strategy.
But Wait! There's More!
Published for Thursday - May 01, 2025
Written Thursday - 05/01/25 06:30 AM
Wait! Don't go yet!
I know. You thought I said bye. But I'm saying hello again. I changed my mind.
The trip to Germany was amazing and I want to blog about it. And I want to reactivate the blog thereafter.
So, here goes!
I'm sorry. I just didn't think my blog exit through. I need a do-over.
Like I said. Here goes.
Copyright © 2025 Hutch DeLoach