First Week of June

The first week of June is over. For me, it was the second week of looking after my neighbours' pets (one cat and two rabbits), and because it was the second week of mid-term school holidays with many of my colleagues and clients away, it was also the second quiet-ish week at work in a row. The weather was a mix of sunshine and rain, plenty of wind, chilly mornings and nights but mostly warm days.

On Monday (1st of June), I arrived home on time from my weekend at O.K.'s. I picked up my neighbours' key from another neighbour who had been taking care of the pets on Saturday and Sunday. All was well except for Neo (the cat) having lost his tracker; the collar is designed so that it opens easily when it catches on a fence or in a dense hedge, avoiding potentially deadly accidents.

Neo was at home and eating with good appetite, and so while it was unfortunate that the tracker was nowhere to be found, we didn't need to worry about the cat.

I enjoyed my customary after-work walk to Benningen.

Tuesday (2nd of June) was uneventfully spent working from home, looking after my furry little charges and NOT going for a walk because of the unpredictable showery weather.

The usual day at the office followed on Wednesday (3rd of June). I had arranged to visit a former neighbour after work (she doesn't know yet that O.K. and I got married), but while I was still at the office, she sent me a text that she had forgotten that she already had an appointment and would not be at home that evening. We quickly agreed on a new date next week, and I took advantage of the sudden gap in my diary and walked home from Zuffenhausen.

That evening, when I was cleaning the rabbit hutch, Neo came running from one of the surrounding gardens, clearly happy to see me. He ate quickly, and then he insisted on being on my lap (for the first time). I sat on the step at the front door, Neo purring loudly as I was stroking and petting him. He closed his eyes, and at first his ears were still twitching and moving when he heard a bird twitter or a rustle in the shrubs, but after maybe five minutes he fell asleep. I sat there with him sleeping soundly on my lap for about half an hour, but when the church bells were chiming 9:00 pm (I had not had anything to eat since lunch at work), I gently woke him up, carried him inside to his refilled food dish, and as soon as he started eating again, I left.

It was a very sweet moment, a proof of trust and affection from the young black cat I've been looking after for a little and probably will do so again next time the family go on holiday.

Believe it or not, but Thursday (4th of June) was another public holiday in Germany - the last until October. Rain was forecast for late afternoon, but the morning was fine, and so I went to my Mum's and we walked the short distance to the gardening club's garden, where they were holding their annual summer fest. We found a table, and I brought our drinks and food for me; we listened to the music, talked to a few people we knew and a bit later were joined by Mum's friend R who had come by bike.

Before we could be caught in a shower, my Mum and I were back at her place where we had coffee and watched some TV together until I went home.

As had become my habit over the last 1 1/2 weeks, I had been over at my neighbours' to take care of the pets twice a day, but on this day, I did not see Neo at all, just filled his dishes.

Friday (5th of June) was the last day I was responsible for the cat and rabbits; the family were to return from their holiday late that night. Neo was in the house when I opened the door. He ate well and then went out with me, but once he realised I was busy cleaning the rabbit hutch, he looked for his own adventures and was gone by the time I finished.

I worked and then did my usual round of cleaning before packing my little red suitcase. The regular train connection was not running that evening, but a good one was going earlier than normal, and so I arranged with O.K. to meet me in Offenburg at 7:00 pm instead of 8:30 pm.

Since it was still sunny and warm then, we decided to have our meal not at the cottage but at a restaurant/beer garden with beautiful views of the area.

The Vosges mountains (France) are on the horizon.

Afterwards, O.K. drove us back into town where we had ice cream for dessert - very nice, and a true "summer feel" to it all.

Because O.K. was gardening around his Mum's house for much of Saturday (6th of June), I busied myself with a few household things, walked to the bank for some cash, walked to the bakery and to the fruit & veg hut just outside the village for fresh strawberries and green asparagus and spent good part of the afternoon resting and reading.

In the evening, O.K. and I went for a walk around the village before we prepared a large tray of oven-grilled vegetables.

Sunday (7th of June) was perfect hiking weather, and that was exactly what we did - not just the two of us, but with a couple of friends for a change. They had suggested the tour, and although I knew some parts from previous hikes, the tour as such was new to me, and I was really looking forward to the day.

We drove a short distance to pick them up and left the car on a parking space near a place called Höllhof ("Hell Farm") - nothing hellish about it, but a well-cared for picturesque cluster of farm and other buildings where aspiring foresters are trained, among other things. It being Sunday, all was quiet of course.

From Höllhof to Kalikutt (an odd name for a restaurant/hotel in the Black Forest, but it's been that for a long time) took us under two hours, and our friends had booked a table for the four of us for lunch, which by that time was welcome :-)

Foxgloves give a splash of colour in the otherwise very green Black Forest this time of year.

Approaching Kalikutt

Looking back at the restaurant; our table was with a view of the forest to the right.

I had Black Forest trout, freshly caught and grilled - very nice!

After our meal, we walked on towards the Moosturm, a place O.K. and I have been to a few times in the past but not since August 2024. You can look at the photos from that day here. Our visit now was almost exactly ten years since my very first visit, as you can see here.

Moosturm

A short rest, and on we went, arriving back at the car mid-afternoon. We drove our friends home and then went home ourselves. Because we'd had such a sumptuous lunch (it is unusual for us to have Sunday lunch, since we mostly have a proper meal in the evening), neither of us felt like eating much that evening. Instead, we sat on the balcony with a well-chilled rosé and snacking on crisps, bits of cheese and tomato, enjoying the evening light.

June has indeed started very well for me, wouldn't you say :-)