Tag Archives: neighbors

German lifestyle, Hessen, markets

A rare weekly market rendezvous…

Bill took the day off of work today. Our dog, Noyzi, needed some blood work done, and it was going to take a few hours. So, rather than come and go at work, or task me with the job of taking him, Bill stayed home. We did some boring housework, which you can read about on my main blog.

While Bill was at the vet’s, he ran into our neighbor, the veterinarian who owns the practice where we take our dogs. He immediately recognized Noyzi and gave him a pat. Sadly, Bill happened to be there as a family was saying goodbye to a much beloved family member. We lost our dogs, Zane and Arran, here. In fact, Zane’s anniversary is coming up on the 31st. 🕯️ I’m sending warm thoughts to that family. It’s so hard to say goodbye.

It was hard for Charlie to say goodbye to Bill and Noyzi; that’s for sure! He was really upset at being left home with me. He cried, barked, and stayed in the foyer, waiting for them to come back. However, unlike Noyzi, Charlie doesn’t like car rides, and he hates the vet. I think he got the better end of the deal. Noyzi wasn’t thrilled to be at the vet’s today! But he did get a treat.

One unexpected thing that happened today is that I ended up ordering a new steam mop. The one I bought in late 2018, when we were fixing to move from Baden-Württemberg, seems to have bit the dust. It started to heat up, as usual, and then just kind of died. It didn’t die all of the way, mind you. The little green power light was on, and I could feel the electrics trying to heat up. But it just never got there.

I got tired of waiting for our old mop to try to heat up, and broke out the Tineco wet vacuum I bought a few years ago. I cleaned the floors with that. It does do a good job. But I still like having a lighter, less cumbersome steam mop for upstairs. So I ordered one from Paris that will probably get to me in a few days.

Then, after all of that stuff was done, we decided to go to the weekly market in our village. It just started up again after a brief summer pause.

I love the weekly market. One can purchase deli meats and cheeses, fresh breads, fresh vegetables, Middle Eastern goodies, and wine… The ice cream man also comes with his goodies. He has a good sense of humor, speaks English, and offers delicious ice creams. I think he gets a kick out of us, because when we first met him several weeks ago, we said we were hiding out in Germany.

Bill bought some cold cuts and cheeses from a Tyrolean farmer’s market seller. They had a nice conversation in English and German. An older gent asked us if we were British. We told them we’re American. I was flattered that it wasn’t obvious, in spite of my profane t-shirt…

Look carefully. I should probably buy another one.

We also bought a kilo of plums from the fruits and vegetables vendor. We would have bought bread, but the guy was busy, and Bill has an appointment with his Jungian analyst today. So we had some wine and ice cream from the friendly vendor…

As we were enjoying the low key weekly market, which the city manager attended, I was thinking about how lucky we are to live here. People around here mostly know us, but even the ones who don’t are very nice.

The Metzgerei vendor asked if we were new, because he’d never seen us before. I think he’s different from the folks who used to come. We said we weren’t. He kind of good-naturedly ribbed Bill for his attempts at German, then sang “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, when he heard that I’m from Virginia. Of course, Virginia is NOT West Virginia… but that’s okay. It’s a great song. Besides, Bill Danoff, who mostly wrote that song, had not been to West Virginia when he wrote it. The song was actually inspired by drives in Maryland. Germans love it, though. Who wouldn’t love Germanic John Denver’s beautiful tenor voice?

Another elderly gent asked if we were Brits. We said no, we’re American. Bill told him where we live, and he said, “Please come back.”

I did notice that the weekly market seemed a bit sparse… but that might be because it’s August, and people tend to vacation in August. Also, they host it during working hours. It’s hard to go to the market when one doesn’t leave work until an hour before the market closes. But I guess the people who run it sell their wares at bigger markets on weekends, and no one wants to be hanging out on a town square during the dinner hour.

We also saw our old neighbor, Daniel, who stopped to pick up some vegetables. Daniel moved to a smaller, cheaper place following his divorce. He’s a very nice guy. We miss having him near, but it was nice to see him today.

Anyway… I do love our little village, and I’m grateful that we get to live here. We were very lucky, because this was the last house we toured when we were looking, and it popped up the day before we were heading back to Jettingen, back in November 2018, having come up here to look for a place to live. I suspect we were the only ones to tour it when it came up, and you’re damned right we snapped it up quickly. It’s been a GREAT place to live… both in terms of the house, and the town.

Below are a few photos from today.

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Celebrations, German lifestyle, Hessen

Dorfplatzfest 2026…

It’s been pretty hot and dry lately. Bill has been very busy at work, so we haven’t been out and about. Actually, this summer has been pretty devoid of outings. I think part of it is that we’re both getting older and more tired, and going places can be exhausting. Bill and I both got sick in May, and Bill is still coughing a lot from that.

However, if there’s one thing Breckenheim is good for, it’s local events. This weekend, we’re having the Dorfplatzfest, which is a yearly party held in our little village square. This year’s fest started last night, and we had wine, beer, food, and live entertainment. Dr. Konrad Blendinger, our neighbor and veterinarian, was performing with his band.

We have never seen Dr. Konrad Blendinger for vet services, because he mostly works with animals intended for breeding. His wife, who is also a vet, has seen our dogs, as have most of the vets employed at the practice. But since he’s our neighbor, he’s seen Noyzi and Charlie in the neighborhood. I think he admires Noyzi, who can’t be bred, but strikes an impressive pose.

Dr. Blendinger plays guitar and sings, and he’s even written an original song about Breckenheim. I didn’t hear his song about Breckenheim last night, but there were some pretty good covers of classic American songs.

Bill and I didn’t eat at the fest last night, but we did enjoy beer and wine, and good conversation with Germans. One person who sat with us was a man we met several weeks ago. He brought his dog on that first encounter, but left her at home last night. It was pretty hot and busy, and she probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the party as much as we did.

As we were talking, we learned that our new friend grew up in West Berlin. Since he’s Bill’s age, he was born there during the Cold War, when the city was walled in. He said it was like growing up in a prison. I’m sure it wasn’t quite that extreme, but I got point he was trying to make. It was hard to drive anywhere without encountering the Berlin Wall.

Unfortunately, his English skills aren’t quite as extensive as he would have liked, and our German skills are even less sufficient. So it wasn’t easy to get too far in depth about what it was like to grow up when Germany was divided, and Berlin was split into two sections. Our friend also told us that his mother, who had come from Poland, managed to escape to the West by sheer luck. She got on a train before she could be stopped by the guard who had told her that her papers weren’t in order.

I really value conversations with people who have lived through that bygone era in Germany and other countries that were once behind the Iron Curtain. I fear that kind of totalitarianism could one day affect the United States, if we aren’t careful.

Another older man, whose name I didn’t catch, talked to Bill for a long time about traveling in the United States. He knew Gaby and Boris, a older German couple who don’t speak much English, but seem to like Bill and me. I wonder if it’s because we always get to the fests early and score a table. No one wants to sit with us, because we’re Americans, so they’re pretty much guaranteed a place to sit. 😁 I’m kidding, of course. They’re very nice folks, and we always enjoy practicing our crappy German skills with them. And yes, I know I should be fluent by now.

Bill wore a t-shirt I bought for him last year. There’s a picture of Socrates on it, and the quote “Meh… good enough” on it. Under the picture of the philosopher, it says “Mediocrates”. Another acquaintance asked Bill about the shirt, and he explained. I had totally forgotten that I bought him that shirt.

Below are some photos from last night…

He’s the best… and I am a crone.
We sat by the grape vine, and got accosted by wasps!

I don’t think we meant to stay as long as we did. It really was fun, though, and it continues today, starting at 2 o’clock. However, it’s raining right now, so I’m not sure if or when we’ll attend. My liver might appreciate a break. Below are a couple of photos I took of my neighbor’s flowers this week. Sadly, they both now badly wilted because of the hot, dry weather.

The only other thing that happened this week was some random older guy dressed in white banged on the door. I had just gotten out of the shower and wasn’t dressed. I opened the door, and he started speaking rapid fire German. I said, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand you. I have to go.” Then I shut the door. I think I heard him cursing.

I always feel bad doing that, but people who randomly bang on the door are usually wanting to sell something, begging, casing, or otherwise being pests. I don’t like being rude to people, but if I’m at home, minding my own business, and the visitor doesn’t have an appointment to see me, I also don’t feel obligated to interact. Still, it goes against my raising to be so abrupt.

Anyway… we’ll see if we go to the fest today. We might decide to hole up at home and enjoy the rain. We really need it!

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Hessen

Photo dump from last night’s wine stand…

We had absolutely gorgeous weather last night, so Bill and I decided to go to the wine stand. It was our first one in a long while. We were sick in mid June, and then we were in Switzerland. I think the one before our sickness we missed because Bill was in Spain, and I hadn’t wanted to attend the wine stand alone.

We sat in the corner, where we usually sit, waiting for people to show up for the event. Bill got me a Riesling, and himself a Graubürgunder. I think the stand was hosted by a local winery.

Below are some photos I took. We talked to our American neighbors, and I told one of them about my Peace Corps experience in Armenia. She said she’d always wanted to join the Peace Corps, but feared it might not be possible, because her partner is in the military. I explained that military members can join, as long as they aren’t involved in intel… and even if they are, I believe that after some time, they can join if they wish. I actually think the two of them would be great Volunteers, if they were ever inclined to join. But, of course, that all depends on if Trump ruins the Peace Corps with one of his horrific policies.

We also met a man who had a beautiful dog named Stella. Stella is an Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix. She was very friendly to us. I think I won her over with many butt scratches.

The sausages they were selling actually looked really good last night. We probably should have had one.

Sweet Stella!
I love what they did with this bottle.

It was nice to go to the wine stand again, even if I did have to pee like a racehorse at the end. I think tomorrow, there’s going to be a flea market, and the wine stand will be open again.

Hopefully, this week, there won’t be any fires to put out. I think Bill has bought some ribs for our modest July 4th celebration, here at home. I don’t see it as celebrating America’s birthday so much as having a reason to cook some awesome ribs. 😋

It’s crazy that it was so hot last week, and today, it’s just 80 degrees. Last night, it was 76, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I’d love to see this weather stick around, if only because maybe my ankles will stop being so swollen.

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Small colorful houses linked by a complex network of tangled wires.
German lifestyle, Hessen

Like a good neighbor… 🙄 😁

Cool AI depiction of neighborhood relations…

Neighbor relations can be a tricky thing. Bill and I have had our share of moves, and we’ve encountered plenty of people who became our neighbors. We have lived in our current neighborhood since late 2018, and to date, Breckenheim is the neighborhood where we’ve lived the longest as a married couple.

I’ve really liked living here. I often think about how, back in 2018, I was nervous about the prospect of moving. I didn’t like our previous house much, although I did like where it was situated. Our former landlady and I didn’t get along at all, and I hated dealing with her. She could be very toxic. And yet, in spite of that, I was hesitant to move. I worried that the next place would be as bad, or perhaps even worse.

Well, as it turns out, we have enjoyed life in Wiesbaden. Our landlord is our next door neighbor. Although the idea of living next to the landlord initially had made me nervous, I really didn’t need to be concerned. He’s great. He does what needs to be done and we don’t bother each other. He doesn’t freak out over things like dog hair in the doorway, and when something needs to be fixed, he takes care of it promptly, and without negativity.

Yesterday, he came over to tell Bill that he’d ordered us a new refrigerator. It will likely get to us next week, although he and his wife won’t be home. But the landlord has a “guy” who takes care of such things, so the guy will call Bill and arrange a time to change out the fridge. That will mean it will be done before Bill and I go to Switzerland on the 19th.

The landlord even asked us if we minded if the refrigerator was different. Of course not! We just want one that works! He said that only three companies make refrigerators that will fit in the “cabinet” in our kitchen, but he’d bought the best one.

I suspect the kitchen set up in this house is pretty old, and is from an era when it was stylish to hide the fridge with “cabinet” facades. I’d actually love it if the landlord got rid of the cabinet and got us a bigger fridge, but then we’d have less storage space. We do need the storage space, because German houses don’t have closets. Instead, they typically use Schranks (portable cabinet/wardrobe).

Anyway… hopefully next week, we’ll have our new fridge, and that will mean we won’t have to go to the basement to get our cold stuff. That will be a good thing.

Now… on to the next neighbor story…

Back in January, our little cul-de-sac was abnormally packed with cars. People were visiting their loved ones for the holiday season, which made the street especially and uncharacteristically crowded.

One night, Bill was coming home from work, and our neighbor, who works at a car dealership, had parked one of his employer’s cars in an unusual spot, and that made it difficult to squeeze past and reach our house.

Bill was trying to get to our driveway, and as he passed the neighbor’s house, he accidentally traded paint with the neighbor’s employer’s car. Because he’s a very honest guy, Bill immediately told our neighbor what had happened. Our neighbor, who is a really nice guy from Italy, had answered the door in his bathrobe, and was pretty understanding. Bill told him to let him know what the damage was, and he’d pay for it.

Months passed with no word. Then I went to the mailbox yesterday, and found a handwritten note in German, along with an estimate for the damages done to the car. The note was cheerful and apologetic, explaining that the estimate had been sitting in a desk drawer since January.

The damages came to about 1900 euros after tax. Because we’re Americans on SOFA status, we can use a VAT form to get the taxes removed. Bill said he’ll call our neighbor today and come to an arrangement.

Yeah, it is an expensive bill, and it took a really long time to get it. And it could be argued that the car got scratched, in part, because it was blocking ingress to our driveway. But then, we shouldn’t be surprised it took so long to settle this. It took the local hospital a full year to send us a bill for my 2024 colonoscopy. 🤷‍♀️

Bill will probably just pay the bill in full… because he can, and because he’s honest. And we want to show people over here that while our country is a bit messed up right now, not all Americans are assholes. Next time the neighbor parks in an unusual spot that makes parking difficult, Bill will just knock on his door and get him to move.

In spite of all of this inconvenient stuff that has happened, this neighborhood is probably the one where I’ve felt the most like I was part of a community. I also can’t ignore the fact that living here was a good financial decision. There was a time when a bill like the one we got yesterday would have sent us into heart palpitations. But at least for now, it’s not a big deal. We really have been blessed.

Edited to add: Our neighbor talked to Bill and said he gets a 35% employee discount that perhaps could be applied to the total… If that is possible, it would be out of sight, dude. 🥰

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anecdotes, Hessen

A sweet moment on yesterday’s walk…

I took the featured photo a couple of weeks ago, while passing one of the many beautiful gardens in my neighborhood.

It’s finally Friday, which means Bill will be coming home from his latest trip tomorrow. I would have liked to have gone with him to Spain for the past week or so, but it’s probably better that I didn’t. This particular business trip has been very busy for him. He has said that he’s made a few new Spanish military friends, though, which is nice to hear.

A few more photos from my neighbor’s garden…

Last night, while we were chatting, I told Bill about a sweet moment I experienced yesterday, while walking the dogs. If you are a regular reader of the travel blog, you might remember that back in March, I had an upsetting encounter with students at a school near our home. At the time, I didn’t realize that the old elementary school in our neighborhood had been turned into a school for kids with special needs.

On that day, I was walking Noyzi and Charlie, and ran into a group of kids coming down a narrow little “Weg” near the school and our house. I was on my way up, and they were on their way down. Unbeknownst to me, there was a girl in that group who was deathly afraid of dogs. One of the kids had said something to me, but I couldn’t hear or understand him.

I kept walking, and they all started screaming at me. I got really angry and screamed back in English, which shocked them into silence. Then their teacher explained and apologized. It was awkward, and I was really rattled afterwards.

Well… almost three months have since passed since that encounter, and I’ve mostly avoided any other altercations with the kids at the school. Then yesterday, as I was walking back toward the “Weg”, I heard a group of them walking down the street, headed toward our Dorfplatz.

Most days, I do a loop from my house, down the hill, around the block next to the Dorfplatz. Then, I often walk back through the Dorfplatz on the other side and head back up the hill. At the top of the hill is the street where the school is, and where Bill and I live.

I was in kind of an irritated mood. There are a lot of cars near the Dorfplatz, and I had just dodged several of them, trying to walk the dogs. I also had to avoid cars passing as I bent down to clean up one of Noyzi’s large dumps. He had suddenly dropped a load on the side of the street. Noyzi was in the street, because we’d just had to navigate around a bunch of low slung posts, that, I guess, are meant to keep people from parking on the side of the Dorfplatz, but are a real pain to walk around with dogs on leashes. The leashes often get snagged on the posts.

When I saw and heard the group of kids headed for the school, I hung back, just in case any of them feared the dogs. The last thing I was in the mood for was being screamed at again by a bunch of youngsters with special needs.

Then, as I waited on the Dorfplatz, the group of kids started to cross the street. I noticed one of them, a boy of about twelve or so, had seen the dogs and me. He offered a sincere warm smile and a wave. I was immediately moved, so I smiled and waved back, and he smiled even bigger. 🥰

That brief moment really warmed my heart, and helped propel me back home with a boost of positive energy. I also immediately realized why some people love working with children who have special needs. Sometimes they can really surprise you with a pureness of heart and genuine innocence that is completely disarming.

I hadn’t realized how much I really needed that little mental boost, and the warm fuzzies that came with it. Lately, I’ve been feeling pretty fatigued with everything. I love Germany and I really appreciate living here, but sometimes I would kind of like to go “home”… Then I realize what’s currently going on at “home”, and conclude that I would rather stay here. 😬 Germany is wonderful, and in many ways, it does feel more like home than it used to, but sometimes I do miss being in my homeland… at least the way it used to be before the Trump invasion.

Lately, it’s been hard to stay optimistic… and I was pretty upset after that initial encounter with those kids in March, followed by the workman who brazenly showed me his “junk” while standing on my neighbor’s unfinished balcony. But that one warm smile from a friendly boy in a group of youngsters was like a balm for lonely old me…

That young lad doesn’t know it, but he really brightened my day. ♥️. A warm smile and a wave from a stranger can be like a precious gift sometimes. It definitely helped me dispel some of my recent cynicism about life.

Incidentally, here are a few photos I took on a walk I took on the longer route, the other day… I noticed some of my neighbors are doing some beautification projects– painting and remodeling and such.

Well, tomorrow afternoon, Bill will finally be home at last. I look forward to seeing him. Being home alone for over a week, with no one to talk to, is hard sometimes. But, at least I have my dogs, even though they drop stinky loads on the street that I have to clean up while dodging cars. 😏

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German lifestyle, Hessen, United States

Photos from last night’s wine stand, and the last thing I have to do for my driver’s license…

Today, we have to go to Ramstein and visit the optometry store, so I can get one last requirement for an updated Texas driver’s license fulfilled. For some reason, Texas is now requiring people to get peripheral vision tests. I have never, in the 38 years I’ve had a driver’s license, had to get this particular test done for a renewal. I’m not even sure if every Texas driver has to do it now. But anyway, the local optometry clinic can’t do that test, so we have to go to Ramstein. Hopefully, we’ll get it done; I’ll pass (which shouldn’t be a problem); and my new license will soon be on its way.

This week, we sent the people in Texas a properly filled out form, and proof that I’m a Texas resident. That also turned into a bit of an ordeal, because I never got my updated voter card, which is the one other document I have that proves I vote in Texas and am, therefore, officially a resident. I think things got messed up when I tried to vote in the primaries, earlier this year, and unwittingly changed the address on the paperwork to our old house in Texas, rather than my mother-in-law’s apartment. So, although Bill got his voter card, I never got mine. It probably went to our old address.

Fortunately, I was able to prove my status because I could go to the Texas Secretary of State’s Web site and find myself listed as an active Texas voter. BUT– in order to do ANY of this shit, you pretty much must use a VPN. It’s like the people of Texas have forgotten that there are a lot of military affiliated people who reside in their state and need to stay in touch with state officials. They don’t ever mention needing a VPN, so you kind of have to figure it out for yourself, which can be pretty annoying.

I often forget about the need for a VPN, so it can be frustrating trying to get stuff like this done. VPNs also typically cost money. I don’t understand why they have to block people from foreign countries, since anyone can get a VPN to circumvent that shit, anyway. People with nefarious purposes will certainly be doing that, or something worse, to get at that boring bureaucratic data.

Anyway… after breakfast, our plan is to head to Ramstein so I can get that last bit accomplished and maintain my legal right to drive. Updating my license has been more of a pain than usual; that’s for sure! I needed new photos, money to pay for the license, an expanded eye test, paperwork, and proof of residence. Phew… but at least I didn’t have to stand in line at the actual office.

Moving on…

Last night, our village had a wine stand. It was hosted by the fire department, and was very well attended. I got some photos, and we had a nice visit with people in our neighborhood, Gabby and Boris. They are always so nice to us, but they don’t speak much English. We had to ask their names again, because we don’t see them often enough to remember… although I never forget their kind faces, and I also remember that Gabby’s birthday is in June, like mine is!

The wine was the usual stuff… Rieslings, Cabernets, Feinherbs, and a few non-alcoholic choices. We stayed for a couple of hours, and by the time we left, it was really busy! I love these wine stands, and the sense of community that I feel here. It’s a great way for people to mingle with their neighbors, and prevent loneliness. We feel welcome, and it’s such a blessing to know that no gun nuts are going to show up and be violent… which is more than we can say for our homeland…

I never noticed this tree blooming before. How pretty!
Flashy fire department van!

Well… I’m sure we’ll have an interesting experience in Ramstein today. Please wish me luck on getting this last bit of my driver’s license saga accomplished! I look forward to having one last thing to worry about on a long list of things to worry about…

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Hessen

A lovely wine stand last night…

Happy Saturday, y’all. Bill has to go to Greece on Monday, and he’ll be back Friday, I think. It will be a boring week for me, but maybe I can work on some music projects I’ve been wanting to do. Or maybe I’ll even make a travel video, or two…

For now, though, I want to write about last night’s wine stand. We had really nice weather, so there was an excellent turn out. I believe the stand was hosted by Breckenheim’s bike club. I don’t know for sure, but all of the folks in the kiosk were wearing black t-shirts with bikes on them.

We ran into our American neighbors last night, a same sex couple who live near us and have two kids. I had already run into one of them three times, as I walked the dogs yesterday. They ended up sitting near us, and we caught up on things. Prior to their arrival, we were just sitting quietly at a table, drinking wine. They didn’t have too many that were dry, last night.

Another American couple, their kids, and it looked like maybe the grandparents, also sat near us. We haven’t met that couple. In fact, I only know that the female half of it is from the US. She made it plain that she’s American, because she was wearing a t-shirt that featured a brewery chain that was founded in my home state of Virginia. They seemed to leave rather abruptly. I noticed it was just after I took a photo of Bill, laughed and said a touch too loudly that he looked constipated. 🤣

As they were leaving, I leaned over to Bill and said, “I guess they thought they were the only gays in the village.” (a reference to Little Britain, which is a hilarious British show we discovered the first time we lived in Germany) I don’t know if that’s actually why they left, but it wouldn’t be the first time I turned someone off by saying something “shitty”. 🤭

Or maybe it was just a coincidence that they left after I revealed where we are from… 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, we caught up with our neighbors, and just after we left, that American guy Alan, whom we met a few weeks ago, also showed up. But by the time he got there, we needed to pee, and didn’t want to use the toilet in the Dorfplatz. So we left… But I did get a few photos. Notice how packed it got! We also had some Spundekäs, which is a local delicacy up here in Hessen/Rheinland Pfalz. I’ve never seen it offered in the Stuttgart area.

Our neighbors said Alan had told them he’d met us, but he got our names wrong and called us “Brad and Janet”. We broke into the Rocky Horror Picture Show song, “Dammit, Janet”. 🤣 And we talked about how we managed to see that movie acted out. It’s not so easy, these days, to find showings of Rocky Horror, where people act out the scenes as the movie plays. I saw it presented that way just once, back in the early 90s, at the Naro Expanded Cinema in Norfolk, Virginia.

Constipated?

I do really enjoy living in Breckenheim. It’s a nice place to be, even if some of the people who build houses here are perverted. By the way, I’ve been working hard to avoid seeing that guy, and I’ve succeeded, as far as I can tell. Or maybe he got fired. I don’t know, but as long as he’s not exposing himself to me, it’s all good.

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Charlie and Noyzi, crime

Ducks, dicks, and degenerates… He did it again. 🤬

In my last post, I wrote about an unfortunate encounter the dogs and I had with a pervert who is helping to build a new home on our street. That experience freaked me out a bit, and I hoped it was a “one off”. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Yesterday, I walked Noyzi and Charlie again. It was a relatively pleasant day, although it was a bit cooler and more overcast than it was on Thursday. I was taking the dogs out later, because I got busy on a music project and had technical difficulties that delayed me. So, it was around 1:45 PM when the dogs took their walk yesterday. I was relieved to see several people working on the house yesterday when I passed it. There were even a couple of teenagers doing some work there.

My usual route takes me over a bridge that spans over a creek. I was happy to see the ducks in the creek, so I took a few photos. The ducks usually seem to come out more at this time of year, which results in some very nice photo opportunities.

As I passed the house again, on my way home, I looked up on the balcony, and there was that guy again. I wasn’t sure it was him at first, but he smiled at me and said “Hallo.” He had his pants up, much to my relief.

I said a curt “Hallo” and hurried home. I took a shower, changed into something more comfortable, and ate lunch. As I was cleaning up the lunch dishes, I noticed the trash receptacles were stinky from salmon packaging Bill threw in there. So, even though the bins weren’t full, I decided to empty them. As I was walking back to the house, I looked up, and I saw that worker, once again, very confidently lower his pants while standing on the unfinished balcony.

My jaw dropped as, once again, I witnessed this man apparently urinating up there, his junk on full display for everyone to see. Across the street from our house is a home with a balcony. The male half of the couple living there was on the balcony putting up a shade. He was fixated on the shade, and apparently didn’t notice what was going on across the street.

I watched the worker for a minute or so. He was not at all in. a hurry or worried about who would see him. As I passed the house yesterday, I confirmed that anyone could see him standing there with his private parts hanging out. There is no solid barrier to block the view.

I looked outside again a little while later, to see if he was still exposing himself from the balcony. I didn’t see him then, but when I went out on our front balcony, I looked over to that house and took a photo. I looked down, and the guy was there by his car, looking up at me. I wonder if he thought I took a picture of him. I didn’t… but below, you can see what the balcony looks like from our house, and from just under it, where I saw the man’s genitals.

From my house’s front balcony. There is no barrier preventing anyone from seeing on the balcony.
This was about where I was standing when I saw the man peeing. He was between the two far left pillars on the balcony. The scaffolding did not block the view.

I told Bill about what happened, and I’m considering filing a police report. I don’t want to invite trouble, but that house is right next to a school. There are kids and elderly people who live in this neighborhood. Above all, I DON’T WANT TO SEE THIS PERSON’S PRIVATE PARTS! It’s annoying, creepy, shocking, and disgusting. I shouldn’t have to tolerate that shit. It’s a CRIME.

We did have a good wine stand last night, even though it was a bit chilly. That very friendly elderly German couple joined us last night, and we tried to speak terrible German with them. I showed them some pictures from our wedding, and a few from my horsey days. The lady saw a photo of my mom and asked if that was my sister! I’ll have to tell her about that. It will make her day! I got a couple of photos of a plane passing, too… We’re right on the flight course to Frankfurt.

Today, I have plans to go on post, get an eye exam and a passport photo, and pick up a couple of items I need. Texas has told us we can renew my driver’s license by mail, since we’re still living out of state. That’s a relief, because I don’t want to have to go back to Texas just to update my license, and I don’t particularly want to trade my license for a German version. Let me just say, it was a real PITA to get a live person in Texas to tell us this was going to work. AI is a pox on customer service. But at least I’ll still be legal to drive after my birthday in June.

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A man standing on a rooftop terrace looking out over city buildings at dusk
Hessen

I sure didn’t need to see THAT! 🤬

The AI image is not of our neighborhood, nor of the man in question. But, you kind of get the idea.

Listen, I know I’m pretty relaxed when it comes to public nudity. If I’m expecting it– say, we’re at a nude spa, or something– it’s not a big deal. And I’ve seen lots of men peeing on the side of the road, but they usually have the decency to turn their backs toward any traffic so no one has to look at their junk.

Bill and I live in a nice neighborhood, but every once in awhile, we see something we weren’t expecting to see. That just happened to me, as I was walking Noyzi and Charlie. We were about two or three minutes from our house. I was focused on getting the dogs past a lady who was walking her apparently very shy dog.

The sunrise today, not very far from the site of the disgusting deed…

Just as we passed the lady and her dog, I happened to look up at the impressive looking balcony being built on a new row house on our street. There was an old building with two apartments, and before they tore it down, a garage that was separate from the house. Now, a new place is being built where the garage once stood. It looks like there’s a double garage that takes up the bottom of the flat, a large room with the generous balcony is on the upper floor.

As we were passing this new construction, I happened to see a man in a white shirt. I’d just heard him sneeze before I actually saw him. I said “Hallo” as we walked closer, and my eyes happened to see what he was doing. The man’s pants were down, and I could quite easily see his penis. He smiled at me, said “Hallo”, and then, apparently, just whizzed right there as we walked past. It was a bit shocking.

I guess he must have a bucket or something up there, although there is a port-a-john on the property. I’m sure it’s more pleasant to pee outside on a sunny day, than use the port-a-john. Still, I sure didn’t want or need to see that guy’s pecker today, or the weird expression on his face as he relieved himself on my neighbor’s evolving balcony. I’m never going to be able to look at it in quite the same way again, after that experience. He could have at least turned away from the street or waited until I passed. 🤮 🤢

I hope he at least feels better after traumatizing me with the memory of seeing his dick while passing the balcony… 😬 I don’t know if the guy is German. He wasn’t sitting to pee, so maybe not. 😏

Edited to add: Now I wonder if he was just jerking off. Why would he pee up there? I am considering calling the police. If I see it again, I will.

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Hessen

The first wine stand of 2026…

Last night, our little town had its first wine stand of 2026. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts about wine stands in Breckenheim, these community gatherings are held every other Friday night in the warm(er) months. They are usually hosted by clubs or special interest groups. It’s election season right now, so last night’s stand was attended by local politicians… a couple of whom happen to be our neighbors.

I had been looking forward to the wine stand. I enjoy hanging out in the Dorfplatz, drinking local wines, and sometimes chatting with people who deign to speak to Auslanders. However, last night, I did give a passing thought to not attending, because the weather was damp and chilly. I also wondered how we’d be received, thanks to our insane POTUS who keeps doing things to piss off our allies and alienate everyone in the world.

When I saw that it wasn’t raining at 6:00 PM, I told Bill we should go and have a glass… maybe stay a short while. Naturally, that’s not how it turned out for us. 😄 In fact, last night’s wine stand was kind of fun! We just had to wait a while for it to really begin. Below are a few photos I took before the party started.

It took several tries to light the candles because it was windy!

We talked to our former neighbor, Daniel, who moved a few months ago after his divorce. Then, a group of friendly Breckenheimers showed up and asked if they could join us. One of them was a very talkative gentleman who spoke English and told us his daughter has lived in England for the past 30 or 40 years. He had with him his partner– not wife, as she explicitly told me, when I said that last night was the anniversary of the night Bill and I got engaged in 2002. She said she’d been married before, and was left in a good situation, so she wanted to stay independent. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. In some cases, not getting married is better. But, if I had done that, it’s likely that I would be living in the U.S., working for Door Dash, or something.

There were a couple of other women and another older man with them, and they were a lot of fun to chat with. My worries about being an American in Europe– at least at this particular place in Europe– were unfounded. 😏 🤭 Then, the English speaking gent stood up and said he was going to get a bottle of Sekt for us to share. When he came back, he had two other men with him. One was an American guy from Maine named Alan (or Allen), who told us he’d been living in Germany since the 1980s!

I only said one word to get this evil grin. 😈

He and Bill started talking, and Alan said he had come to Hessen with the Army and decided he didn’t want to leave. So he worked as a contractor at Clay Kaserne, where Bill works. Then he later got out of contracting, and worked for Lufthansa. He did other things and made a life here with his wife. The other guy was German, and he actually told us he thought Trump was going to be better than Kamala Harris… But then I got the impression that he’s since changed his mind.

We learned that Alan was here when Bill was, back in the 80s, when the Berlin Wall fell. And he’s maybe a year or two older than Bill is. I think they really hit it off– turns out he also knows our neighbors, also from the United States. But then, our neighbors seem to know everybody! I, on the other hand, have become pretty obscure.

The ladies at our table were surprised when we said we’ve been here for seven years. They said they hadn’t seen me around. I guess they never saw me walking the dogs through the neighborhood. Noyzi and Charlie are not as loud as Zane and Arran were, so we attract less attention, even though they are an unusual sight– Noyzi is a really big dog, and Charlie is a little dude.

We finally left the wine stand at about 8:30 or so, because I really needed to pee, and it didn’t look like they’d bothered to open the public toilet. I think the toilet is still a big topic of controversy in Breckenheim. I love that that’s the biggest issue around here. 😆

I’m glad we went to the wine stand last night. It seemed like a good omen to meet a fellow American who has been in Germany for so long and totally assimilated. He seemed delighted to meet us, too. And though we will be in Paris the next time they have a wine stand, I look forward to running into Alan and the other folks, again. They were nice to talk to, and made me feel better about the past couple of weeks.

I felt the same way last night as I did in the summer of 2014, when Bill and I went to Bacharach, on the Rhine, on the last day of our last hurrah military “hop”. We sat in our now favorite Biergarten, and I said, “I feel like we’re going to move back to Germany.” And sure enough, six weeks later, that’s exactly what we did. I can be pretty intuitive sometimes… Of course, I couldn’t know in 2014 that we’d end up moving to a town less than an hour’s drive from Bacharach, which was the first German town I ever visited. Maybe things are coming full circle.

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