Changes

In some ways, not much has changed since last summer...

...although we saw many things change during this year's trip.

June 19 (note the green field, top right...

...which was incredibly radiantly green)

By July 4, the green rye had caught up with the neighboring golden field.

Probably the most significant change--the change that contributed to this being one of the most pleasant visits to Germany ever--was that there were almost no mosquitoes on Helen's hill. I know it sounds trivial, but for those of us with tasty blood and robust histamine responses, this was a big deal. I attribute the palpable change largely to an event a few years ago, when to everyone's great relief except Helen's alas, the most productive mosquito hatchery in all of Steinebach the large rustic wooden tub in which Helen hoarded standing water collected rainwater sprang a leak --Flying Spaghetti Monster be praised!-- and had to be removed. That magnificent stoke of luck loss continues to bear fruit at least had a silver lining. (For a reminder of what it used to be like, see the first ever post on this blog and subsequent mentions. And no, I did not drill any holes; the leak was entirely natural.)