Another Silver Lining To Our Staying At Home.

Our volunteer firemen shine.

Just after lunch I looked out the window and saw a barrage of heavy black smoke pirouetting across the top of our neighbour's roof, more than the normal ' burning of backyard twigs ' would make. Add to that the high wind speeds we've been having all day. Yikes, it needed investigating.

Walking up our garden I soon realized that it indeed was a proper fire and hotfooted it back inside to phone my neighbour, whose parents live near where the plumes of smoke were emitted. She told me that the news had spread and that the fire was in someone else's yard and that the siren had been sounded.

Taking a warm jacket I hastily walked up the road to see and stumbled upon what seemed like most of our village looking on and almost the whole fire department at work in their respective gear, holding the high pressure hoses while dousing a burning garden shed. Gosh, the flames were stubborn and I must admit to having a twinge of fear lest sparks made it to our barn or house.

Most of our firemen must have been attending ( Bob couldn't because he was at work a long way away ) and thus tamed the beast soon enough. Thank goodness for all of us being quarantined at home because on normal days hardly any of the volunteer firemen would be at home.

A little while later I had to head out to Deutsch Schüzten for my afternoon food deliveries and couldn't help but smile when I passed the fire station...there they were, everyone's cars parked hastily but orderly on the verges showing that most came to help as soon as the siren was sounded. A huge thank you to our fire department because without them it could have been horrid, and definitely not what we need at a time like this...

P/S: It was great to see all the spectators keeping their two meters of distance from each other.

Biggi

A Sunday Filled With Knives And Forks.

...only in Eisenberg of course.

Luckily it only happens once a year and yesterday was it. The annual Frühschoppen of the local volunteer fire department was held and as a wife of one of these dashing firemen, I volunteered to help out. On the principal of last one in gets the yummy jobs, I was busy putting the shine back into the knives and forks. Or to put it more correctly, I was the designated dishwasher minus the dishes. Knives, forks and coffee cups were my metier.

It doesn't sound so bad on paper but when I turned around to purvey the field ( tables filled with hungry customers intend on eating with knives and fork! ) the numbers mount. To me it felt like I washed thousands but perhaps five hundred each is more like it. Roughly three hours non stop fun which I came prepared for like a pro. No, on the contrary, this was my third time...

Yellow washing up gloves which thankfully stopped me from morphing into an amphibious creature. Don't take my moaning too seriously as my little job made me part of the team and there were many team members who had to do worse jobs for the day.

The first hour of my shift was not very busy as the Schnitzels were still being ordered and so I could peruse the hall and the various groups in it. One man had the air of a politician about him. Perhaps it was his smart suit and tie where everyone else of import was dressed in the brown uniforms or it might have been his habit of walking through the isle waving a greeting left, right and center but not really stopping to chat. Quite an art form to please the masses and surely exhausting as well.

Again, standing there at my sink and at times looking at this never ending heap of cutlery blinking up at me through the break in the suds, it made me thankful that I don't have to do this full time.

Well, at the end of our shift, Bob and I sat and had a nice Schnitzel with potato salad, cabbage salad and tasty rice...of course eaten with a freshly washed set of knives and forks and complemented with a cold beer!

Biggi

The Eisenberg Feuerwehr's Fruehschoppen, Done & Dusted.

The new fire engine gets blessed.

In a normal year this Frühschoppen is a busy affair and one that keeps us volunteers on our feet. This year, being the inaugural year of the new fire engine, it was bound to be even bigger, and it was complete with a church service by the local priest blessing this vehicle ( not such a bad idea as this is a truck that might see bad things ) plus all the dignitaries and politicians. Oh yes, even in a small village.

This was my second year of helping and Bob's third. He is the stalwart sorting out the cleaning of glasses...can't run out of glasses as people tend to be thirsty and thankfully for the club's coffers like to drink more than a glass. There must have been at least 600 people there, if not more.

My job was the same as the first year but my memory had faded quite a bit and luckily so as otherwise I might have faked a cold! No, not really but honestly, washing all the cutlery and coffee cups is only nice the first few hours and than the bubble of enthusiasm is smartly pricked by many a fork daring you to clean it through the soapy suds of dishwater.

The boss had purchased a new lot of coffee cups and they are rather pretty yet also very bereft in numbers. Thirty six to be precise ( well, after about 4 hours of washing them in a never ending loop, one slipped through my numb fingers and broke ) and that meant a quick turnaround. The various waiters kept on bringing the odd dirty coffee cup until I said;

" Oh, thanks so much. We need them as we've only got thirty six. You're angel. "

" I'll try my best, but I can't very well rip it out of their hands while they're still drinking it! "

...needless to say that from then on I had a steady supply of cups to be washed. In a way I needn't have worried as there were only two coffee machines making one cup at a time.

The nice thing about repetitive chores is that it allows you time to meander around the avenues of your mind, which surprisingly enough makes you forget about the odd pain in your back, or your funny looking water soaked hands. Look, I wouldn't volunteer to do this every weekend and it makes me appreciate the people who have to do this all day long to earn a living, but I enjoyed yesterday despite my odd grumbles.

Of course, it is great to be working as a team, in a team and wearing a team t-shirt. Volunteer work is the glue that binds a community together. Well, there you are, another Frühschoppen successfully done and dusted.

Biggi

Provincial Firemen's Competition In Guessing.

Eisenberg was there too.

There were rather a lot of teams and it took a bit before it was Eisenberg's turn. Bob, looking cool while waiting, despite the most cloying heat. Mid thirties and no shade in sight.

The final countdown and the men are jumping at the bit. The speed at which the various teams assembled the water hose was amazing. Double time is an understatement.

Alas, this photo doesn't do justice to the speed at which the team operated.

Please forgive me if I tend to focus overly on the Bobster, but I'm allowed to...

The team is in unison and every task made to look effortless. The many hours of practice have paid off.

Finished, but happy.

A well deserved lunch at the Wolfshütte in Heiligenbrunn. Life, is rather nice.

Biggi

All It Takes Is An Expensive Red Car And Grown Men Turn Into Drooling Lads.

The red engine that stopped traffic.

The feeling of excitement and also disappointment was palpable for weeks and weeks. A new red engine had been ordered and as with anything expensive, it took its time and delays were drooping many a man's shoulders. A flurry of texting had been taking place and finally, yesterday was the day.

Our village got a brand spanking new, jolly expensive red fire truck. The real McCoy so to speak and fetching it yesterday, I am pretty sure that the fetching contingent ( comprising of many more than necessary who even took time off work and school for it ) didn't sleep a wink the night before.

When the Sms came through late in the afternoon that The New Red Engine was only ten minutes away, a whole lot of men turned into little boys, boys who couldn't wait to run to the fire station in order to witness this occasion. I must say, for a village of 300 odd souls to get a fire truck that costs close to 300 000 euros, it is a big deal.

Yours truly got home late from work and was too tired to do an inspection, but Bob, despite sounding very casual about it, couldn't wait to see it. I bet, if I had gone with him, I would have seen him look at ever angle and attachment of this new fire truck.

As it is a big vehicle, only a few men have the licence to drive it and Bob is already planning how to get his. Of course, as the newest member of our fire brigade, the closest he will come to sitting in the driver's seat, will be while he is cleaning this red engine...

I don't need to be an oracle to know that in the next few weeks, Bob will be more at the fire station than at home. Oh, and he won't be alone either and it wouldn't have surprised me to learn that a few men set up camp for the night next to their new red truck last night!

Biggi

Another Top Placement For The Eisenberg Fire Department Team.

Our team takes 2nd place in Rauchwart

All that training does pay off and yet again the Eisenberg team did fantastically well. Gosh you guys, it is becoming a habit!

The various competitions might sound like fun, but don't forget what they actually are. In the competitions the men have to show how fast and accurately they can get the gear into use to douse a fire, to save lives. Ingenious really when you consider that most villages don't ( luckily ) see a lot of fires. But through these competitions, they are current, fast and on the ball for emergencies.

It's all very well having a firetruck, but knowing how to use it and the equipment is the most vital part of saving lives.

Naturally, the various villages taking part in these events are extremely competitive and after the prize givings, there is robust boasting among them. And why not, they train jolly hard for it. Don't forget that most of the villages have volunteer firemen and any training gets done in the evenings or on weekends.

Above and beyond!

The last time Bob's team were placed, Bob was given the team's trophy to bring home. His sanguine team members had an inkling that it might impress me enough, not to moan like a fishwife about the fact that Bob was only coming home at 2 am...Eh, it did the trick.

Last night, even though they won 2nd place and a trophy, Bob didn't bring it home. No need to, as he was home and dry by 10 pm. I did deliberately say dry, as the competition was a Nass Bewerb and this time around, they used water. Sounds easy, but if one coupling is not connected properly, either no water runs or all the water comes out in the wrong place.

Well done, Eisenberg Fire Department, you are amazing.

Biggi

Bob Achieved His Silver Medal At The Landeswettbewerb For Volunteer Firefighters.

What a silver fox...

Bob, has all year wanted to earn this medal and yesterday was his day. I am so chuffed for him and also proud of him, because earning this Silver medal took a lot of effort.

All the various volunteer fire departments around Burgenland compete for fastest time and of course the medals earned. Last year he was awarded the Bronze and was already dreaming of a Silver back then.

Bob has truly earned his Silver medal. His team leader / trainer / boss has put him through his paces and Bob and his team had training weeks on end. Nothing wrong with getting fit!

To earn any of these highly sought after medals, one needs to know all the various positions in the team. The team of lifesafers. Yes, we all tend to forget that these championships are a way to keep the firemen ' tuned up '.

Those events they compete in, are in reality a display of how and what gets done, when they arrive at a fire. Once the fire engine arrives, they are the ones who know what to do and do quickly. Lives depend on them. Knowing how to get the water pumping safely through the fire hose is a skill not everyone can do.

The team that Bob competes with, makes it look so easy and effortless, but many many hours of training have been put in. Of course each village wants to hold the coveted trophy of being the fastest team in the country.

Bob, I have a feeling that it won't stop there. Your team is eager to snatch that trophy and I see many training evenings where Mario or Gerhard will make you sprint around the field in full gear.

Bob, not only achieved a Silver medal, but he did it in German ( well, Burgenlandisch really ) and I am so very proud of my husband.

Biggi

The Eisenberg Fire Department Wins Awards & Bob Discovers His Marital Joker.

The covet... Get-Out-Of-Your-Wife's-Bad-Book... joker

Honestly, I think that I have given most of the men a new idea of how to handle late nights. Those nights they come home late and rather tiddly. Or at least an inkling that there is at least one wife ( a.k.a moi ) who has muttered the odd angry word...

The Eisenberg Fire Department's various teams have been practicing for weeks and weeks and it has paid off. Fantastic indeed. At midday on Saturday, Bob headed off with his mates to the regional competition in Wolfau, testing the handling, running and coupling the fire hoses-those that will save someone's life one day. It sounds easy on paper but it involves speed, agility and hours upon hours of hard training.

Bob had been using me as a dummy commandant ( eh, that sounds a bit too close to home ) and mock saluted me while barking out various reports and sentences in a loud official voice. Oh, marriage!

I knew Bob would have a late night and was as per usual reclining on the couch when I heard an SMS come through at about 8 pm. As one does, I looked at it at 10 pm and read that the A-team had won 1st prize in their category, after nine years of trying and that the B-team ( oh yes, Biggi's team more like as Bob is in it ) had garnered 3rd prize in their event. Wow, how cool is that! Oh gosh, I was so happy and proud of Bob.

The creator of this text might have been a bit tiddly or something because he put a riddle in the text:

... XYZ was seriously injured in the process...

Jeez-a-lou, what the heck? Thank goodness it wasn't Bob was my first thought and then I wondered about this poor soul having maybe broken a leg or having to be in hospital for a while.

Bob came home close to midnight and before I had even congratulated him, I asked him about his seriously injured team mate. Not to make it sound like a walk in the park, but this chap had pulled his hamstring and luckily not broken a leg or worse.

Honestly, at such a late hour, it was hard for me to focus and concentrate on the winner's tale. Nevertheless, I was so very proud of Bob and that he got 3rd place in his event. Super and beyond fabulous.

The next morning, when Bob was feeling a little bit better, he let it slip, that some of his team mates gave him sage advice ( it seems that some of them had read my other blog post about Bob's other late night return ):

" Bob, wait a minute before you go home. There is a spare trophy. Take it with you and Biggi won't be cross with you! "

appearantly followed by guffaws of laughter...soon I'll do a survey among the other wives asking them whether their spouses returned home late, brandishing a trophy?

The floating Keep-out-of-your-wife's-bad-books trophy

available now after all late-into the night functions...

Biggi

Bob's Now A Newly Minted Eisenberg Fireman!

Bob, what a man...my man!

This weekend was the test of tests for Bob. A two day affair of theory and practical. Some would have seen it as a weekend away but Bob rightly saw it as an important milestone in his fireman's career. He never looses sight of the fact that what he learns might save a life one day.

The Eisenberg team usually wins a lot of competitions and he is thrilled to be drilled by the team leaders but he understands, that all this drilling is vital to handling any emergency. Even this weekend he realized how well schooled he is, by comparing to others. Look, Bob can't ( yet ) hold a candle to his team leaders and fellow longtime ( kind of a better word than veteran...) firemen, but they have instilled in him good basics to build upon!

I am so proud of Bob as he wrote the exam in German and managed just fine. Bob is fortunate that he has such a nice team around him, a team that works hard and, ahem, plays hard too.

Bob and I helped out at the annual Spring concert held by our village choir last night. Not just the local choir, but my mum's choir too. Well not hers, but one that she is a part of. They sang beautifully and it was nice to imbibe the wonderful energy of the songs. Good music has a life of its own and instantly lifts one's mood.

Even though it is a village choir, their performance was extremely professional and they put in hour upon hour of practice throughout the year, and it shows in their harmonious singing. I am extremely proud of my mum.

A few people asked me again last night why I haven't joined the choir yet. Alas, my mum's wonderful talent bypassed a generation.

Good grief, I can vividly remember an embarrassing moment back in the days when I was in standard 7 at Girls High. While we were singing during assembly ( oh my god, what memories ) the choir mistress walked about ( how Draconian ) checking if everyone was singing along. To my utter shame, she asked me to please not sing anymore...The only way I'd join any choir was if I could do it Milli Vanilli style.

Bob had received his certificate just hours earlier but it seemed that his team mates knew already. Those that I got a chance to talk to, all congratulated me.

Goodness, isn't it just the best? I am now the wife of a proper fireman and I have to admit that in his full fireman's uniform Bob is rather fetching...

Biggi

Fourth Place Saved Bob's Bacon!

Bob's team mates are a clever lot indeed.

" Honey, I'll be back in two hours, three at the most. "

...as they say, famous last words indeed. Saturday afternoon it was and as I had some experience from last year in waiting patiently, I thought maybe this time I could take Bob literally. Ha, I should have know better...

The sun had already set and Schatzi was nowhere to be seen to share a sun downer. I had settled in front of the TV and had fallen into a pleasant slumber but woke up the minute I heard the gate chain rattle ( goodness, I must have intuitive hearing indeed or a sixth sense ). Glancing tiredly at the clock showed that witching hour wasn't too far off. Well, the proverbial bitching hour not far either.

It was too comical. There I was getting ready to bitterly complain about the time Bob chose to come home, when as if on cue ( from who indeed? ) he jumped into our lounge like a jack out of its box. He jumped while holding a trophy and shouting at the top of his lungs:

" Yoohoo, we won 4th place....!"

...talk about a deflated balloon. It took me about ten seconds to remove my ire and ask Bob about this wonderful turn of events. He went out at 2 pm to spectate in Steinfurt and came back at 10.30 pm with this huge trophy.

Bob was bubbling over with recollections of his successful afternoon and was extremely chuffed with himself. Rightly so. Fantastic. Of course the only other fact I could get out of him before he fell into a victory slumber after eating dinner, was that when his team ( or part of it ) was driving home, the longtime married men cunningly gave Bob the trophy to take home for a few days.

His team mates, veterans of the village fire brigade ( they sound ancient, but remember that they started in their teens and aren't that much older than Bob ) must have had eons of experience of how to handle an irate wife...They knew that any wife would hesitate to complain about the lateness of the hour, when faced with a stunning trophy.

Well done chaps, your strategy worked. Oh and also well done for winning this trophy. Super.

Biggi

Bob and the trophy. Well done to Bob and his team. When he got home on Saturday night, I didn't have the energy to take a photo of him in his uniform. This morning I made Bob pose with the trophy.

The Mysterious Case Of Bits Of Wool Disappearing From My Stash.

I think I know the culprit...

Lately I have been finding colourful bits of wool lying all over the place. They are at least two meters long and of a very familiar baby blue hue. What on earth? The usual suspects such as our cat can be ruled out as she never ventures further than the well worn path between her hiding place and the feeding spot. Oh, she of adventurous spirit!

Apart from the bits of fluff flying in the gentle breeze of a warm summers evening, I have also spotted a plank, a walking stick and our broom handle with these bits of wool attached to them.

While I was typing away on the computer yesterday afternoon, I noticed ( in my periphery ) that Bob had gone outside. A few minutes later I heard a dull knocking sound through the house wall. Goodness, this called for a personal investigation. A little bit on the intrepid side, I stuck my head out the front door while of course hollering for Bob.

The image that I encountered struck me as a little bit strange indeed. There was Bob, plaiting a piece of wool in a brisk way around the broom handle, which was leveraged between the house wall and our bench. He was so concentrated on his task that he didn't even notice me.

" ....Unter, über, unter, über..."

.

And then the penny dropped. He was practicing for his new position in the fire brigade. There are competitions between the various village fire brigades throughout Summer. Even though it is more of a sporting occasion, it is actually a series of tasks and combinations handling the big fire hoses and nozzles and this knowledge might one day save a life.

If he isn't watching re-runs of other winning teams on YouTube, he is busy shortening my ball of wool. Of course his team leader is a perfectionist and has Bob bending and sprinting. All good indeed and when Bob comes home from practice, he is exhausted but extremely pleased with himself.

The World Champion Team ( of yes, these competitions are taken very seriously ) does this combination of tasks in 28 seconds and Bob, even though he keeps mumbling that he

'ain't 20 anymore '

is trying his best to perhaps come within a whisker of a minute....

Biggi

As Ordinary As We Are, The Libations In Eisenberg Are Divine To Say The Least.

Dining, pot-lucking, feasting or re-pasting in our village is always accompanied by the most delectable wines.

As the proud wife of a newly minted fireman, I do show my support and attend the odd function and last night it was the AGM. As with most AGMs, they can be rather boring for the non-involved but thankfully not too long in duration.

Naturally, the Eisenberger Fire chief put on a spread afterwards or rather we all trekked up a very long and icy hill to the Grenzland Keller and please don't worry, we all motored ( or rather convoyed ) up by car. A buffet was organized and as the meeting was extremely brief, we were ahead of schedule.

The hungry feeling ( it was almost eight pm ) provided a drumming background noise as the various stomachs did their grumbling. Of course not all was lost as the tables had the wines already opened and one could almost imagine their whisper of :" please pour me...". Wine is as freely flowing in our area as I imagine fresh milk is up in the Swiss Alps.

White wine it was to be and even though we are in the depth of winter with multiple minus degrees, the wine was kept chilled in a clay wine cooler. Only the tip of the green bottle peeped out and no one bothered with checking the vintage.

Tasting this divine libation was a nice way to while away the time till supper. From the first sip, the wine showed its class, smoothness and flavour.

Sitting on a long table with all eyes focused on each other, just in case we missed anything of importance, I was rather reserved and filled my glass to a ladylike level...two finger's worth once or twice.

The food was good, but of course not fitting to complement the superb wine on offer. We had a choice of Vienna Schnitzel, roast pork or fried chicken with rice or chips. As I said, it was good food but would have paired better with a bottle of beer.

Honestly, the wine was much more pleasing to the palate before the food and luckily for me, I have the acquired habit of sipping my wine before supper and only paired with some cheese or savoury biscuit.

Just as a couple of centuries ago a young Englishman of good stock would do the Grand Tour, so Bob and I, in our youth, had done the required tour of most wine estates in South Africa...the Grand Tours Of Stellenbosch and Paarl! Cunningly they paired their tastings with morsels delectable in themselves, yet paired with the wines, they lifted the taste sensation to another level. Clearly a worthwhile education

At the moment, the libation of Eisenberg and Deutsch Schützen are world class, but imagine how out of this world they would taste when paired with a fitting morsel of food?

Last night's wine was from a young and rather handsome vintner, Mathias Jalits, who is producing award winning wines.

Biggi

Men, What Not To Say To Your Sweetheart While She Gets Ready For A Formal Do.

The behind the scene stuff...

Eisenberg had its firemen's ball last night and we went although I have to say that Bob was on duty. Oh yes, that is the one function a year that only the men organize and see through.

It's been whispered that as a fireman you have to work your way to the top jobs. Bob, as the Baby ( in rank ) had to spend his shift collecting and washing the empty glasses which as you can imagine,was a jolly lot of work. But don't feel too bad for him yet, as he had the best seat in the house and if I were to question him about what the ladies wore, he would know the answer...and of course which lady wore to little too!

The last few days have brought a treacherous mixture of snow, sleet, sunshine, more snow and some rain along with the dreaded freezing temperatures. As idyllic as it sounds, it does transform an ordinary road into a highly slippery ice rink.

The ball started at eight but Bob had to be on duty from seven and as we only travel in pairs that meant that I would have to be ready for the seven bells timeline. The hall is only two kilometers away, two minutes by car or ten minutes on foot, when it isn't icy. Yet, my darling husband didn't want to leave anything to chance and was pacing like an agitated racehorse twenty minutes before.

Bob, of course had only to put on his dress uniform, give his hair a tweak here and there and ready he was. Not content with placidly awaiting his princess to transform from day to evening wear, he committed the mortal sin most husbands like to commit.

He counted down the time frames as if I was in a match of sorts and here comes the good part, when I emerged from the bathroom for a final swirl and hoping for an appropriate ooh, aah & wow, he had the cheek to ask me:

" Are you going to wear this shirt? "

...talk about a deflated balloon. Naturally I did the right thing and retaliated by faffing about longer than necessary which had him do another one of those sinful comments:

" If you're not ready in 5 minutes, you can walk there." Look, after a few years together you learn to call their bluffs and issue your own threats...

" Fine by me, there is a nice film on TV anyway! "

We finally got our show on the road and arrived at seven o'clock on the dot and as I suspected, we were the first ones there. For the next fifteen minutes, I might add.

When the function did start, it was jolly good fun and I was surprised to notice that for once I had partied from one month right into the next. Bob and I left an hour into February and as late as this was for me, we were the first to leave and even as I write this, the party might still be happening either as a formal evening ball or as an overdressed breakfast venue.

Biggi

Bob Brought Home The Basket.

It just goes to show that Mathematics Is Vital...

At first I thought it was his nefarious past throwing off a few good points, you know the time where he and his group of friends went out to their local watering hole throughout their 20's and 30's. Really, at 2 am, how was I to know that Bob had used his ingenious maths skills?

Being a member of the Eisenberg Volunteer Fire Brigade means attending a lot of rival Fire Brigde's functions. The first one was last night and Bob went all spiffy in his dress uniform. It's been a year since he joined and what a great year it has been. A year of new friendships. Simply Fabulous.

As I said, Bob came back home at 2 am and I woke up from my TV slumber to a lot of rustling. There Bob was, proud as a peacock, carrying this huge basket of goodies. Chocolates, biscuits, sparkling wine, sweets and treats. In fact, it made me realize how far we had come.

A year or so ago, that basket would have been needed. Yes, there was a time where we couldn't even afford a bar of chocolate. Butter was a luxury and ham not thought of. Look, that is par for the course when you immigrate. Nothing to be ashamed of. But what this basket made me realize, is that we have definitely turned the corner, because both of us were already wondering who to give these treats to.

If only we would realize how abundant our life is, when we have enough to eat. Pure luxury and yet it seems never enough somehow, does it?

How did Bob garner this basket? Well, he told me that there was a raffle. There was a big glass jar filled to the brim with used beer bottle tops on display. For a euro you could get a chance to guess the correct number of bottle tops in this jar. Look, it was only natural for me to assume that Bob somehow had the innate ability to guess the quantity.

Bob told me how he put his money on the #712. His table neighbour, jokingly decided on #711 and surprise surprise, the winning number was #710. Bob's basket was third prize. ( 1st prize must have been a whole wagon load of goodies...)

Wow, I thought that that was an extreme lucky guess until the maths parlour trick was revealed...Bob told me that he counted the rows and stacks of bottle tops inside the jar and did a simple multiplication. Ah, great stuff...ah, my man!

Biggi

The Fab 5 Of Eisenberg's Fire Department & The Cold Water Challenge!

Perhaps we should consider a Calender?

Bob got the call up via SMS. I read it to him and must say, that I had no clue what a cold water challenge might be, but Bob was keen right from the start. He should have known that it was not a white water rafting expedition when his chief ( not me ) asked him to bring kiddies water wings, goggles and flippers along...

When I saw an article in the newspaper about this challenge and how the various fire departments were issuing them left right and center, the penny dropped for Bob and I. It was almost similar to this Ice - bucket - dumping - over - the - head craze that is sweeping the USA. Hey whatever blows your hair back or rather makes you look like a drowned rat. It is all for a good cause...

Our local cold water challenge should be moved to winter. When we have temperatures in the 30's, this challenge turns into a bit of an award. The rest of us are sweltering and sweating away while the lucky few chosen ones get to jump into someone's pool.

As Bob realized that it would also be filmed, for proof and spoof on YouTube, he told me that he wouldn't be taking his shirt off. Well, famous last words indeed. What a nice video guys. Great fun to watch even though I have to say that I did giggle a bit.

It can't have been easy directing the Fab 5 and the video turned out a smash hit. At one stage I thought they might drop their whole kit aka The Full Monty, but it was just the shirt. If they ever make a calender, I will definitely buy a few copies. The guys are a team, a team of friends and that is nice to see.

Bob went to the challenge at half past two in the afternoon and came home at half past eight in the evening. They might have had a few tries getting the video perfect but I am pretty sure that they had a cold glass challenge at the same time...

Biggi

Post by Mario Heiden.

Rain, Rain & So Much More Rain!

Our firemen saved the day.

Within the space of about two hours, the heavens opened up and dumped a load of rain on us. It just kept coming down. At the start of the downpour I was driving home and it was the most frightening thing. It felt as if I had my own personal bucket of rain being throw over the car as I was inching along.

When I got home, Bob and I unplugged all the electrical stuff and stood at the window watching. A few minutes in we heard the faint klaxon call of the firehouse's siren. Our windows are triple glazed to keep the cold out and it seems the sound also! Bob waited about 5 minutes and then hot-footed it across the yard into our car. Running or even walking wasn't easy.

Bob was gone for over two hours and I rightly figured that they had to pump out cellars etc. Our fire brigade is super, they pull together and help wherever it is needed. Even the modern cell phone isn't as useful as the fire siren. Like the pied piper, it calls all the members to come out. Bob was in shorts and t-shirt when he got to the station. His commander told him to suit up and Bob said:

" I don't have any other clothes! "

" Bob, just go inside and have a look! "

which Bob did and he told me that he was so so chuffed to see his name over a cubby hole in the station. Every fireman has his call out uniform ( the one for fire etc ) hanging there with the boots underneath, just like in the movies. Bob has moved up and got his own now. Well done, Bob.

Even some of the firemen from the neighbouring villages came along to help us out. The community spirit in our area is unbelievable. It is so amazing, especially when you realize that everyone is a volunteer. Kindness and caring still do exist and our area stands at the front of the row.

The roads and lanes were flooded last night, and a lot of cellars too. In the scheme of things it is a small thing to happen, unless it happens to be your cellar...

Biggi

This is taken from our bedroom window. The power of nature is very frightening.

A few minutes later. The new river keeps growing.

Taken from our bathroom window. The lane became a mini river for a while.

Just yesterday I posted a few photos from there showing a wonderful new day beginning...

Husbands Need To Have Hobbies That Don't Include Their Wives!

Male bonding, or just some " free - time " ?

This " free-time " could be taken to apply to either husband or wife... Anyway, what got me thinking of this is Bob's new sideline: being in the local volunteer fire department. They do have a lot of fun, meetings and practices. All good, because when the real stuff happens, they need to be a team and instinctively do teamwork and rely on each other. Yes, I am all for it.

There have been a few full uniform functions where Bob's team showed off their skills ( & good looks ) in other villages. When Bob got ready for these events, I did ask him whether I could come along and he said:

" No, none of the other wives come along. It would be embarrassing for me! "

Fair enough, Bob. Yet, when he tells me about the function afterwards, somehow a few of the wives seemed to have tagged along. This might sound silly, but it makes me feel a bit guilty for not being there to support my husband.

We were in a neighbouring village yesterday afternoon and I was chatting with a few women. One of them mentioned that she remembered seeing Bob at one of the functions. Feeling guilty in case she thought I had abandoned Bob, I explained to her that Bob didn't want me to tag along.
She ( and she is a young wife ) had a little smile and told me:

" Why feel guilty? Yeah, isn't it nice to have an afternoon to yourself? "

. Oh how right she is. Please men, don't think that you take a lot of energy & effort...all of the time!

The universe works in mysterious ways, because yesterday evening, ( an evening where Bob was at another practice to couple his hoses faster ) I had a quick conversation with another friend. The subject of Bob being at practice came up. Straight away she said to me:

" Men need to bond with other men. Anyway, isn't it nice to have some time to yourself ? "

. Oh, I got the message to stop feeling guilty. Bob, you needn't worry about the ' old ball & chain ' tagging along. Quite to the contrary, those times you are at practice etc, I will make the best of it and:

• make my favourite supper
• & watch my RomComs or at least be in charge of the remote control
• have a glass or two of wine...

When I think about it in more detail, it makes sense for men to do their own thing at sports / hobbies etc. Just think how happy and excited they are to come home and tell you about
all the g(l)ory details of their exploits...

Biggi

" Have You Ever Played Pool, Bob? "

The notorious line every pool player yearns to be asked at some stage!

Bob is a newly minted member of our local volunteer fire brigade. It's still early days in his training and he might have to contend himself with the eternal Wax on - Wax off action of cleaning the fire engine. But don't forget, that it is every man's dream from toddler days...

I am sure you can imagine what fun it is to be part of the Fire Brigade. Bob is pleased as punch and seriously, it looks as if he is walking taller all of a sudden! He has already been kitted out in his parade uniform and casual uniform with his name tag on it.

Bob and some of his fellow firemen went meandering along one side of a village street last night, knocking on every door and giving away tickets for the annual ball. Gosh, don't feel bad for Bob. Even though it was a freezing last night, Bob was only cold until he got to the first door. As is tradition in our area, each household gives them a tot of firewater...

Fast forward to when he toddled home a few hours later ( the beauty of it is that he can walk everywhere and get home in one piece ). Oh, you should have seen and heard Bob. A Classic Bob. My Bob.

Not far from our house is the local ' Dart club ' and might as well be called the local ' Youth Club '. It seems to be a hang out for the under 25's and I am sure that the over 30's are not often seen crossing the threshold. Last night, when they had finished their ticket round, the others ( a few could be young enough to be Bob's kids ) asked Bob in for a drink.

" Bob, have you ever played pool? "

" Oh yes, I have! "

Honestly, I think they thought that an elderly gent ( remember they are in their early 20's ) and one from South Africa to boot, will be out of his depth for sure. For all I know, they wanted to show him a thing or two...

Well they don't know Bob. I think Bob almost 'hovercrafted' over the floor when he told me later:

" Schatzi, can you believe it. Every game I played, I won! Yohoo, I won!!!!"

In between telling me of his success a few more times ( like 30 ), I asked him what the others said to that?

" They mentioned that if I am ever in the area, I am welcome to drop in. "

Sorry to burst your bubble, Bob:

• You should have let them win a game or two, because let's face it, we live 200 meters down the road! You are in the area at least 5 times a day!
• The only other time that you were invited to this ' Dart club / Youth club ', you were asked if you knew how to play darts. Bob, you won at darts too.( Oh, I kid you not ) As there are also young lasses present, whom the young lads would like to impress with their dart skills, I am sure that they are not too keen to have such a good dart player in their midst....

Biggi

Bob in his parade uniform. This was taken about 2 weeks ago! Doesn't he look handsome?