rana temporaria in the garden

oh-oh-oh, haven't blogged for almost two weeks, but a string of visitors and the last days of term have made our busy life even busier. speaking of visitors (yes, more later!) we have found a beautiful species of rana temporaria in the bird bath.





 

there is one large clump of spawn (you can see it on the right) and mother frog has spent the first week or so watching it.











she was so perfectly motionless that she not only fooled me (easy) but also our two cats (less easy) and the 12 other cats and foxes who come to drink here.









as the bird bath is not exactly large we wonder what it will look like when all 100+ eggs turn into tadpoles.





















at least the other visitors took their kids back home with them - but then rana probably thinks it's her garden and we are actually the intruders...

springtime!

already in the last days of february we saw the first signs of activity from our old plum tree but it is really only in the last week that he has started to put on a real show

it is actually not our favourite tree by all means but he has survived a number of attacks from neighbours, husbands and children alike by now

rike can frequently be found in the highest branches because it is a wonderful observation post for the street and she also quite happily eats the funny little plums from early april onwards, i.e. when small and green









but it is in the summer when the local youngsters take over and we are having plum throwing fights for weeks and weeks














so we better put up a watchdog soon... look closer and you'll see who is in charge of the whole operation...

and another birthday!

well, with march being an incredibly active month for birthdays - see conny's entry further down and didi's birthday (which we haven't forgotten) as well as rike later on we are very proud to anounce that we have found another "märzhasen" to be in such good company - and an incredible good looking one as well







our dear friend katrin who is posing here so reluctantly for the camera is celebrating her birthday tomorrow and we just wish we could be with her and do as nice a party for her as she did last autumn for anette









at least as we see so little of her now she has moved into the deep woods of the wetterau we have some consolation since we just heard that the horses are getting excited already over her forthcoming visit to new mexico, so it's "happy birthday" and "tally-ho" as well. great!

roni horn aka roni horn

i took some of my students to tate modern tonight and after the slight irritation that many pieces are re-hung and the main part of level 5 is closed for that very reason i sneaked into the roni horn show and spent the better part of an hour with the one piece that i liked and of which i have snatched a photo.


the solid poured glass of "opposite of white" is sheer beauty and rarely have i wished so intensely for the security guard to go away that i can touch a piece. in a fantastic juxtaposition of opaque and transparent the roughly a meter wide cylinder has the translucense of ultra clean water and whereas the axis draws you inside the polished surface rejects you. 

lovely piece. want. 
 

conny is 44!

a little birthday song from rike for her best uncle ever with a tone for every year! here are a few things you can do at 44:

• read fortyfourmagazine


• check out your age at the urban dictionary


• do a little math with wikipedia

or count the candles on the cake:



























herzlichen glückwunsch!!!