MUSIC PROGRAM
On May 7th, Robyn Watson invited us to the school music program at her school.  We enjoyed it so much.  Robyn (age 12?)  and another friend of ours, Christian Siebert (age 17?), where in the programs.  Both these families are members of our church.  The school has grades 7 - 12.  This music program had a good number of kids but also had a good number of faculty joining in.  I think if a teacher knew how to play an instrument, they where in the program, and they where not just music teachers, even the vice principal played the trombone I think.  The music was some orchestra, chorus, brass jazz band, piano, soloist singers, african drums, oldies but goodies many from the U.S.  So a wide variety.

Robyn in the chorus

Robyn playing a drum

Christian singing, he also plays the piano at our church and can play the bass guitar

BIKE RIDE ALONG THE RHINE
Steve and I rode about 22 miles yesterday because it was another German holiday so everything was closed and he didn't have to work.  We rode a short distance up along the Rhine river north of Mannheim.  We took a short cut home through Kafertal Park because the wind was pretty strong if we went back the same way.  Out a ways from a city, we saw a lot of old guys and their old tractors meeting up at a restaurant for lunch.  Their tractors where real show cases of antiques, all fixed up.

We had planned to take this ferry across the river but for some reason, maybe the holiday, it wasn't going.
So we rode a different way and found a bridge, only about 6 km off of the route we had planned.

Our break on the way back in Kafertal Wald park.

BIKE RIDE TO WEINHEIM with Steve
This time Steve was off work and it was pretty good weather so we rode out to Weinheim again and he got to see the gardens.

Dog wood trees blooming behind Steve

The tree behind Steve is a Myrtle tree planted in 1879.
They must cover it at times of the year to protect it.

SCREENS - preparing for warm weather (hoping) and bugs
I made two more screens for the two others doors in the apartment.

MAIMARKT
MaiMarkt has been going for 400 years in Mannheim, once a year, for one week.  I am sure it has gone through many changes over the years.  This is a little like our county fairs, but it only lasts one week.  The tram workers are on strike so we rode our bikes to it along with about a thousand other bike riders.  Most of the fair is vendors selling everything from tractors to small buildings and building materials, to artwork and scuba gear.  You see the usual magic shredders, cleaning gadgets, and latest cooking pans, a lot of sewing machines.  Especially popular here are the super computerized embroidery sewing machines.  Cars, bikes, scooters, for sale and demonstrations.  There are a lot of wine and drinking and food booth options.  We had some good sweet & sour Asian food and ice cream for desert.  There are some farm animals to look at but not as many as we would have at a county fair.  I thought these goats where the most unusual with the big horns and half being white and half black and their hair goes all the way to the ground when they stand up.  I don't think they can even see out through all their hair.

LUISEN PARK PICNIC

May 1st is a German Holiday so no work and nothing is open.   Just so happens that the tram workers are on strike again too.  So we rode our bikes to the church picnic at Luisenpark.  The day was cloudy but not too cold and the flowers in the park where beautiful.  I didn't take photos of the tulips because I wanted to go back on a sunny day and get some photos.  I did get some pictures of our friends and some of the fun we had at the park.

I had not seen one of these geese before, don't know what it is called.

Missionary Elder Gren 

Steve still enjoys playing baseball and he can hit really far.

The Stork joins in playing frisbee with Elder Gren, Sister Smith, Day-Ji, and one of the many kids.

Elder Gren and Jurgen Broo

Missionary Elder Elsworth playing frisbee

The wonderful pink pelicans

You can't swallow my arm

How can they turn their heads upside down like that.

Missionary Sister Samantha Smith

Day-ji Broo

Jurgen Broo

Missionary Sister Lauren Moon

Sister Moon gives some helpful tips to Carolyn about baseball

Carolyn did really well, hit it directly to Steve

Dinner with the Watson's
We had Myles, Christie, Robyn, Carly, and Macy over for dinner in our apartment.  This is the largest number of people we've had here and it worked out nicely by expanding the table and putting it in the living room area.  Christie is expecting the next Watson in about 1 week from when this photo was taken.  We are all looking forward to meeting the little one.  Very fun family, they make us happy.  They are here from the U.S. for 3 years while Myles gets his PHD.  This is their 3rd year of the 3 years.  They all speak German really well.  They are helping us try to learn German.  They live in the next town, just a 10 minute bike ride away.  They all rode their bikes over here in the rain (sprinkles) and even Christie was able to ride her bike over here!

Carly, Robyn is taking the photo, Macy on Myle's lap, Christie

Susie is taking this photo

Mexican dinner with the Palmers
Bob & Judy met us at the Azteca Mexicana Restaurant on Tuesday.  We had a good visit and dinner and enjoyed hearing about all the travels they have done and what they are going to do next.  Very fun couple.  They moved to Germany from the U.S. thinking they would stay about 3 years and have been there about 51 years.  We met them at church along with a lot of great friends.

BLUE APRON
Finished this apron yesterday.   Bias tape here is expensive so I didn't add it to the back straps and ties, I just did a rolled edge on them.  I added a little rick rack around the heart shaped pockets.  I made the top a long torso and the waist a size medium instead of small.  I have enough fabric to make another smaller apron.

BIKE MAP AND CAMERA HOLDER PROJECT FINISHED
I have been riding and needing to look at a map OFTEN and taking photos as you can see from my blog entries.   I tried putting the map in my back pack, bike basket, down my shirt, then I ended up with a pretty good idea for a holder.  First I tried a plastic bag attached to my handle bars to see if I liked having my map there.  That worked pretty well so I decided to make something that would hold maps and hold my camera so they would both be handy.  I will try it out on my next ride after it stops RAINING!  It didn't cost anything as I used materials I already had for years and years, they where just waiting for the thought and idea to happen.

This was the plastic bag idea tied on with twisty ties.

New holder.

On the bike with map and camera

MORNING WALK AROUND THE LAKE
The weather prediction is for rain this afternoon so I went for a walk around the lakes this morning while it is still nice out.  Not many people out at 7am.  Saw a ton of those fish again and the usual swans and ducks.  My kitties went back to bed under their covers.  By noon it was clouded over and starting to rain.

wow, it looks like I have long legs

Morning light.  I love how swans hold up their wings like that.

Our apartments

Our fist baby goose chicks,  these are about 4 days old.
Dad looks like he is doing his morning yoga