Britta's Letters from her life divided between city-life in German's capital Berlin and life in a Bavarian village

Sunday 30 April 2023

On "Green grass" and fences, and thumbscrews


Yesterday we all didn't feel so well - but in the late afternoon I took a brisk walk through the neighbourhood, and saw with delight that the lambs had grown, and all sheep enjoyed the pasture. 


The goat stood and watched her goatling 


which proved once again: 

"The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence!"






PS: I just wanted to test whether I am now able again to put my own photos (and I always use my own photos) onto this blog. That wasn't possible for three days because Google decided to force me to buy 100 GB for keeping my photos in their cloud. Some time before I had refused, and it worked - but now they decided to put their screws on me. 
And they won


14 comments:

  1. 'Goatling' is a word I may use in the future. Because of new phones and new computers I am getting close to using up my free 5 Gbs of iCloud space. I would like to erase what is already there and free it up - I don't use it for storage, just transferral - but I don't think they will let me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, Tom: is the word wrong? Unusual? Or archaic? Often it is difficult for me to tell what I want to say in the right words. But then I console myself: it might be a good training for the brain to hunt for the right expression...

      5 GB - honestly I do not have a clear idea of how much a single GB is - although people tried to tell me. I found out that I need a lot of them (about 20.000 photos I have on my cellphone :-)
      I love to take pictures every day to see that I am alive - and things change, though I sometimes have the feeling they don't...

      Delete
  2. I hope you are all feeling better. Your pictures are wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you, Emma - it is/was a sort of flu-thing, getting better now.
    Thank you that you like the photos from our really rural scene, so beautiful in spring.

    ReplyDelete
  4. They beat me, too, Britta. You are not alone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Joanne, that is very comforting that I am not alone (I really mean it, no irony).

      Delete
  5. I love the goat. She is a very unusual colour. The common term for the young of a goat is kid but goatling is a very nice word.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also thought that she and her little one are of a striking colour. Thank you for the explanation of the word that is now used! (It reminded me of a scene in "Enchanted April" :-)

      Delete
  6. Mothers are mothers, regardless of species :) The mama goat was probably squeezing underneath the fence to follow her kid. Just to check that all was well :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, mothers are always on the jump (grandmothers too). It was the kid that squeezed under the wire-fence - I appreciate such kind of couriousity very much.

      Delete
  7. Goatling is an entirely new word to me, but I may adopt it. If it's not a real word it should be!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am pleased that you like it!
      Today it was the first time this year that I heard a cuckoo, and the house martins are also back - it is spring!

      Delete
  8. Goatling is an adorable term, Britta! Yes, the grass always seems greener for ruminants; perhaps there's a thrill to be had in contorting oneself in order to reach for the tempting greenery beyond the fenceline? Who knows!

    You gave me a start with your tale of Google extortion. I haven't been blogging for long, unlike seasoned operators like your good self, but I've a lot of photos posted already. Dear oh dear, the prospect of parting with pesos for this little divertissement is not something I've contemplated.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Pip, you gave me a word I had to look up: "ruminants". Now I know - but I would enlarge that group very much - not least I would include mankind. Or do you know many people who are always content with what they have and don't leer at something else?

    As to Google I am shocked myself - it is not so that they want very much money, but they want it every month.
    And my Huawei wants the same - to import my many photos - about 18.000 - into their cloud; and my MacBook asks the same. Three systems, one demand. Together that is money I could use well for other things. I hope that my decision is right: I pay Google (thus I can "publish" my photos on my blog - and I don't agree to Huawei's or Apple's demand.
    To be once in one cloud is enough, I hope.
    And fret about Rule No 17: "Flip the Freebie... and Look for the Hidden Price Tag" (Nabil Fanous, M.D.)

    Come to think of it - that might be a good advice for the greener grass on the other side of the fence too!

    ReplyDelete