FEBRUARY 1, 2007

Four full moons ago there was a startingly bright full moon in the autumn sky. After an extraordinarily warm summer, during the first week of October there were three days of continuous rain, after which the weather finally, irrevocably turned. Without doubt, it was Fall, crisp and clear and chilly. The full moon shone amid the stars with a power I have seldom seen. It was my birthday, the 7th, Saturday. I celebrated with beer and chili, made from scratch, no mix, no recipe. Just meat (beef and pork together, that's how they sell it here), a can of peeled tomatoes, and spices (yes, they have chili powder here). It was good.

Tonight, the moon is full again, so bright that it is visible from time to time through the heavy clouds. This is winter in Mannheim, I suppose. Not terribly cold, still above freezing, although I hear there was snow in my town of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Not here. Just cloudy and damp and chilly. But today is almost exactly half-way through what modern science defines as winter. Seven weeks until the equinox. Groundhogs know this. Do they have groundhogs in Germany? Would they see their shadow?

Yes, it has been about four months since I have posted on this blog. Entschuldigung. It has been rough. But, after a much-deserved vacation in America, I am back in Germany, and today it all starts again. Halfway through Winter, the tide turns. All downhill toward Spring. I cele brated with Strauss ("Tod und Verklaerung" --- "Death and Transformation").

Still two weeks until classes start. In that time, I will, Lord willing, write about some things that happened last semester. Kind of bring you all up to date. Thanks, Scott, for commenting. Wish we had had more time. Bis bald.