Ein Bauernfest - A Farmers' Festival

It's raining in buckets today. What a relief!
Yesterday evening it looked a little as if it would start raining, but it held off for one more day.
So we stayed dry during the "Farmers' Festival."
On a big meadow, just outside of Bleiburg, tables and benches accommodated 200 to 300 intrepid visitors.
Christin and I among them.
There was food aplenty. Fried Chicken and Potato Salad, Wiener Schnitzel with Mixes Salad, or Chipapchichi (I have no idea how to spell this  So you have to be satisfied with this phonetic spelling job.)
Beer and Most flowed in rivers....  of which we drank only from a little trickling brook.
And, of course there was Music.
The Band had come from bordering  Slovenia.
You have to believe this, because  I will show you pictures.
5 accordions, 2 Guitars, one Horn (for the "umpapa effect") and one other instrument. Can you call it an Instrument? Surely you may call it that. I will also show you a picture and I will describe it, since the picture alone would make no sense.
The Band played Polkas and Quick Waltzes. It was heart pounding, thy-slapping, along-singing
(if you knew the lyrics ... or even if you did not the lyrics) music.
You sang along with your mouth full of fried chicken and with the but of the knife you beat the "umpapa rhythm" on the table.

We had the choice of either driving to Salzburg for the Opening of the Salzburg Festival, mingling with Presidents of Foreign Countries, like Germany, Italy, Hungary etc etc, paying  $5,000 for two tickets, to attend Mozart's Opera "Idomeneo" which deals with Gods, Mankind and the Oceans, staying overnight in the swankest Hotel for $2000.00 per night, (minimum) paying horrendous prices for food and drink, or...
and this was our second choice, driving 10 minutes to the Farmers Festival Meadow, paying 5 Euros per ticket, 10 Euros for one portion of fried chicken, large enough for both of us plus taking some of it home for the cat.
I rather suspect, that the Maitre d' of one of Salzburg's poshest eateries would have frowned at our request for a little plastic box for our cat, which goes under the noble name of "von Kiddy-Cat-Cat" and don't forget the "von".
And then the Music:
Again we had to choose between:
1.) the "Austrian Festival Symphony Orchestra" with its over 30 of the finest musicians Austria has to offer, or
2.) the "Jolly - Molly Polka Band" consisting of ... see above.

Without a moment's thought, we decided to attend the "Farmer's Festival"
I threw myself into the best pair of Blue Jeans and a freshly ironed light blue T-shirt, Christin, of course, as always, impeccably dressed.... in black 3/4 pants and a white blouse embroidered.

The "Hey-rolls" were removed 

before setting up tables and benches.

Member of the Welcoming Committee.

There isn't a Foreign Dignitary among the crowd.

It seems that they like each other.

Observing the "Roasting of the Piglet

 Some of the Visitors

The Band, as described above

... and here is the "instrument" I promised to show and explain to you.

First off: It is a rhythm Instrument.

The head, crowned with the antlers of a young stag is only for mystical decoration.

The Player pounds it on the ground in the called-for rhythm. and the

little "high-hats" give off a tinkling sound.

Below the player's left hand is a "tambourine" which is used as a drum

At the very bottom is, what looks like a frying pan, 

which is to be used with either end of the stick which the player has in his right hand.

From this "frying pan" run three guitar strings to the very top of this "instrument".

Which,  I assume, the player may pluck at his discretion.

Believe me:

 A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

What a heat wave....

Since it was 37 C yesterday and will be almost as hot today, I thought that I would offer my viewers a bit of relief:

and there it is:   Bleiburg, not so long ago

yesterday's shots

In our garden:

Bluebells and a Bird

Lead us not into Temptation

Lead us not into Temptation.

I have just come back from a memorial service in Bleiburg's Catholic church.

We all remembered KarlHeinz Miklin, this wonderful reed player, who died on the 15^th of June this year at the ridiculously young age of 72.

Oh my, how much more could he have given to all of us.? His Music and his Friendship.

Actually he was much more than a „reed player“ ! He was a full blooded musician, a composer arranger and a „good person.“

I am really happy and , yes, a bit proud, to have been able to call him a friend.

Several musicians of this area performed in his memory:

It was a lovely Get-Together, paying tribute to a great man.

Of course, guided by the local Priest, prayers were said, asking God for all kinds of favours.

One of these requests stuck in my mind, since I can truly make no sense of it.

„Lead us not into Temptation“ is one of the favours we ask of God.

Isn't this a silly request?

Why would God lead us into temptation? Temptation, obviously to commit a sin, to break one of His own laws.

Leading us into Temptation is surely the job of the devil, who would likely try his best, to tempt us to break one of God's Commandments.

If God were to lead us into Temptation, He, being „All Powerful“ would likely succeed. (despite the „Free Will“ with which Man is endowed.)

Now, let's assume that God has led us into temptation and we could not resist, and weak, sinful people that we are, we transgressed against his very Instructions.

We, in other words, commit a Sin and unless we are lucky enough to run into the local priest who may forgive us our trespasses, before we get hit by a bus, we shall roast in Hell forever and ever.

Now just a moment: Isn't God, who put this temptation in our way, partially or completely responsible ? I mean, had He not tempted us to break one of His Rules and Regulations, we would not have been seduced to commit a sin.

I think he is equally responsible!

Come to think of it: Why would God first issue a set of Rules and Regulations and then put temptation in our way with the possible, or inevitable result that we would break one or more of them?. Thereafter spending all Eternity in Hell.

„Hold on,“ you say, „ God would never tempt us to break one of his own Laws!“

If you know this for sure, then why, oh why, do we ask him „Not to lead us into Temptation.“

The whole thing makes about as much sense as all the rest of this verbal tohuwabohu.

May KarlHeinz Miklin Rest in Peace.

Bertstravels

thinks that all of it

is a lot of Nonsense (with a Capital "N")

Both sides of the road

Everything has two sides! So they say.

This is one side of the road!

A Poppy in a field of Sunflowers!

This is, indeed, one side of the road!

 turn 180 degrees and ....

and this is the other !

More "Indian Group of Seven": Norval Morrisseau

Probably the most famous of the "Indian Group of Seven" was the Canadian Norval Morrisseau,

also known as "Copper Thunderbird"

a member of the "Bingwi Nayaashi Anishinaab" First Nation

of Ojibwa Ancestry.

The photographer regrets 
that some of the paintings are truncated.

Norval Morrisseau 1932 - 2007

Sacred Trout with Eggs

Norval Morrisseau

Sacred Fish with Life Cycles

Norval Morrisseau

Moose 

Norval Morrisseau

Thunderbird with Eggs

The "Indian" Group of Seven. (for St. Michael)

In  November of  1973, Daphne Odjig, a First Nation Canadian artist, born on Manitoulin Island, invited 6 Native Canadian Artists to her home in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Besides Daphne, there were: Alex Janier, Jackson Bearly, Eddie Combiness, Carl Ray,  Joseph Sanchez and last but certainly not least, Norval Morriseau.
During this meeting the "Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation" was founded, giving Native Canadians for the first time access to the Canadian art scene.

These artists drew predominantly from the rich store of their culture, their fables, dealing with the world around them.

Unfortunately I do not have pictures of all the above in my reservoir and therefore will be able to show you only some of them:

Carl Ray 1943 - 1979

Carl Ray

Carl Ray

The Rockpainter

Norval Morriseau 1932 - 2007

Symbols of Opposites (1977)

  

Norval Morriseau

The Group of Seven + 2 (posted for: St. Michael )

In the early 20th Century, a group of like-minded Canadian painters

formed what they called: "The Group of Seven."

Ultimately there were 9 of them, but they never bothered to change the name.

They painted Nature, as it presented itself to them, and, being formed by

the country of the bush-land of  Ontario they developed a style of their own,

quite different from the European school.

Here now are a few samples of the work of some of them.

A.Y Jackson (1882 - 1974)

Lake Superior Country (1924)

Franklin Carmichael (1890 - 1945

October Gold (1922)

Tom Thomson (1877 - 1917)

Dappled Woods

Tom Thomson (1877 - 1917)

Lawren Harris (1885 - 1970)

Pic Island (1923)

J.E.H.MacDonald  (1873 - 1932)

Leaves in the Brook (1918)

Tom Thomson

Autumn Woods (1915)

Tom Thomson

Woodland Waterfall (1916-17)

The lonesome door

What good is a door if nobody goes through it?

The "Day of the Kiss"

To my astonishment and consternation I read in the Newspaper that today is

The Day of The Kiss

The Image which is mostly connected with this theme is 

"The Kiss"

by Gustav Klimt

The much more beautiful image of the same name is by the Canadian artist, 

Daphne Odjig

If this does not knock you for a loop,

I don't know what will.

Daphne was a Canadian Artist, a member of 

the First Nations and co-Founder of the

New Group of Seven.

Red Chestnut tree !

Just around the corner ...

stands a row of "Red Chestnut Trees"

North York - Toronto looking into the mirror

A section of Yonge Street in North York, Toronto, 

reflecting about its existence.

or is it just reflecting?

4th July

To all my American friends:

Happy Independence Day!!!

Come and stay a while

Two Muskoka Chairs

invite you

to sit and ponder

The Volunteers

At the foot of Toronto, right next to the Aquarium, snuggling up against the C.N. Tower there is a little Parkette....some greenery amidst Concrete and Asphalt. 
A couple of benches to rest your weary dogs, some bushes, some grass. 
Doesn't it just always happen? Some welcome tourists, just having kept the hot dog vendor in business, carelessly discard the wrapper, along with the empty soft-drink can. Well, it happens!
But... this is a different place: Three Volunteers, two lovely women and a stubble- cheeked male descend upon the discarded items and a big plastic bag opens its maw!
All the debris disappears like magic. 
Did you hear what I said? Or read what I wrote?
Three Volunteers, owners of nearby Condos, get into their grubbies and make sure that "their" little parkette is kept neat and tidy. 
Nobody told them to do this, nobody pays them to do this and nobody appreciates what they are doing on a hot Sunday morning.
Not quite true: I appreciate it, and, without knowing, many other people do.
I regret not to have asked their names or e-mails, so I could have sent them, along with those pictures, my thanks.

Bertstravels
likes to have neat and tidy places.

Three "Volunteers" 

I love the little play on words: Their organisation is called: 

..get this..

"VOLONTARIO"

... and this is the parkette they keep so neat and tidy.

To call this little patch of green "Olympic Park" 

may just be a slight exaggeration.

But, just imagine: It's a hot Sunday noon...

you've been up C.N. Tower, you wonder if you are not too tired to 

visit the Aquarium, and here it is:

Olympic Park!

Could not have come at a better time.

Happy Canada Day

Another Birthday of sorts.

The Birthday of a Country.

The Day we celebrate that there is a Canada.

The Day we count our blessings that we are Canadian.

Regardless of where we live in this world.

We are Canadians.