Bikes, Ice Cream, and the Seven Dwarfs

This is a group of environmental scientist trainees plus one post-college dead end working as a clerk selling music on mediums of the 20th century riding bikes to pick strawberries from the Cammerer Family Strawberry Fields.

The daughter of the Cammerer Family Strawberry Fields family, the leader of our group, had on this very day, some odd years ago, a birth. And so there waited for us cake and ice cream, coffee and liquor (thanks to mother Cammerer). And muffins! (thanks to Juzha.)

After strawberry consumption the environmentalists (though they really only study statistics and computer programming from what I can tell. Don't believe Global Warming! It's just a bunch of data manipulation!) rode on to conquer Belchen for the weekend, and Marina and I skirted roundabout through the hills of the Black Forest back to Freiburg.

At some point during the next week, one that should have been full of the simple joys you come to know living in the heart of Fairy Forest, wind came wind of the sort that robs the hunger even of those luncheon-ing at the Gingerbread House. As I'm sure you all know, watching CNN and listening to NPR and all that jazz, the Seven Dwarfs were recently found brutally murdered, bathing in their own blood on Snow White's bedroom floor.

All members of the Fabulous Forest Council (FFC) were immediately summoned to gather at the Prince's Palace. An Investigation was opened immediately.

 The Council.

 After a cumbersome ordeal trying to arrange party members in a satisfactory and efficient manner (Prince Charming knows, Snow White won't come anywhere near the wicked Stepmother and Hansel and Gretel refuse to be separated), places were taken and meals were served in preparation for the certainly long, painful debacle to follow.

 As is tradition, pine-cone beer and rotkäppchen wine, plentiful salads, rare faun and spiced apples were served.

For reasons unclear, although it is speculated that the wicked witch spiced the raspberry nut cake with herbs from her personal collection, everyone seemed to forget who they were and where they lived. The council found itself in a state of bewilderment and panic, desperately in need of archived information as to where, and who, they were. Fortunately such items were on hand.

After wit had been restored, the investigation began.

The witch, wicked stepmother, and Frau Holle, the inspector.

Snow White, the Prince.

Accusations flying (though invisible to those residing outside the woodland).

One can see the Prince's courtyard in the background. It was ordered to be lit red, a sullen reminder of the Forest's loss, but the late financial shortcomings of the fairy community could not afford it, and so it remained blue, an ironic symbol of a trust far from present in the castle that night.

Much (all) of the information revealed and discovered that night would be too devastating to the Forest's reputation. I must apologetically refrain from disclosing any information regarding the murder of the Seven Dwarfs, but I will say this: we identified the murderer.

And it was shocking.

After the investigation things returned to normal relatively quickly in the Forest (as it turns out, no one was all that big of a fan of the Dwarfs anyway). After a couple weeks, Marina, Anja, Patrick and I were off to Stuttgart to visit Marina's sister and school friend Leonie, and to attend a big 50th birthday party bash of Marina's uncle. Although the weekend was überpleasant, I do not have a single good photo. And so I give you Anja on the ride back home:

On that note I end this post. One more and I'm up to date! Maybe.

I wish you a sunniful day!

Ben :).