I have needs...

While we didn't see the fireworks at the Ramstein Air Force Base on the Fourth of July, we did grill brats, play Scrabble, go on a Volksmarch in Bad Duerkheim, sample more local cuisine, and buy a kilo of fresh picked kirschen (cherries) and some homemade erdberre (raspberry) jam straight from a local farm.  Etsy made sure to swipe a brat in the 20 seconds we left her alone in the backyard to guard the food.  We then capped off the night with the Sound of Music.  Having not seen that musical for about 10 years, I can confess to say that I actually like it.  Very good singing and acting talent and very good filming shots, lighting, costumes, and angles.

Here are some pictures from the Volksmarch that J took...

Here we are at the first check point...

They had a dog corral of sorts.  Yes, that's Etsy on the left...

Lots and lots of wine to be harvested in a few months...

A pretty cool abby ruin...

Roughly translated, it says that the foundations were built around 1030, in the mid-1500's the abby was destroyed because of the Palatinate (the region officials) and some other person had some words, then the abby was ultimately donated to the state by an owner out of Heidelberg...

It must have been a very impressive abby...

Looks like lunch!

Etsy approved.

Dinner later that day...

Yesterday, we bought some yard tools, a cranberry plant, some blackberry plants, some flower plants for our front yard, and some rindmulch also for the front yard; we tended the front and back yards; grilled some steaks in the pouring rain; and Skyped with some family who happened to be online while we were as well.

As sheets of rain came dumping down, we improvised by relaying the steaks through the window.  I think we'll try this tactic again sometime.

The crazy thing is that now, it is Friday.  We get another two days off together!  I'm not quite sure what we'll do, since we already had a "weekend" of sorts, but this past week I was humbled to learn something:  I have needs.  What are these needs?  A wife, charcoal grill, fire, good grilling meat, and the outdoors.  I honestly don't know how I can happily live without these.  I didn't realize it at the time, but I found out that J already knew this about me.  She was the one who suggested an outdoor grilling.  It was oh so good.

We're getting geared up for our trip to Belgium soon.  The more I read about it, the more excited I get about it: lots of canals, castles, and museums, with diamonds, seafood, and markets.  I expect we'll have lots of pictures to show when we get back.

A special shout out to the burning barrel-armed man's wife!  The Sweet and Spicy Chicken recipe is absolutely awesome!  I think I ended up eating 3/4ths of the entire recipe (in installments, of course).  If anyone has good crock pot, or meat-focused recipes, please send them on down!