The church bells from the neighboring village sounded as clear as they did the first day I arrived in Hornhausen.

That was 3 months ago and not much had changed since then.

It is a quiet community, surrounded by agriculture. Those grain fields were the only thing that had changed.

It was a rollercoaster ride for some.

Up and down the hills.

I was amazed at how quickly they balted.

It’s autumn now and leafs change colours here too.

It didn’t feel like a typical German autumn day in October Grey.

It’s 6pm and 25 degrees Celsius.

I sat in the sun in the backyard for the last time and enjoyed the tranquility.

‘Fetti’ leads the way, how cute.

The weather has been outstanding so far, perfect for my outdoor lifestyle.

But as much as I enjoyed the sunny rays, it makes me wonder about global warming.

Never before did I have more sun in Europe than in Australia.

Which gave me no excuse to walk the dogs.

Firstly, there’s ‘Lani’. She lives in her own fast lane. 

‘Lani’ stands high on the food list at home and is always looking out for opportunities.

Something could have fallen to the ground. It’s a boxer’s trade, but she looks so cute.

Particularly when I hear her tail wagging whilst her slobbering face looks straight at me. It’s a dog thingy.

‘Lani’ likes to think she is in charge, which counts most times. But ‘Fetti’ is a bigger dog than her.

He normally doesn’t care much about ‘Lani’s’ antics.

He’s a lover, not a fighter.

His personality is similar to a small bear; cute and cuddly. He sure looks like one.

He couldn’t harm a soul, but he is a good guard dog too. ‘Fetti’ is more interested to explore the neighborhood and smell the news.

A few dogs walk these trails and every day has a new headline. 

We had a routine for our daily outings. I just enjoy the way how excited they get, once they realized that we are going walkabouts.

They can always tell when walkie time is. Sometimes, I even take the bike.

We cross the fields uphill, towards Hornhausen Hill. Many birds of prey sit in trees here early mornings, watching every slightest movement. The cobblestone Feldweg itself is a nightmare to travel on with its corrugations. The painful stoney track adds to a picturesque character.

But it means, that not many people use this agricultural lane and most of the time, we’re all by ourselves.

The dogs were off the leash as soon as we passed the outskirts and when no other dogs are in sight.

We usually stroll to a hunting outpost surrounded by fields of joy.

This region is simply stunning as the track leads to various points of my interest.

I enjoyed sitting here, reflecting on life.

I took my drone, Rick, out numerous times along this Feldweg.

This was my playground in many ways.

The scenery around this trail changed to different perspectives over time.

From growing grain fields. Rolled onto balls.

10 per train. And off they went.

The sunset was often spectacular over the fields. 

At our little hideout, the three of us rested for a wee while, before we strolled back the way we came.

It’s fun to cycle down that hill. If other dogs crossed our path, the two were back on the leash immediately.

‘Lani’ and ‘Fetti’ are big dogs, and other people and dogs are easily intimidated by their strength. I felt their resilience a few times, but no one got hurt.

Back home, both dogs relaxed in the shade, happy and exhausted.

I get the rest of the day off to pursue my interests and Nobby and partner Biene get some time off. It’s a win-win situation.

A big thank you goes out to Nobby and Biene, who invited me into their home.

My brother and I haven’t spent so much time together for decades. We don’t share many similarities, but that’s how it always has been. Both of them work very hard to make ends meet.

Like everyone else, they are very worried about the current German/European/World situation.

I can’t even describe how this spinning wheel of life lost control.

Work, work, work and it’s still not enough. People are anxious and winter is ahead.

How and when is this situation going to even out to ‘normality’? We will see.