Holding Pattern

So Mr. Burli returned from Poland, where he met up with some folks from a company his is working with, and now he has sequestered himself into Opa's room at their house to try and finish a project so that he can take next week off. Meanwhile, JT, Tiny and I are in a holding pattern, enjoying ourselves at Oma and Opa's house, trying to avoid melting in the heat.

 [JT and Mr. Burli helped Farmer Michael and Farmer Wolfgang gather some hay bales to put in the barn on Saturday.]

An actual conversation Mr. Burli and I had before we left:
Mr. B: Oh, it is going to be cold and rainy in Austria.
Me: Really?
Mr. B: Rainy and in the 50s. Better take along some warm clothes.
Me: Let me see. Hmmm, well, it was hot the week before, so maybe it will be warm again when we are there.
Mr. B: No, I doubt it. Remember the last time we went in Summer and we wanted to swim in the lakes and it was always raining and cool?
Me: Yes, but remember one summer when it was very hot and sunny?
Mr. B: It is going to be cold and rainy. Do I have a jacket? I need a jacket.
...
It is not cold. It is hot. But it did rain a bit yesterday evening with some nice thunder and lightening. JT insisted that he was sure that lightening is called thunder and vice versa. So now you know, when your kids don't personally experience thunderstorms (very rare occurrence in SoCal), they will be confused.

[Trying to pick currants before the rain.]

Of course, I was confused when Oma told JT to hurry inside right after a close bolt of lightening. I thought she wanted him to be safe inside, but actually she was scurrying in to get her holy  water to sprinkle so that no one would be injured in the storm. My lack of Catholic-households-wisdom is showing!

The kids are having fun, I think. JT keeps complaining that we aren't going to enough spas. The boys like to water the garden and play with the hose and in the little pool at Opa's.

 They also like Austrian ice cream.

JT also helped Oma make some red current jelly. (Tiny prefers to eat the berries right off the bush.)