Ahrensburg

R has moved on to the second area of his mission. This one is Ahrensburg. Located just northeast of Hamburg and southwest of Lubeck, Ahrensburg is a huge change from Siegen. It is in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's northernmost state. It is not far from the watershed boundary between the North Sea to the northwest and the Baltic Sea to the northeast, but it is only 137' above sea level and is rather flat. R also works in surrounding communities including Delingsdorf and Bargteheide. It's most famous building is the Schloss Ahrensburg (Ahrensburg Castle) shown above.

Here are some other pictures from around Ahrensburg.

German art can be kind of strange (not unlike American art, actually), but can someone please tell me what the point of this sculpture is and why the city allowed it in their park?

Snow in Vancouver

We don't get much snow in Vancouver, Washington. Most winters go by with none. That was not the case this December. We set a local record with 12" of white stuff this month and the first true white Christmas in over a hundred years. Here's a picture of downtown Vancouver three days before Christmas. It wasn't tough to get around except on Christmas and the day after when the previously well-packed snow on the side roads softened up so much that, as one of my co-workers described it, it was like "driving on butter." Wheel ruts went all the way to the road, but the front of a low car like mine had to push the snow in front of it. Vancouver needs to buy a plow and learn how to use it.