These must have blown in with the storm, and brought their log with them.
I thought I’d almost finished with the birdspotting series. Someone told me where to see a kingfisher, but it’s too wet to try out, and my nuthatch picture was not very good. I could post the green woodpecker, I suppose.
Cormorants swim very low in the water.
Fürther Nachrichten reports that the local court judge (Amtsrichter) Werner Schultheiß, who is retiring on April 1, would like to drink beer with his colleagues. Those in charge are not prepared to relax the total ban on alcohol in the Fürth Amtsgericht building, so he is going to court – to the administrative court in Ansbach, where the case will be heard on March 20.
Zum Abschied will Werner Schultheiß (64), Amtsrichter in Fürth, der am 1. April in Pension geht, nicht nur leise Servus sagen, sondern auch mit den Kollegen anstoßen. Das darf er gerne tun – solange in den Gläsern Wasser oder Limo schwappt. Alkohol ist in den Räumen des Amtsgerichts nämlich tabu. Dagegen hat der streitbare Richter Klage eingelegt.
Am 20. März steht nun vor dem Verwaltungsgericht in Ansbach die Verhandlung «gegen den Freistaat Bayern wegen Hausrecht« auf der Tagesordnung. Mit einem Antrag auf eine einstweilige Anordnung will Schultheiß, der am Registergericht tätig ist, ein «Biergebot« durchsetzen.
Die Fürther Stadtwerke – infra – testet den neuen Brunnen.
I think I was quicker than the local paper this time.
LATER NOTE: no, the local paper was there this morning. I only saw one figure yesterday, but the rest must have appeared in the course of the day. Looking at the last picture there, I realize I must have spoken to the artist, Karl-Heinz Richter from Chemnitz. It was OK that I praised the figures, then, but perhaps less so that I added, ‘bis sie besprüht werden’ (until someone sprays paint on them). Still, I read that they can be reproduced.
Richters lebensgroße Figuren bestehen aus Glasfaser-Kunststoff mit einem Stahlskelett. Ein Jahr lang hat der Chemnitzer daran gearbeitet. Wichtig war dem gelernten Porzellanformer die farbige Gestaltung. Damit soll der Eintönigkeit des Sitzrondells entgegengewirkt werden. Nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit werden die Figuren bis 22 Uhr beleuchtet. Der Vorteil des Materials: bei Beschädigungen können die Skulpturen mit den vorhandenen Formen problemlos reproduziert werden.
Link: Karl-Heinz Richter
This Christmas tree was not cut down in the forest. It must be one of the largest fake Christmas trees in Germany. According to the local paper, it has met with mixed reactions (anything artificial or gaudy tends to be despised).
This is more worrying:
The Fürther Nachrichten reported on Saturday that this is just an SPD pre-election initiative.
William Wilson was the first train driver in Germany. According to the German Wikipedia, he was born in Aberdeen. He came to Germany to drive the first train from Nuremberg to Fürth in December 1835. On the first trip he wore a top hat and tails. He was an employee of Stephenson and intended to stay for only a few months, but for some reason or other he stayed. He died in 1862 and is buried in Nuremberg.
So presumably this is him in marzipan:
You may wonder what the words Gott sei Dank are doing here. They are the cry of someone whose computer has no audio ability when clicking on the link to what I fear is the official Fürth jubilee song, Hier bin ich zuhaus.
(Unfortunately discovered via zonebattler’s homezone)
Peruvian handknitted finger puppets. They seem to be Fair Trade – wool and patterns supplied from the Netherlands. 3 euros each.
Altstadtweihnachtsmarkt, Waagplatz
Weekdays 16:30 – 20:00
Weekends 13:00 – 20:00
Ends on December 16th