Open Air freedom

Today we sat out by the pond by  a brazier.  It burned applewood so had a pleasant aroma.  It was warm and I took my gloves off.    The English apple orchards  on his wife's family farm were grubbed out a few years ago and now my brother and his wife have enough apple wood to last their lives out.   I wasn't especially cold today and I said to my brother don't light the brazier for me  when he rang but he did anyway.    The EU directives for farmers are something the ordinary person knows nothing about and is in no position to judge. without seeing the mountain.   All I can tell you is that it was a continuing nightmare and  we were always treated as criminals, all of us, except the French who did what they liked with the rules.    I was damaged for life by the EU and its bureaucrats.   

I stayed for nearly two hours by the brazier.  It extended the time before we froze.   We reminisced about 9/11 for some reason I cannot think of now and remembered that day when the lorries were out corn carting.   Life was always punctuated by what the lorries were doing.  I remembered  that one driver hadn't turned up for work that morning and older brother had to drive that day.    I phoned mum and said turn the tv on and don't ring me back.  I was in charge in the stockbrokers office that afternoon.   I had two apprentices with me.    At first people continued to want to buy shares looking for a bargain in the volatility  until trading stopped.   It was an  afternoon for us after a normal trading  morning.    My brother said he thought mum was watching a film when he came indoors. 

I was reminded of my first trip to Berlin today when I told Tom that I had schnapps for breakfast in Berlin.  It was an adventure into the GDR and East and West Berlin.   I had schnapps everyday, mostly at breakfast and then again at 11am when we left the apartment.  It was cold weather.    Memories that are important.    Life is worth remembering in detail, the brazier, the talking, people, conversations, details, observation.  Observation is very important.