[Full disclosure – we already returned from Denmark.  In fact we’ve been back (and gone and back and gone) for some time.  I wrote this much earlier but never got around to uploading the pictures until now.  It’s amazing how busy one can get when returning home after a long absence. . .  So here it is, over a month late. . . I’ll figure out how to best catch up later.]

Let me start by saying that while the “Old MacSøren” literary device was fun to use when describing our environment, it should be stated that Søren is not old – or if he is, at least he’s not as old as me!

Contrary to Shakespeare’s Marcellus in Hamlet, I must say we found absolutely nothing rotten in the state of Denmark!  Here are some highlights.

First, the fence! As you know, Nellie, Maren, and Fred are Søren’s cows.  They were fenced into a small pasture, which was getting pretty picked over due to lack of rain this Spring.  According to some sources, this area saw its driest Spring in something like 149 years, and while it was wonderful weather for visiting guests, it was not so nice for anything resembling vegetation (and therefore also livestock).  So over the course of a couple weeks, Søren and I dug 90 fencepost holes and put up about 400 yards of fencing, extending the current pasture to the neighbors’ electric fences.  The cows now have several acres to wander and graze, including shady forest and two ponds for water!  I’m not fluent in cow, but their body language made me think they were pretty happy. . . .

It was good for me in a number of ways.  After three months of sitting and sweating in the hot sun of NE Tanzania, it felt great to do some actual physical labor.  It was also very satisfying to complete that fence and watch those cows explore their new home.  In these videos you can clearly see the difference in vegetation between one side of the fence and the other.  The grass might not be greener on the other side of the fence, but it’s definitely taller!

 

 

And while I’m talking about the farm, I may as well include one more “cute pig” video.  Those two are almost entertaining enough for me to comprehend why cat videos are so popular. (I said “almost”. . .)

 

And then there are the actual cat videos – or rather one new kitten. . .

 

While Søren and I spent a lot of time building a fence,  we did take time to do other things – learning Danish, for example.

 

We also spent one day doing several things; visiting a friend of Søren’s who is an expert at native plants and their medicinal properties, exploring a very old church  and graveyard along the eastern coast of Denmark, and attending a 65th birthday party for Søren’s aunt, which included an amazing dinner at a restaurant on the coast, and more food back at their house.  This made for some great cultural experiences, including the following video illustrating one birthday “tradition” that made me wonder if I was observing a cultural phenomenon or a very dysfunctional family.  I think more research is required. . . (Ha!  Kidding!)

 

We felt like we spent a lot of time “just hanging out” on the farm with Søren and his family, but we did actually do quite a bit.  From beach time to concerts to hikes, we had a lot of fun.  Here are more highlights in pictures.  Thanks for coming with us!