Author | Lightnews

Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 8h

I'm just here to say that I just entered a Hausarzt Wartezimmer (eww, get me outta here) and remembered to say cheerfully, "Morgen!"

That will never not be awkward, though. 😂

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 22h

Unbelievable. And yet, should any of us really be surprised?

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 1d

The functional hunting/hawking vest is vital. 😁 It doesn't need to be leather.

A falconer and her Harris hawk on a dirt field.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 1d

Definitely yes to the German hunting vest. Traditional, though admittedly I don't know what "vaguely biker" looks like.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 2d

A few yrs ago I transcribed the hand-written diary of a man who worked with Albert Schweitzer at his hospital in Lambarene, Gabun Africa in the 60s. I knew of Schweitzer but not much about him, and this was an incredible experience for me!

On Saturday we visited his home/museum in Königsfeld.

The Albert Schweitzer Haus in Königsfeld in the Black Forest on a sunny autumn day surrounded by a picket fence. The walls of the house are yellow and the roof is red. There are windows on every side and two chimneys.

A street lamp and sign showing Albert-Schweitzer-Weg with leafy trees behind it on a sunny autumn day.

A stone sculpture of a book with a quote from Albert Schweitzer. It says in German "Lambarene is my improvisation, an infirmary in Africa. But the house that remains, I hope, will be my school of thought."

A wooden building on the grounds of the Albert Schweitzer Haus with a stairway and balcony. There is a road passing the building and leaves have fallen onto it and the grass. In the background are more trees with lovely autumn colors and blue sky with a few scattered clouds.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 3d

At our local butcher, I round up to the next Euro.

Or carry a handful to give to street performers. The collection bucket at church services or museums. I'll keep my thinkers on.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 3d

They retired the coin machines?? 😳

Use them for bakery and other small purchases? We still pay for many things with cash, so this wouldn't be a problem for me. But it's weird to not have the option of the coin machine at the bank.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 3d

Oh wow! Are you doing the English course via the US military base or a German one at a German Jagdschule? I'd love to chat more about this - via DM?

Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 4d

It is Germany. 😉 3-wk hunter course (8:00-18:00) ending with a 3-day test, then an 8-day falconry course followed by a half-day oral exam. After all that I had my licenses but little clue how to be a hunter/falconer. I then found mentors.

Where are you doing your hunting course?

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 4d

Out hawking again today with Kaya and her older (but smaller since male raptors are smaller than females) brother. Aik caught his crow but I had to navigate around 10 horses to assist his falconer.

Aik is terrified of horses and tried to crouch and hide behind his kill as they paraded by. 🥹

A group of ten horses being led by 3 people down a sidewalk on a fall day. The group is photographed from behind so you only really see their butts and tails.

A Harris hawk crouching over his kill, which is a crow. He is carefully watching the horses from the previous photo.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 5d

I think I'll do that next time. 😅 I just handed it over to the heads of service.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 5d

We just had dinner at a classy restaurant in the Black Forest which features a 4- oder 6-Gänge Menü (we went with 4). Delicious! I didn't add the photo of the dessert.

As we left I saw a 100€ Schein lying on the ground outside in front of the door.
What would you have done?

The 1st course was Scottish smoked salmon on Berglinsen. I don't like lentils one bit, but I ate every bite and enjoyed it.

Our 2nd course was Zander, or pike perch, on champaign cabbage.

Our main course was venison filet with red cabbage and hazelnut Spätzle and juniper jus.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 7d

The people in our town post photos of the new brood of six each year and moon about how cute they are. And many feed them despite notices not to. 🙄 Hunters and farmers like hearing Kaya will go after them! I was already asked in August if Kaya was ready for Nilgänse.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 7d

Kaya nailed quite a prize this morning! A Nilgans, or Egyptian goose, that weighed a bit more than she did. These are Neozoen (invasive) and quickly overtaking native species. This is her 3rd Nilgans ever and 1st in 2 years. We dispatched it, let her enjoy her success, & quit for the day.

A Harris hawk mantling over her kill, which she has furiously plucked, so there are feathers all over. Her falconer's leather glove and bag are lying on the dirt field in from of her.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 9d

My daughter's US number just popped into my head, but when I tried to recall it last night, I could not. My son's number starts with the same 3 (6 with area code) numbers, but I can't come up with it. 😳

Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 9d

My parents' current phone number IS the number I grew up with. 😅 I still remember dialing (US) numbers before we needed the local Vorwahl. I mean the 5-digit number! Then we needed to add the 2-digit local code.

I also remember party lines (we had to tell the operator our # first). Christ, I'm old.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 9d

Yes. But we never answer it unless we recognize the number. We have a flat rate for international calls and I still use it to call my parents' land line in the US.

It has been useful when I've needed to call a number in a foreign country of someone not in my WhatsApp contact list.

Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 9d

I say this as a US-American: I highly doubt that most US-Americans could pass the A-level equivalent test for English. I don't know about the skills of British native speakers of English, but I would likely be amused by the test results of US-Americans.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 10d

I know the first 4 and last 4 digits of my own German cell phone number. I almost have those pesky middle 4 numbers. I've had this number for 13 years.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 10d

I do not know my husband's cell or work number. But I do know the phone numbers of my deceased grandparents and my two best grade school friends.

It is not good that we have lost the skill of memorizing phone numbers of those closest to us. I used to know my adult kids' cell numbers.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 11d

This is the Hirschgulasch from a few years ago when we were having fun with spoon servings.

We can't eat it until tomorrow because an Austrian relative insisted that Gulasch needs to be made one day and eaten the next - not on the same day! Who are we to argue with an Austrian about Gulasch?? 😅

Homemade Spätzle with venison Gulasch and Preiselbeeren garnished with parsley presented on two elegant spoons resting on a dark plate. It is meant to be eaten as one bite, in the style of a German cooking show called "The Taste."

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 11d

Adding a Swabian "Schluck" of wine... 😂

A chef pouring wine from two bottles, one in each hand, into a stainless steel contained filled with venison and vegetables to marinate.

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 11d

Good lord, my husband is cooking Hirschgulasch for tomorrow's dinner, and I need a glass of wine to go with that aroma!! 🦌🍷

After the pictured step (simmering for 2 hours), he has to separate the meat from the veggies. We call that "Aschenbrödelarbeit." 😅

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 11d

It's hardly believable, isn't it? And those I know over there are pretty quiet. I think they just focus on the moment and when I mention some recent event or dumbass thing the dear leader said, I get "So awful" or a mad emoji. After yrs of hearing "How could the Germans just let that happen?"

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Kaya's falconer @amiimschwabenland.bsky.social · 11d

Well, _she_ is definitely against that. She is disgusted by the gun culture in the US, which is one of the reasons she says she will never move back there.

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