Bringing in the New Year with a bang . . . and another bang . . and a boom . .

Wow!  What to say about New Years in Germany . . . . not sure where to start!  Last year we were in Wiesbaden during the New Years for a special "watch night service" which was severely disturbed when 12 o'clock am hit . . . we were in awe!!  The fireworks we loud . . . they didn't stop . . . the inside of the small building was lit with multiple colors!  How could we possibly miss this!!  Clayton and I ran outside to see the madness (as well as to make sure our car was ok).  We could not believe what we saw!  People were lighting what would be "very illegal fireworks" in the states right out in the streets!  Debris from fireworks was raining down upon us from all sides . . . a bottle rocket hit a street light and sent sparks flying . . . some sort of firecracker made it's way under a car and sent the alarm into panic . . . it was unbelievable! We were half shocked, half frightened . . . half laughing and half crying!  When we drove home that night it was as if we were driving through a mine field that had already be detonated.  We were finding our way through piles of debris . . . never sure what would go off at any moment.

This year we had wanted to go to a big city for New Year's.  Berlin was our first thought . . . thanks to Community Bank, however, that idea was shut down (Clayton was forced to work a half day on New Year's Eve).  We then thought about Trier, Frankfurt, Cologne, etc.  Unfortunately I had eaten something a couple days before that my body did not enjoy and therefore we had to stay at a safe distance from home.  We decided on Burg Lichtenberg located in Kusel, Germany.  This amazing 13th century castle is only about 15-20 minutes away from our humble abode and is located on the top of a very large hill which would give us prime viewing of all the chaos below.  We had been there on several occasions and it has become sort of a "friend" to our family.  We were not disappointed!  The madness started way before 12 o'clock but as the clock struck midnight the hill and the surrounding valley became a battlefield of lights, sounds and sparkles!  Bottle rockets were surrounding us, a man aimed a gun-like mechanism in our direction only to see us at the last second and send his rock slightly to the right.  Something jumped up and bit my posterior.  Clayton mused if this was a small example of how it might have felt during WW2 . . . with explosions surrounding us, the sky being lit up with magnificent lights and the streets free of moving vehicles.  It is as if the calm, well mannered (if not slightly unfriendly) residents of this country decide that one night a year there are no rules and everything goes.  There was not a Polizei to be found (police car).  Who needs organized firework displays when anyone and everyone can go ahead and purchase these same fireworks at the local hardware store to enjoy themselves in their own small little village.  Some 40 minutes past midnight we attempted to make our way home through the wreckage.  We had to be careful as there were still live firecrackers going off in the streets and people running about from one side of the road to the other.  We finally found a car to get behind and follow most of the way home.  When we returned to our village we found that the once clean streets were cluttered with ash and remnants of and "explosive" party.  Mika and Milo even found their sacred "potty-ground" had been the landing site of several bottle rocket stems.  What an adventure the evening was!  One thing I will say about these Germans . . . they know how to celebrate both Christmas and New Year's right!  Sadly, this madness would never be allowed back home . . . but probably for good reason . . . made me think what the injury rate is for this one night a year . . .