Castles and pumpkins

I've still got a little jet lag I'm sorry to say. Or maybe I'm just allergic to housework. Sometimes I wonder if all the traipsing is worth it.  But of course it is.  As a nice lady from Sweden told me on a park bench somewhere along the way, "I'm collecting countries."

I'm collecting pumpkins.  I started early this year so I'd have a good crop for the craft fair.  Maybe I can add a little more change to my piggy bank.

One of the highlights of our river cruise was the day we spent watching castles go by.

It was a hot day and space up on the sun deck was at a premium.

We were lucky to find chairs in the shade under the awning, 

but it wasn't long before the river turned and we were in the sun.

Most of the castles (there are 40 along this stretch of the river) were built in the 12th Century.

Many were heavily damaged or destroyed during centuries of warfare and had to be rebuilt.

Only one remained completely unscathed--Marksburg Castle in the town of Braubach--until 1945 when it was damaged by American artillery fired from the other side of the river.

So now it's time for witches.  I have one week to finish them and that won't be easy.  They can be cranky.