The Mysterious Case Of Bits Of Wool Disappearing From My Stash.

I think I know the culprit...

Lately I have been finding colourful bits of wool lying all over the place. They are at least two meters long and of a very familiar baby blue hue. What on earth? The usual suspects such as our cat can be ruled out as she never ventures further than the well worn path between her hiding place and the feeding spot. Oh, she of adventurous spirit!

Apart from the bits of fluff flying in the gentle breeze of a warm summers evening, I have also spotted a plank, a walking stick and our broom handle with these bits of wool attached to them.

While I was typing away on the computer yesterday afternoon, I noticed ( in my periphery ) that Bob had gone outside. A few minutes later I heard a dull knocking sound through the house wall. Goodness, this called for a personal investigation. A little bit on the intrepid side, I stuck my head out the front door while of course hollering for Bob.

The image that I encountered struck me as a little bit strange indeed. There was Bob, plaiting a piece of wool in a brisk way around the broom handle, which was leveraged between the house wall and our bench. He was so concentrated on his task that he didn't even notice me.

" ....Unter, über, unter, über..."

.

And then the penny dropped. He was practicing for his new position in the fire brigade. There are competitions between the various village fire brigades throughout Summer. Even though it is more of a sporting occasion, it is actually a series of tasks and combinations handling the big fire hoses and nozzles and this knowledge might one day save a life.

If he isn't watching re-runs of other winning teams on YouTube, he is busy shortening my ball of wool. Of course his team leader is a perfectionist and has Bob bending and sprinting. All good indeed and when Bob comes home from practice, he is exhausted but extremely pleased with himself.

The World Champion Team ( of yes, these competitions are taken very seriously ) does this combination of tasks in 28 seconds and Bob, even though he keeps mumbling that he

'ain't 20 anymore '

is trying his best to perhaps come within a whisker of a minute....

Biggi