NGT6 1315

Moaning awl. Mostly overcast with traces of sunlight.

 

Shift starts in about an hour, so I'll be on my way in a few. 

 

Have you ever regretted selling models? I certainly have, but I've now managed to source another example of a full train I've previously owned. Stay tuned!

 

Later...

Moaning awl. Long time no see!

 

Getting increasingly autumnal here. As it should, I dare say, following a much too warm extended summer.

 

Caffeination still incomplete, so bear with me… 😫

Cheers all. Back from The North!

 

Dinner will be Chinese carry-out, possibly followed by a sip of this:

 

 

Matured in brandy barrels, I gather.

 

Later...

Cheers all...

 

A storm surge warning had been in effect for the North Sea coast on Monday and a gale warning been extended through Tuesday. Still, we braved the weather and drove out to Laboe, which is on the eastern shore of the Kiel Firth. It did turn out to be windy and showery indeed!

 

 

Though there were sunny spells in between! Lots of sailboats and kite surfers were out on the water, too.

 

 

 

Cargo vessel Annika Braren, built in 2020 and retrofitted with a Flettner rotor the year after. Good to see shipping is slowly becoming more sustainable, too. It's also interesting that this rotor was actually invented about a century ago. Some good things do take time...

 

Laboe is also the location of the Naval Memorial. This was originally built 1927-1936 to commemorate German sailors lost at sea in WW1. Its dedication was later extended to fallen sailors of WW2, and in 1954 to encompass all sailors of the world and to promote peaceful navigation on all oceans for the benefit of all mankind.

 

 

The memorial is intended to represent a submarine conning tower. Lighting could have been better here, but perhaps the stark contrast against the clouds actually fits the purpose of the site.

 

 

 

With that said, its origins as a military memorial remain visible throughout. I do appreciate that the site, such as it exists today, also acknowledges problematic episodes in German history specifically, as exemplified by the following exhibit:

 

 

Explaining the changing and even conflicting political ideas expressed by each of this multitude of past naval ensigns alone would be a fair challenge, for example.

 

Note that for educational purposes, materials displaying otherwise illegal symbols such as the Nazi era ensign with swastika remain permitted. It is also worth mentioning that GDR flags such as the one on display here were similarly illegal in West Germany until July 1969.

 

 

 

A collection of ensigns from naval institutions around the world to express the shared desire for peace at sea.

 

 

 

There are two viewing platforms at the top of the memorial offering panoramic views of the coastline.

 

 

 

A concourse opposite the memorial contains an exhibition of various warship models from about the 1870s until our time.

 

 

 

Opposite the memorial itself is another noteworthy exhibit in the shape of U 995, the sole Type VIIC/41 U-boat still in existence. 

 

 

U 995 was commissioned in September 1943, transferred to the Norwegian navy after the war and continued to serve as a training and coastal defence craft from 1952 until 1965. As a gesture of reconciliation and with use as a museum in mind, it was returned to Germany and placed ashore outside the Laboe Naval Memorial in 1972. Restoration to its original condition remains an ongoing process as original components are understandably difficult to source, or even replicate.

 

The boat can be walked through from stern to bow, so I'll just leave the following photos without comment as an illustration of how far removed from any degree of idealisation this part of history must have been for everyone involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May such times never befall us again, is all I can offer as a concluding statement.

 

Cheers all from oop narf!

 

We headed to my mum and dad‘s today to spend a couple of days here. Thankfully, Mum seems alright after everything she’s been through, though she still needs much rest and currently goes to bed around 9 pm. Which I fully understand, as I do the fact that she seems to have a need for catching up with proper sleep. I do know that deep sedation is no equivalent to actual sleep, but seeing such things happen to a close relative really drives home the point.
With that said, everything that counts is that she‘s here and recovering with no lasting damage!

 

The AICD implantation was no major issue, though of course she requires a number of follow-up checks in the coming weeks. She also had two ribs cracked from the reanimation, which obviously is still a lot better than a different outcome, shall we call it…

 

She also says she has no real recollection of anything which happened roughly between the day before the incident and the time when she came to in hospital. Oddly, she also seems to now remember all sorts of events which had occurred decades ago but which had seemed to have faded from memory. Which probably illustrates how the human mind can deal with such extreme situations.

 

I‘ll call it a night now, I think. Stay safe.

Moaning awl. Lotta rain yesterday!

 

Mum has continued to improve and the plan is for her to get an AICD implanted soon. The hospital in Rendsburg she's in received several new patients yesterday, though, so it's still open whether that will happen today. I gather that of all the possibilities which were being investigated, a cardiac arrhythmia of some description seems to have remained as the most likely cause.

 

Stay safe, everyone. Later... 👋

Moaning awl...

 

First up, Mum has been improving further. A cardiac catheter check is planned for either today or tomorrow, as the cause for the cardiac arrest has remained elusive. She has asked for books and crosswords to pass the time too, which I'd certainly see as further positive signs! She'll likely have to remain in for at least another week and still has no memories from last Friday until she had been somewhat coherent. I wonder if that may actually be for the better at this time.

 

Other than that, not very much going on here. Nights have been somewhat rough as Mum's condition has, of course, remained on my mind. Thankfully, it's cooled down quite a bit.

 

Might be cooking a Cape Malay chicken and prawn curry tonight.

 

Stay safe, everyone...

Evening all. Just saying thanks for all your support really doesn't seem enough, but I thoroughly mean it!

 

It seems like Mum is slowly coming to. Given the heavy sedation, this may take several days (probably has to in order to avoid further problems), but Dad informed me she was attempting to adjust her position in bed and reacting to her surroundings. It's still unclear what caused this emergency to develop in the first place. Further tests will be run after the weekend, though I understand that there's an even-money chance there may never be a definitive answer in such cases.

 

May I also use this opportunity to thank the paramedic team who I gather were on site within five minutes at most. However unlikely it may be that any of them should end up on this forum - cheers.

 

I can tell you that the past nearly-two days have been an experience I could rather do without, and sincerely hope I won't have to go through again. Being so anxious yet helpless to do anything at the same time will definitely deplete your reserves, no matter how well-composed you are.

 

I'll keep you updated, of course.