Hello from Denmark

I don't really have time to be typing now but I thought that I should go ahead and get it out of the way.  YES! I finally made it to Denmark.  The weather during my first 4 days was unseasonably amazing (according to people who are from here--I thought that it was just normal Denmark ;)   The sky was clear and so blue.  The air was crisp and cool....and I was inside unpacking so didn't really get to enjoy it as I suppose I should have.  Now that a cold rain is falling outside, I feel like I am really in Denmark.

The apple tree in my backyard.  I have been picking up, and throwing away the bad apples on the ground and yet I cannot keep up! They fall too fast!

The trip from DFW to Billund, DK was about as smooth as air travel can be, literally and figuratively.  I watched Scout ride the 'magic carpet' into the bottom of the first plane so I knew he wasn't being left behind. Both flights left nearly on-time and Scout survived his 16 hour lock-up.  I was quite worried about him in Germany though.  I asked the flight attendant if my dog had made it to the jet yet and he said "Oh yes, I saw him! He was sleeping!"  Scout? Sleeping when anything exciting is happening? I didn't believe it so I assumed that he had died of stress and just looked asleep.  It was so sad when he finally was brought into the baggage area to be picked up. Ed and I were at the kennel door waiting for a pair of scissors to cut the zip-ties...Scout was just shaking and wasn't aware of much that was going on around him-he didn't even notice Ed.  Poor, poor scout.  He won't be flying again until he makes his return trip to America.
As for me, I didn't sleep a wink on the plane and by the time I fell asleep here for the first time, I had be awake for about 40 hours straight.   With the help of Ambien, I have nearly avoided jet-lag all together..

I love the area that the house we are renting is in.  The forest is nearby.  There are many trails that people walk and ride bikes on so Scout and I have been going on them everyday.  Our neighbors have been very helpful and friendly.  The stereotype of the Danes is that they are 'cold' and reserved and may say "we should get together sometime" but in the end, never follow through.  I don't doubt other people's experiences but our experience has been quite the opposite.  We have attended a birthday party for a stuffed dog, had coffee and even dinner with two other families.

The Great Unpack is still underway.  Since the bedrooms are so small, and there is basically one closet in the entire house, nothing is being stored in same places as before.  The house has a remodeled master closet with about 20 slightly-larger-than-milkcrate cubes...anything that was previously in a dresser drawer is now in a cube.  The dressers will now be used for holding candles, art supplies, dishes...the important things :)

That about covers everything going on here.  I am hoping to be finished unpacking by the end of the week so will be able to leave the house and see more of the town. I will try to take a few pictures of the house also--after I figure out how to recharge my camera battery here!