Wednesday’s Photos
A Grey November Day
It is hard to imagine that some people could like a grey November day. But pampered by so much sunshine for so many days in a row, my wife and I felt very adventurous and decided to go for walk along the shore of our beloved Arrow Lake. Walking through the woods, we found some mushrooms posing to be photographed. At the shore we discovered more of nature’s art work, a head sculpture in the water, interesting driftwood shapes, and tall golden grasses. Even when totally clouded over, our lake, valley and mountains look beautiful. Enjoy.
Here is a funny puzzle that recently emerged from my childhood memories. My mother who had never learned Latin in school asked me one day for a translation of the following phrase by an obscure Roman writer. Di currentum serum. If you have a solid background in the German language, you will be able to crack this nutty puzzle.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 
I tried to translate this even though I don’t know Latin. After a few tries I find something like: The gods are late.
That sounds good, because it suits our situation.
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I Forgot to mention the stione-head without a mouth 🙂
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Perhaps if you read Stella’s comment above, you might get a clue. I will reveal the solution on next week’s post. Thanks for trying!
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Your puzzle suggests that someone is late, but that’s the best I can do. However: here’s a totally wrong but fun translation. When I first saw the phrase, I thought of ‘currants’ and ‘serum’ — and remembered the juice from currants that my grandmother used to make jelly.
All of your photos have something to commend them, but the third is my favorite. The twists and curves of the tree are particularly appealing.
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I am so glad that you like today’s photos. As to the riddle, I will reveal the solution on next week’s post. Thanks for trying!
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You have to have the right frame of mind and the right eyes to catch all that beauty. Bravo to you and Biene!
I’ve absolutely no clue as to the puzzle, given that I don’t know Latin, and my German is at best elementary. 🙂
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Thank you for your kind remark about the photos we brought home from our walks, Amy! I will reveal the solution on next week’s post. Thanks for trying!
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Glad you finally got an overcast day to get some good shots, Peter! It’s great that you enjoy the area you live in.
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I think dull days often make for wonderful photos, and you have demonstrated that beautifully Peter.
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Thank you, Su!
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Your introductory text led me to expect an actual sculpture of a head.
I’m afraid I don’t know enough German to figure out the nut that’s getting cracked in your riddle. There are two Latin words serum, a noun meaning ‘whey’ and an adverb meaning ‘at night’; the word reminds me of German herum.
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Herum is part of the solution. I will reveal the solution on next week’s post. Thanks for trying!
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My thinking was that the s at the beginning of serum might attach to the end of whatever currentum actually stands for, in the way that someone calling on the telephone says “Ich bin ‘s” instead of “Ich bin es.” Then the remaining erum would represent a casual pronunciation of herum in which the h, already a weak consonant, has gotten lost.
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Some letters in this phrase has been deliberately altered to make it sound like real Latin. Also I have never seen this riddle written down.
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Adding what Stella said below, it seems the solution could be something like “Die Kuh rennt um ‘s herum.” The last part seems redundant, but maybe people actually talk like that.
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You came very close to solve this ‘Latin’ riddle. I believe this kind of pseudo Latin is known in the English language as dog Latin.
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Aye, and here’s an article about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Latin
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The examples given in this article are hilarious. Thanks, Steve!
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One that I remember from my own high school Latin days is iubet vicissim, meaning “he in his turn issues an order,” but which sounds like “You bet we kiss ’em.”
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Good one! It will go into my new collection of absurdities. Thanks, Steve!
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Hallo Peter, ein schöner Novembertag am See. Aber leider muss ich bei deinem Rätsel passen. Liebe Grüße
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Das ist in Ordnung, lieber Wolfgang. So weit habe ich noch keine richtige Antwort erhalten. Am Mittwoch werde ich sie euch allen mitteilen.
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A fabulous walk through your place on earth 🌍!
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Love the photos, Peter. Arrow Lakes have unique beauty for one’s enjoyment no matter what the weather!
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You are right, Peter, Arrow Lake is beautiful, no matter what weather!
I thought I am firm in German language, but I don’t seem to be able to solve it. Is it one of these Küchenlatein, where German words are pronounced the Latin way? My Grandfather used to do that.
I can offer: Die Kur rent umse rum. Tickuhr rent umse rum? Mit sächsischem “T”? Also: Tickuhr rennt um sich rum? Nicht lachen! 😉
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You came very close. It is definitely a form of Küchenlatein. I will reveal the solution on next week’s post. Thanks for trying, Birgit!
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Di currentum serum
Perhaps:
Die Kuh rennt um sie rum?!
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Di Kua rennt um se rum, that would be Franconian.
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Translated: Now even the cows are crazy
Maybe I’m still wrong 🙂
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No, you are actually very close.
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Das ist fast die richtige Antwort.
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I googled your mystery phrase and found a cow running around your lake!
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It is amazing what Google can do for us at the blink of an eye.
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Amazing 🙂
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We all like cows running around. Highland cows are highland coo in Scottish pronounced almost like the German Kuh but more Küh. I actually read the sentence backwards and figured out the sounds but of course I’m a German native speaker so no probs. The mushrooms you found look almost like made out of plastic.
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PS I like a dreich November day. The grey is a perfect contrast to the green moss and other evergreens.
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About the cows. Depending on the German dialect it can be a lake or a person the cow is circling. When I’m with family or friends I pronounce Sie as Se. Kommse, gehnse, wollnse!
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The lake is another correct piece of the puzzle. If the other commentators read your response, they will have the answer, before I provide it next Wednesday. Thank you for your valuable contribution, Debra!
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Perhaps it is not sunny and beautiful. But is is grey and beautiful.
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Some find grey days depressing, but I am glad when I can find beauty in them.
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Jetzt kommen sie alle mit Kühen an … “Die Kuh rennt um See rum”????
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Haha! Ich hätte niemals gedacht, mit dem Küchenlatein meiner Mutter so viel Spaß zu haben.
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Love the pictures of those yellow mushrooms. I guess I judged it right. Have I ?
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You certainly did, arv!
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🙂
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