Damarobus is my name, and carrying folk is my game. Let me invite you to learn of my excursion with Hope Singers commencing on July 27, 2024. 

9:45 AM found me driving into a beautiful retreat center near the village of Dębe Wielkie, with my faithful driver Karl at my wheel…

Fast forward to nearly 10:30, and I was sitting in much the same position. But leave it up to humans, who seem to enjoy the opportunity to hurry up and wait. But after a few final, tearful farewells, we finally were on the road, headed northwest to the small town of Janikowo. 

Humans entertain themselves in ways hard for me to understand…especially those who posed as news anchors using cattail inflorescences as microphones. Others played games with interesting names such as Rook and Tajniacy (Code Names). But the sounds inside of me were happy sounds, so the entertaining must have been of high quality!

Our journey was through the pastoral northern Polish countryside. Corn in full tassel, golden straw bales, and peaceful homesteads hedged in by fruit trees adorned the landscape, overshadowed by overcast sky.

Upon arrival in Janikowo, Karl parked me in front of a rustically beautiful church (Kościół Ewangelicznych Chrześcijan w Janikowie). After the humans disembarked, I expected to have some peace and quiet. I thought wrong! Soon, the sounds of lip trills, sirens, and other vocal exercises wafted out of the church. 

In the late afternoon, the humans again felt the need to satisfy their appetites with kiełbasa, cabbage, pastries, and coffee. Following this feast, those disjunct vocal exercises transformed themselves into something that actually might be considered beautiful. The walls of the church that once housed fertilizer and other supplies during the Communist era now amplified songs that proclaimed the glory of the very God whom the Communists attempted to deny.

As I currently ponder this, 11:00 pm is approaching rapidly, and my wheels are getting weary from a long day of driving. A Stephen Leacock sketch has lulled about 1/3 of the folks to sleep. Our final destination for the evening is a farmstead-turned bed and breakfast near Gdańsk, at which we should be arriving by 11:30. I look forward to the next 4 days of bearing the Hope Singers 2024 to many new and fascinating adventures in northern Poland!