There are some nights when you do not feel tired and so you are sure you lay awake the whole time, tossing and turning and hoping for a few hours of oblivion. Eventually you give up and are convinced the next morning you will feel like the morning after the night before. I do not even go places and see things in the evenings. However when you hug the bed in the morning and the scent of baking bread wafts around the home, then you know that the world is OK. It is Angloswiss tradition to bake up one of those unfinished breads for Sunday, our favourite being the traditional so-called “Zopf” (platt) bread. All the Swiss farmer’s wives bake their own. I have done it in the past, making the pastry with yeast, butter, perhaps an egg and all the trimmings, but now being golden oldies we take the short cut and buy the prebaked one in the supermarket. I now  dragged myself into the kitchen.

The next surprise was already waiting outside. I could hear them and decided to move further to see them.

I called my assistant who was in the kitchen tending to the bread baking process, to pass me my camera.

“The small one”

“No the big one with the zoom lens.”

And now I was ready for the big picture. The crows had a morning gathering on one of their favourite trees, so I had to get a close up. They were still cawing and discussing if Mrs. Angloswiss would be spreading some bread remains on the lawn and waiting patiently. I do not usually do photos with a real camera in the morning because I have to process them on the computer. I prefer the mobile phone camera with the app that immediately puts them online. This morning I made an exception, after all I am not going anywhere and there is no need for stress.

The crows have now landed at the edge of my garden, being joined by a magpie, and making the most of the breakfast bread. It is beginning to look a lot like Autumn outside with the bird gatherings.

I had a bit of unexpected excitement yesterday. I was having some “me” time in the living room reading the latest Dan Brown novel “Origin” and in the background a football match began for the World Cup Qualifications, Switzerland playing Hungary. I could hear the sound in the background and suddenly the commentator shouted “goal” although the match had only just started. Unbelievable, but Switzerland had scored already. The silly Hungarian goalie slipped on the grass in front of the goal and dropped the ball, and one of our Swiss players took the  gift and shot the ball in the goal.

I thought “good” and continued reading, but no peace for the wicked as my mum would have said. There was another shout of excitement from the TV and a second Swiss goal arrived, 2:0 and only about 10 minutes into the game through some clever passes by the Swiss team. OK, now to read, but after the first 20 minutes, Switzerland were 5:0 in the lead. I was quite interested now, and my Kindle was put on one side. In the second half the Hungarians were allowed to score a goal, 5:1. In the meanwhile I paid a visit to the bathroom and when I returned it was 5:2. Eventually the match was over with a win for Switzerland. They now have very good qualification chances in the Word Cup, although their next match is against Portugal and they are not such an easy opponent.

And now I have wasted enough time, although no stress, today is a beef casserole and I would like to get it on its way so that it can cook slowly throughout the morning.

There is now a deathly silence outside whilst the crows are eating their breakfast. See you around, keep safe, and no stress, just take it easy.