Got it on the River Aare in Solothurn, Switzerland. One of the highlights of bird photography when you catch it in the right moment at the right time. Even swans like to spread their wings now and again.
Daily Archives: 30/11/2018
Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge Week 13
When I saw these I had to take a photo. It seems that our outdoor restaurants are grasping the initiative to make a warm place. Are the smaller hay groups for the dogs to rest on?
Oddball Challenge: November 29 2018
Someone is getting ready for Christmas
The wood has bee chopped and ready for the oven.
I think he was hanging up the Christmas Lights
FOTD 30.11.2018: Yellow Loosestrife
Here it is again, bujt this time the horizontal view. As you can see I have quite a few of these plants.
FOWC with Fandango: Classified
About ten years ago I joined facebook. Everyone was doing it. I even heard on the news yesterday that the guy in charge is one of the richest in the world, and I helped him to get there. At the beginning I was telling people when I went shopping, apologising for not being around because I was shopping and even telling people when I had a headache, but that was at the beginning. Of course I had a real life, like the lady on the photo, but I had a laptop so could take it wherever I went.
If I was cooking I could still do it, stereo of course. It was a short journey from the computer to the cooking range. One day I woke up and realised that there was a real life out there and who was interested in my little problems.
Today I see this all with an amused laugh from a distance. There are grown men that are telling me what they are doing all day, what they buy and there romantic life. And the mothers and grandmothers that are bombarding me with photos of their babies and little kids do not seem to have better thing to do and do not realise that there are some watching with no good intentions. Worse are the followers that spur them on with their ohs and ahs.
Now it is Christmas and I am sure that I will be peeping into the private sphere of many families gathered around the Christmas tree opening their gifts. In the meanwhile one of the victims is showing me what he is cooking for Christmas and on Christmas day I can even share his turkey and salmon hors d-oevres. What a shame the smelly computer has not been invented.
I also had to learn it. Suddenly you slip unawares into a confenssional. I even read of family arguments, romantic break-ups, personal moments that really do not belong in public. And me. I still belong, I am perhaps the worst of all, because I am the observer. I have a quiet laugh to myself when I read what the others write. I crosspost my WordPress blogs on my own page under another name. I have some followers there, but they do not often look in and that does not bother me. I had to learn that you do not tell everyone about your private moments, because there are some that are watching with negative intentions.
And Facebook itself? They are telling me daily to increase my public (by paying for it of course) and to tell my story. I have a story, we all do. But that is classified. I no longer post photos on Facebook, and rarely pass comments. It is classified information.
RDP Friday: Frost
The air was full of frost he noticed. Even when she opened her eyes after her sleep frosty daggers seemed to be forming on her eyelids. What did he do wrong? OK, he met a few of the boys after work yesterday evening and things got a little out of control. Perhaps he should have come home, but there was too much fun and he had a right to his private life.
“What’s for dinner?” he asked. “It’s in the freezer.”
“But it’s frozen.”
“Then thaw it out and cook it.”
That was the first day, but after a week he was fed up with frozen food. If she only kept the windows shut. Temperatures were below 0° outside. Most of the time she was not there. He was left to see to himself, thawing out the precooked meals. They now had icy times at home. Perhaps he should spend more time with her, but he had his own life to lead.
And now she was alone. The police were confused but decided she was innocent. He died suddenly. They said he had a heart attack. Icicles melt when you stab someone with them and leave no traces.
Good Morning
Nothing special today, just some crow action on the trees. They must have a reason to fly around together and make their noises in the morning, but who am I to complain. They have been here longer than I have. The colony already existed before our estate was built. I have had to rethink my routine in any case. Since both of us have our golden oldie problems, I lose more time than I used to.
Yesterday evening was laundry washing and this morning I had to put the dry wash together for ironing later on in the day. I used to do it on Saturday, but decided ironing on Saturday morning was not my thing, so have been making alterations in my daily life. Some may think why does she have daily plans, but it is the way I like it, it gives me variety. I have now realised that I have to deal with the stuff we used to do together on my own, and so I have a little less time. All I can say is thank goodness for the cleaning lady. I will now be looking for other ways I can get help. All your life you work, earn money and perhaps can put a little on the side. I live OK with my pensions, I even get a paltry amount from England, but as I only really worked there for two years, it is not a lot. I even get increases when they make them in England.
So now my bits on the side as used to support my golden oldie life like buying an electric wheelchair, paying for a weekly cleaning lady, and the newest will be organising someone to refurbish our beds with clean linen every two weeks. I try to maintain my normal customs and refuse to just let things go. There are many organisations in Switzerland that provide services for golden oldies, for a price of course. The idea today is that people remain at home and get outside help. Moving into old peoples homes is no longer the idea and I find that good. It just costs something of course, but so do senior homes and you are always more comfortable in your own four walls.
As it is now getting nearer to the Christmas season I notice in the are that people are now preparing some decorations. This tree belongs to my neighbour in her garden and certainly makes a difference in the usuall dull surroundings. It even has lights.
We have a small shop around the corner, whose speciality is mainly framing paintings, but as that is not a daily work, they have some extras on the side, like ornaments. At the moment their window has some Christmas decorations. they are also advertising Chistmas wreaths to sell: the smaller ones for 55 Swiss Francs and the larger 78 Swiss Francs, which I find quite expensive. I do not do Christmas decorations so much. I just have my poinsettia from last year which will probably ever have the red leaves again, and a Christmas cactus that I bought last week.
In the meanwhile I just make do with what the others have to show.
Yesterday was a day at home, I just did not have the time to go anywhere and whether I go on a wheelie today depends on how tired I am, but I would like to. This morning I will be off on my normal week-end shopping trip, probably alone again, but at least I can do my own thing. First of all I have a few things to organise at home and so will now be on my way.
I leave you with some Christmas roses, the first to flower again at Christmas. I saw these being sold in town in a flower shop.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 