Another buddleia but this time with accompanying peacock butterfly.
Author Archives: angloswiss
FOWC with Fandango: Scarce
It is probably only in cold countries like Switzerland where we have minus centigrade temperatures that we have to protect our palm trees in Winter with a specially made umbrells. How is it that we have palm trees in our part of Switzerland, although there are a scarce appearance in the garden. I have no idea, but the Swiss being a country of inventors always discover something useful. After all we invented amongst other things, the Swiss Army Knife, Bichermuesli, Absinthe and LSD. Perhaps not such great inventions, but where were we without these things.
The Swiss solder would be completely lost without his Swiss Army Knife. My No 2 son even had two. One was spotlessly clean and perfect, for the army inspection. The other one was not so clean and sharp, but that was the one he used. It saved time having two, as you only showed the good one for the inspection and did not have to spend time on cleaning it.
And now we can add the palm tree umbrella to protect your tropical trees in the garden. By the way I noticed that my snowdrops are now flowering in the garden now, and I did not need any protective umbrellas for them.
RDP Monday: Blunder
I was driving home from the supermarket this afternoon on my usual route. I know the streets by memory. Driving down this particular street in the photo with the traffic lights at the end was the street where I once lived for five years, so no problem. Of course it is now Winter and a dull day. However, the traffic light is still there. There is only a 30 kmh speed limit on this road, so a place to be very careful with the gas pedal. The light was red and I was the first car (and I think the only one) in front of the traffic light. What could go possibly wrong? I just had to wait for the light to change to green.
And now the difficult part is there. From the left there is a road with traffic that stop behind the white line to allow traffic from my side street to turn left. There is now a problem. Two cars, not just one, had driven over their white waiting line and had stopped. They were almost blocking me from turning left. Are you with me? It is a bit difficult to describe this blundersome situation. Now I had green and should go, but where? Would I have enough room to turn left when one car was almost half way blocking my path from the left. For a golden oldie this was not an easy problem to solve. I decided to take the chance and did a sharp left turn hoping that luck would be with me. It was and I managed to complete my left turn and continue on the way home. Of course I shook my head as I passed the first car that was blocking my road, but to no avail. There was no driver in the car, the car was empty. I took a quick look in the second car behind the driverless car, and discovered there was a driver in it.
I still do not know what to make of this predicament. As I drove further along the road, which was now safe, I saw a police car parked on the right.
Someone blundered somewhere. Where was the missing driver and how could the queue of cars behind him drive further when he was blocking the road. I must have a look in the newspaper tomorrow.
January Photo a Day: 26. Circles, Curves
This stork nest seems to be ready for the new residents after the Winter is over.
Good Morning
The weather is not improving at all. We have no rain, no snow, no wind really, just grey in grey and no clouds with temperatures hovering around 0°C, although perhaps a little more today as my cat’s water outside was not frozen. Yesterday was a very dull Sunday. I could not even gather the interest to go somewhere with the camera. Everything is so boring at the moment, with no great highlights. I might have visited the town, but these days no-one seems to visit the town on Sunday. I remember in our early family days Mr. Swiss would take the kids out for a walk on Sunday morning, while I was preparing lunch. He would take them for a drink in a local restaurant and sometimes visit his mother. Now the No. 1 son I still have at home usually only arrives home in the early morning hours after an evening in town with his colleagues and walking for the fun of it is no longer in the golden oldie programme.
At least I had a little highlight yesterday from my kitchen window.
My blackbird is now becoming a regular visitor and even sits with the sparrows. It does not seem to bother either species. It is usually Mr. Blackbird that arrives, although now and again I see Mrs. Blackbird. It is one of those bird sorts where the male has the good looks with his colourful beak and black feathers. The wife has the usual brown beak and more mottled feathers with some brown in it. Since we had the lawn removed from the garden they no longer visited. They are mainly interested in worms for the babies when they arrive in Spring and we no longer have so many. However when they realise food is available they return for their share.
The sparrows are always there, now and again giving a flying demonstration.
I found a little time to read further in my book yesterday. I used to read a lot more, but my time in the evening is never so constant. I might have a laundry to do, the machine being in my room in the cellar. Then I start the dishwasher and can sit again for three quarters on an hour until it is time for my MS injection. Afterwards the washing machine is finished, so back to the cellar to get the wash and then hang it and afterwards empty the dishwasher. It happens mainly in the evening because my electricity is then half price which can otherwise be an expensive commodity. Eventually peace settles again and I can make myself comfortable. I am then too tired to read further.
Now another week is beginning, so I will have to take a look at my programme. This afternoon another safari to the store to replenish a few items, although it is not such a long list at the moment. Tuesday afternoon I have the annual visit to the vet with Tabby to check on her health and see how her kidneys are doing after a year of treatment with a special diet and daily medicine. She also has to have her jabs which she does not really appreciate but no-one really like to be prodded with a needle. I prod myself with a needle every second day with my medicine but that does not bother me. However, if I have to go to the doctor for vampire treatment when I donate sample of blood, it makes a difference when someone else is doing the prodding: must be a psychological thing.
And now to move on with a little bit of daily tidying to keep me fit. Have a good day everyone and beginning to the week.
FOTD 26th January 2020: Buddleia
FOWC with Fandango: Wait
It was time to serve the tuna fish
All three felines were waiting
They heard the clank of the tin opener
And smelt the odours baiting
Three dishes were placed in a row
The suspense it was now over
Three cats were munching to their hearts delight
They were now in feline clover
These were my three cats Tabby at the back, Fluffy my blind cat bottom left (a Selkirk Rex) and Nera bottom right, Tabby’s litter sister. I now only have Tabby. Fluffy and Nera are now living their tenth life in the eternal corn chambers removing the mice.
