It seems that our postman has a new helping factor in his daily post rounds. Instead of having to reach up to the slit in the letter box he now has help from a ladder to show the way and a racing pigeon to help him. These additional assistants are to be seen in most post boxes. Switzerland is modernising its postal service.
These trees seem to be jeopardised. Every year they cut them, a whole row and every year their stunted branches are an insult to mother nature. I do not know why they do it. Why not just let them grow. Instead there are knobs of vegetation at the end of the branches.
Parking spaces are really becoming a problem. I started to drive regularly again at the beginning of the year. I have now found the perfect place for my vehicle. It is nicely protected in the corner next to the wood pile. I even have my Winter transport next to it.
It is that time of the year again. We have quite a pigeon population in our local town and they all have their favourite meeting places. I usually travel home in my wheelchair along the river bank and there they are sitting on the wall, but suddenly it is different. I now know the difference between the male and female pigeon. Suddenly the males are bigger, puffed out around the throat and even their colours are more in the rainbow tones. And they talk differently: throaty noises. They circle around the females and if they are lucky they might find one that is wiling, although often the female loses interest and flies away.
And then we have the blackbirds. They are applying their instinct to find the worms to feed their many babies
So what has happened to my instinct? I learned that instinct is actually something that has no reason. I still think that is the best explanation. Why do you choose your partner for life and why does he choose you. Who knows? After 50 years of marriage and a courtship of three months, it is still a mystery to both of us.
His on the left, mine on the right and we are both looking in opposite directions. Our toothbrushes know how to agree, each does its own thing
Today Mr. Swiss decided to come shopping with me. Great, I was not on my own, although I decided to say nothing. And so we drove off eventually, me at the steering wheel and he as passenger. I must say our role change does work. He knows that it is better not to talk to me when I am driving and I can ignore him as a passenger: perfect
We arrived at the store and took the lift to the lower floor. I had to go to the drug store for a few things and suddenly he also appeared for a few things. I was dealing with my shop assistant and he had another assistant. In two minutes we managed to cause confusion, because the assistants were not sure whether to treat us as one person or two. I took over and said I will deal with it and his assistant was glad her problem was solved.
I then said I wanted to have a look in the flower department for a few photos. He disappeared and so I progressed upstairs to the supermarket after taking my photos. I called him on my mobile phone – no answer. I tried again, and again and again etc. etc. You know, but no answer. He had forgotten to take his phone with him he explained afterwards. I did my shopping on my own. Suddenly he was there with his own trolley, again we had to combine everything in my trolley. I told him to take a seat and wait. Then everything was perfect.
I still do not know what disingenuous means, but I do know that when I do my own thing it works perfectly. We arrived back in the car together I drove off and we reached home in one piece. I put the shopping away and then proceeded to my computer. I had to laugh at something a blogging colleague had written. He admired me and said I have a gift of laughing when he was still in a miserable mood. I did not invite him to come with me it was voluntary, but we are still on good terms. After 50 years no-one is disingenuous, just agree to disagree.
Yesterday evening our TV communications were again showing what they can achieve. It was Eurovision Song Contest time again. For those across the pond this is a European thing where since 1956 (so long ago) various countries in Europe compete with a song every year. I remember the first days where it was just a few countries all singing in their own languages, although even then English seemed to be the main one.
At the beginning we would watch this little contest on our black and white TV at home hoping and knowing that actually great Britain deserved to win, no matter what the song. The Brits had to learn eventually that they were not the only country in Europe and the days of the Empire were now gone. There were countries like France and Germany and even little Switzerland who actually won the first contest with Lys Assia from Ruppeerswil who passed away last year.
And now the years have gone past and Europe has expanded. We have now so many countries competing that preliminary competitions have been organised to determine who takes part in the grand final. I remember back at the beginnings that one country from Eastern Europe, Jugoslavia (this country no longer exists) would send a singer dressed in a nice suit and sing his heart out with a song more resembling an operatic aria than something modern. Of course he lost, but the country was taking part.
Today it seems the countries of Europe have multiplied and there are names and places we have never heard of. Aserbaidschan was more a place with perhaps its own post stamps, but definitely not a song. The songs were only allowed to sung in the country’s own language for a while, but since this law has changed, most countries are now singing again in English. And what about the Brits? Yes well in yesterday’s competition they were last, no longer the kings of song and it seems that the Brits are blaming it on teir prime minister and Brexit. It was also an exception that Switzerland were taking part in the final. The song was quite good, all Swiss thinking it would have a chance to win, but it only arrived at the fourth place. And Holland was the winner, whether you like the song or not. I am not quite sure how it is voted, but it seems today to be an online thing with telephone and computer from the people. Anyhow here it is.
So enjoy if you can. For me it was an exception that I actually watched the contest yesterday because through the years, since strange countries were taking part with strange songs and strange dressing codes, we gave up. However, we are now golden oldies and a little bit of international song contest makes a change on a Saturday evening. I must also say that the quality of the songs has improved and no longer the strange rapping tones, or incomprehensible chants of a land that no-one has heard of. Europe has grown and who could imagine that as guest country Australia is now also allowed to take part. Perhaps once day we might welcome a song from the States. Yesterday Madonna put in a guest appearance on the show, but it seems she is no longer what she was and a bit off tune.
This afternoon I went for a wheelie in my chair. I was travelling on the opposite river bank for a change and suddenly I had to stop to take a closer look at this pair of swans. They were together, one a little smaller than the other. They seemed to be a bit different to the usual swan pairs I see. I could not say why, but they were very much occupied with one another.
It was then that an elderly couple walked along and also saw the swans. The man said to me “Are they nesting, it looks like it”. I told him I had no idea, but on a closer look, yes there were feathers everywhere and the sitting swan was probably keeping her eggs warm. sitting in the nest. I could not get closer and did not really want to as I did not want to disturb them. It is the time of year now that the babies will soon be arriving.
What a wonderful site on an afternoon. Our quiz was solved in any case.
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