Good Morning

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Sunrise

If you do not know where to begin in the morning, then a sunrise is always a good thing because that is where the day begins. Our weather is now bordering on Spring. The mornings are a bit frosty, but during the day it warms up and you ask whether it is still necessary to wear a winter jacket.

I did not expect yesterday to be a good one, but I survived. I had to go with Mr. Swiss to the hospital an hour after lunch there was no time for a relaxing sleep of a couple of hours, but I managed to squeeze in half an hour. I stayed at home in the morning, postposing my week-end shopping to after lunch whilst Mr. Swiss was at the hospital. And so I was yet again refreshing my driving knowledge by driving to the hospital and afterwards through our town up the hill where the supermarket it. As I finished the shopping he called to say he was finished at the hospital, so another drive through town to pick him up. He is OK health-wise, just getting older and is no longer driving a car, so I am now the only mobile person in the family, although I am not sure how mobile.

What I do know is that I will have to rethink a bit. As I now have to do it all on my own, I realise that “me” time is dwindling. I have my various hobbies: writing, photography and relaxing with a book, but in between washing, ironing, cooking, shopping and household, I have to replan a little. Mr. Swiss helps me where he can, but is also no longer as fit as he was.

Nikon

One bright moment in the day was that my new camera and lens arrived, but coupled with the fact that I only had time to unpack it, the bright moment dimmed a little. Luckily I am acquainted with Nikon cameras, so know basically where what is. One new development is that you can now download an app and connect it to you electronic device, be it a iPad or Phone. I had a look, and found it not more complicated as other electronic stuff, but decided it would be no great advantage for me. I could download the photos direct from the camera onto my phone and name them and their location would be recognised. Flickr already has those options and I know where my photos are. From Flickr I also get the web address to upload the photos. I also noticed in the explanation that there were a few “ifs” and “buts” and so 100% foolproof in the result of the functions it is not, so I decided to leave it for the time being.

I have had absolutely no opportunity to take a wheelie lately and this afternoon I am again on a quick trip to the supermarket with a few bits and pieces I had forgot. I am not a keen visitor of a supermarket on Saturday afternoon.

Zopf

I did manage to finish baking my week-end bread this morning. I buy it half done, and all I have to do is to complete the process of getting nice and brown in the oven. The bread is fresher that way. I used to make them myself from scratch, but that is also a thing of the past. I am even now getting rid of various baking dishes I have as I realised it must be a matter of years since I last baked anything. I prefer baking on my computer.

And now to the next state of my life, preparing dinner. It will be a Hungarian goulasch, but once the meat is cooking I can forget it until lunch time.

So here is a mixture of marigolds and fuchsia to accompany you on your way through the week-end, which I hope will be a good one.

Special Flowers 02.07 (2)

FOWC with Fandango: Variety

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Tomatoes

Anyone for a tomato. I remember the days when they came is larger sizes and were red. Red tomatoes were everywhere. I quite like a tomato, especially with cheese, but that is a matter of taste.  The trouble with tomatoes is that if you do not grow them yourself they seems to be quite tasteless from the supermarket. I suppose to feed the population with tomatoes you have to develop a system where there is enough for everyone. The result being that most tomatoes you buy have never seen earth. They are fed with liquids from a test tube or something similar. And so you get the wonderful tomatoes, same size, same colour, as if they were a regiment of tomato soldiers. In our part of the world most orginate under plastic in Holland. Yes, they are also sunlight starved.

Do they have taste? No, the taste is not important, the importance is their perfect shape and colour. We discovered that tomatoes from the fridge have absolutely no aroma, it has been killed by the cold. We began to put them in a dish in the kitchen. The first few days were fine, but suddenly their skins began to get wrinkles, they were prematurely ageing. We move on to the small tomatoes, and again the first day was fine, but they too began to show signs of wrinkled skins after a few days and were an attraction for fruit flies who have quite a quick reproductive system.

In the meanwhile I discovered that the tomato experiments were advancing. Suddenly we had pumpkin shaped tomatos, monsters in various colours. I was slowly out of my depth on the tomato range until I discovered the the mini tomatoes in 3 different colours, shape and sizes. This was the solution and they very rarely got wrinkles due to the new methods of preservation I assume. Perhaps they were bombarded with radioactivity, or sprayed with a preserving alcohol similar liquid. I had found the solution. I must admit I now keep them in the fridge and only let them out about an hour before we eat. to get the right temperature.

Yes there are now many varieties of tomato and we have the agony of choice.

FOWC with Fandango: Variety

RDP Friday: Canal

Posted in Ragtag Daily Prompt by

Derendingen 14.04 (18)

Welcome to Derendingen. Never heard of it? It is next to Zuchwil and Zuchwil is next to Solothurn in Switzerland and a river runs through it called the Emme which eventually empties into the river Aare which also happens to run pass our village. Now I am sure you are in the picture. Never heard of the Emmental, place where they have cheese with holes in it? Of course and the Emme gives the cheese and the valley the name. Very few outside of Switzerland know that the Emme flows through many places, one of them being Derendingen.

Derendingen is a 5-10 minute drive from where I live, according if the traffic lights are green or red and the best they can do for a canal is The Emme. Our car salesman is in the village of Zuchwil and once when Mr. Swiss had some car business there, he dropped me off at Derendingen to wait for him in a restaurant, but I spent some time taking photos of course.

People go for kayak practice on the Emme in Derendingen which explaines the coloured poles in the river. It it the nearest we get to a canal.

Derendingen 14.04 (24)

It gets quite adventurous in some places with wooden barriers, although I am not really sure what they are for but the water flows over them.

Derendingen 14.04 (23)

And there is a bridge that goes over the Emme in Derendingen: another poplar place for riding your kayak. There is an actual kayak club.

Derendingen 14.04 (25)

And one point it gets quite adventurous with rocks and stones: a real adventure playground for those perhaps river rafting, although I have never seen a raft on this river.

I am now sure that for those enjoying visiting far off places, Derendingen is now on the top of your list and do not forget, it might not have a canal, but a river runs through it.

RDP Friday: Canal