Hello again, after quite a long absence …
Today I started a new blog. You can find it at refusetherefuse.com
Haystacks of Romania
From 20-27 May, I was in Romania for work. Transylvania in fact. We all survived without a vampire attack – I didn’t even see a bat.
A highlight was the traditional haystacks in the rural areas. Such a sight! Big, small, solo, in pairs or rows … it really made me want to do a bicycle tour through the countryside capturing all the haystacks and scenery. But that would be almost a death wish – the roads were terrible, like a patchwork of attempted repairs. I will never complain about a rogue pothole again.
Grand plans …
Peonies near our house
Today I had grand plans to finally write about Romania, my sister’s visit, the surprise house down on the Wohlensee, the garden at home and in the city, and and and … but the sun is shining and Pastora suggested we meet for a beer …
No contest!
So here are some recent photos which sum up the start of summer, and it couldn’t come soon enough! I’ll get back into the swing of writing again, I promise.
Wishing you a wonderful day.
My first strawberry. It was absolutely delicious, like a strawberry should be!
The wonderful feeling of putting on sandals for the first time since the Fuerteventura holiday and there’s still sand in them.
Delight for spider’s appetite
Right near out front door to the apartment block is an overgrown, but lovely, garden bed. And right on the path are some tulips. One white one looked very special yesterday – added colours!
Plant people – what are these?!
This is a garden update with questions … do you know what these two plants are? They’ve popped up out of nowhere in my garden plot and I don’t know if I should dig them up or let them grow?
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- This is growing in clumps. The root is long and white. There are prickles on the stems (my poor zucchini in the foreground)
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- This has sprouted up in various places and is a climber of some sort. One wrapped itself around a gladioli
Round trip to Murzelen
Have you ever made plans to go for a long walk, somewhere spectacular, which involves getting in the car, and at the last minute think why waste time in the car when you can just start walking from your front door instead?
Leo and I had grand plans recently to go walking close to Spiez, on the Lake of Thun, doing a four-hour circular wanderweg. Spiez is probably only 45 minutes away in the car, but the whole thought of wasting 45 minutes of glorious sunshine sitting in a car put us off enough to search for a plan B. And luckily, where we live, there is always a plan B.
Walking in Wohlen
We had a public holiday on May 5 and the sun was out, so Leo and I took a short wander in Wohlen before joining The Usual Suspects at Liliane and Rene’s apartment for an early dinner.
Magnificent day, one of the few sunny days we’ve had in May (why so much rain?! My garden! Ugh!) and it was nice to put the walking shoes on again. Our wanderwegs have been missed!
Marney’s visit
A good friend Marney, who I worked with in Darwin when we were young and silly, now lives in Sweden, so after a recent work trip to Zürich she stayed on to visit us for a weekend 22-24 April. Nothing has changed – we’re just older and still silly.
Rudolf the jovial gardener
I’ve been taking photos of the tulip garden near work almost every day in spring, to see how it changes. Well, it really changed during the week!
Wilson
My office was feeling a bit bare of greenery, so I now have a yukka named Wilson.
Wilson in his new home
Why Wilson, you ask?
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