Places - where I go

Beach, mountain, forest, or somewhere else entirely?

A good question I suppose. Living in Switzerland we have no beaches, at least not combined with an ocean. We only have lakes, and where I live just rivers. Mountains are very good in Switzerland. Unfortunately the are very high, with rocky anti golden oldie paths which can be very steep. I mentioned to Mr. Swiss about an excursion to our local mountain, the Weissenstein, as they now have a new railway to the top with gondolas. I had visions of photos from the peak looking towards the valleys and perhaps some mountain wild life. He said yes, we could do that. I am still waiting for the signal to go, but we will wait until the weather is warmer. For the time being we will stay in the lowlands.

Last week we began a new keep fit programme, at least I did. Mr. Swiss is already fit. We have a new conversation topic at lunch time. “Where shall we go today”, although the choice is not wide. Today Mr. Swiss decided a short walk to the cemetery again. He always wants to visit the cemetery. My photographic experience with the cemetery is almost exhausted. I think it is because of the useful benches placed on the corners where he/we can take a rest when it gets too much for us.

To arrive at the cemetery we again had to pass the horses and chickens. The rooster seems to be in a good mood: of course he was with about 50 wives to look after his needs.  Nothing much had changed at the cemetery. All the graves were in the same place, no movements anywhere and so I busied myself taking a few photos for my cemetery album. Today the weather was cool, but bearable. I do not know why these gravestones were put in a row. Probably the unlucky ones that had been dug up with only the stones left. I believe the relations can have the gravestones for their garden or whatever afterwards, although I have never seen gardens full of such stones in my village.

We again took a rest on our bench, at least Mr. Swiss did. I was too busy looking for details my camera had not yet captured. If you look close enough at those graves, you find all sorts of little ornaments worthy of a photo. 

We arrived home safe and sound. Today we had a garden problem. On my lawn the gardeners had prepared everything by clearing out the dead and dying stalks of grass and feeding the remains with fertiliser. To finish the job new grass seeds were scattered with an order from the gardener that I should give the freshly laid lawn water daily, preferably in the morning. This was because in the morning the temperature is cool. If the sun is on the newly planted lawn during the day and I give it to drink,  there is a danger that the grass roots will burn, which would mean no new lawn and do it all again. Thus we see Mrs. Angloswiss regularly with a long kaftan over her nightdress pouring water on the lawn at 8 a.m. in the morning. I would add that temperatures are then about 5°C which is not so warm. Now and again we have bird visits as grass seeds are an invitation to breakfast, dinner and tea for them. As a counter measure I hung various seed parcels on the apple tree branches to deter them from the lawn. I also threw handfuls of bird food on the neighbouring field. I will soon get the name of St. Angloswiss of Feldbrunnen, the bird feeder.

Today the birds were not happy with these extras and invaded my newly planted lawn, mostly sparrows, at least 20-30 of them. It was a mass attack. Mr. Swiss went into action and found some brightly colours plastic tape I organised the last time I planted  a lawn. Our lawn now resembles a boxing ring bordered with a colourful tape edge and yes, the birds now remain in the apple tree or on the field. It was an invasion of the third kind, Alfred Hitchcock would have been delighted by producing a new film “The sparrows”.

And now for a finishing touch to my exciting day of a cemetery visit and sparrow battle, I give you my latest addition to my front garden (by special wish), the Meercat in person. He is very happy to join us and has many admirers. I think I will have to charge an entrance fee to see him eventually.

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