Spring

It's official. February has been significantly warmer and significantly drier than even the month of August was. We've had sun, we have trees and flowers in bloom, and we've had virtually no snow. The Alps without snow! Imagine. It looks like we didn't even need Fasnacht to help drive out the winter this year...it just never came. Fine with me!




So we bask in the sun (while being crawled on).


and make things out of daisies...which would normally not even be growing yet.

Nice!

unmotivated

So the posting has been sparse, clearly. I don't know what has gotten into me, or why it always happens this time of year....but I am totally unmotivated. To write, to talk, to go out, to read...nada. We desperately need a holiday (news on that shortly), so perhaps that's part of it. I'm always insanely homesick in the winter (for where exactly I don't know). We've taken amazing day trips and I didn't bother to take a single photograph (oh, what's another medieval old town or castle anyway). I'm here, in body if not in spirit, truckin' along.

I'm sure I'll snap out of it soon. :-)

new haircut

Kinderfasnacht

So here we are at the yearly Fasnacht...this particular parade was for kids. Fasnacht (Carnival in English) is basically lots of costumes, music and noisemaking, also some rhymes/poems about local and current events and of course a bit of partying! It's supposed to help drive out the winter...er, which we're not really having this year. But anyway.

Alex first wanted to be a devil and then (deciding that he doesn't really like to be fully costumed) chose this chicken hat. He played his flute as we walked through the village, the marching bands were playing, kids were dancing through the streets and when we got home...we had herbal tea and Fasnachtschuechli, the traditional snack for the occasion.

Oh, and then we did a bit of sunbathing. In February.

crafty

And now the sun is shining and it's incredibly warm and feels a lot like Spring. Strange. We sat on the terrace all day and played and made things.


Like this playdough:



and these pinecone bird-feeders (already half-eaten!):

first snow

So there it is. The very first snow this winter...and it was really only a tease. These photos were taken about a week ago, the snow stayed on the ground for oh, 5 minutes. But it was exciting for Alex just the same.