The Snowstorm: a real-life story

She strode up the street in the deepening snow

the laces on her boots swinging out with each step.

She had forgotten her gloves that morning and had pulled the sleeves 

of her sweater over her hands.

I could hear the scrunch of her boots as she walked

and imagined the soft thudding sound that the snow must be making on her umbrella.

The snowstorm had brought everything in the city to a grinding halt.

The cars could hardly get up my street without their tyres squealing and slipping

on the slippery surface,

and those going down the hill slid down sideways when they hit the breaks.

Dogs still had to be taken for walks

and red cars showed off their red paintwork

gleaming against the white of the snow.

Passers-by dashed past

wanting to get home as soon as possible

and thankful they had taken their umbrellas with them that morning.

But I was snug in my apartment

watching the big flakes floating down against the building opposite.

I ventured out onto one end of my balcony,

feeling as excited as when I was a child and I used to rush outside

in the snow with outstretched arms

as if to catch all the flakes in the sky!

I zoomed in on the nearby small park to capture the beauty of it all.

embracing the scene with my eyes

in its tiniest detail

I went outside a little later and captured this bench on which no one would sit that day.

A bush with red berries gave a welcome splash of colour

My pot of purple flowers, which had survived since the summer,

looked a little shocked by their sprinkling of snow.

I pulled them nearer to the kitchen window to protect them as best I could.

I returned inside to the warmth of the kitchen where there was the aroma of soup

simmering in the cast-iron pan.

Carrot and sweet potatoes were cooking with grated ginger.

Perfect for a day like today!

When I looked outside again, the snow was coming sideways ...

or was that the window which had turned when I wasn't looking...?

Well that was the story of Friday

and now it's already Sunday

and an array of coloured crocheted hearts

are sitting on my work table.

Red ones and pink ones with assorted chocolates

Turquoise and orange

made into pouches with handles

Some with frilly edges

... and one just for you with a Lindt chocolate heart

just in time to wish you all a

Happy Valentine's Day!

This pattern is called Granny Heart Superstar

which you can find

here

What I Love About December

Now the days are shorter

I simply love to light candles in my home.

It makes it feel so warm and snug.

The trees are so expressive without their leaves

I did love how this tall Poplar tree just caught the sinking sun at the very top!

I went down to the lake one afternoon and the lighting was very unusual.

Can you see the pale circle of sun hiding in the clouds?

Three seagulls were circling the C-shaped elegant weather-vane.

I find we notice things differently in the winter months.

Don't you just love silhouettes?

I love going for brisk walks in my neighbourhood and catching the mid-afternoon light.

These little catkins will remain tightly encased until the spring.

There are plenty of red berries on the bushes everywhere

We've already had our first snowfall

and I took this photo from my balcony. I chose this coloured house because it shows

up the snowflakes so well.

It's time to get my winter boots out of the cellar again.

By the time I got out to take some pictures of the snow, it had warmed up

a bit too much and the snow was melting very fast.

Another tree in my neighbourhood with a large nest very high up.

Does that mean that the winter won't be too cold?

Just a little higher up from where I live, I found some patches of snow that hadn't melted.

A few lovely Maple leaves were hanging from the tree,

but most of them had already fallen on the ground.

These two had fallen on the snow

showing off their beautiful shape and colour.

While most flowers have finished blooming.

The Winter Jasmine is looking beautiful.

As soon as December is here, I start to crochet Christmas items.

These four tiny Christmas stockings were made for a gift.

Now I'm making some for myself in a different colour combination.

What I love about December the most are brisk walks in the crisp air,

noticing the beauty of the winter scenery

and then coming home for gorgeous long evenings in which to read,

do crochet, make decorations and prepare gifts.

An orchid plant is in full bloom

and when I look up, I notice the lovely petals from the back against the light from the window.

I heard that it's going to snow again very soon

and I shall be outside to enjoy it to the full!

Next time, I'm going to talk about the Lights Festival in Lausanne

and show you some of the pictures that I've already taken of this event.

What do you love about December?

 

Spring Snow

I know that the first day of spring isn't quite here,

it's still two days' away.

That didn't stop fresh snow from falling in the mountains!

All the mountain scenes in this posting are thanks to a lovely early birthday treat

from my son who came over from Canada to visit his family and friends.

We spent a night in a beautiful hotel with a spa.

The Lavey Spa Centre is situated in the Rhône Valley surrounded by mountains.

Here are some of the warm thermal water pools.

The water from the baths comes from the hottest spring of Switzerland

(33° - 36°C).

It is caught in great depth, up to 600 metres, near the baths.

If you look up into a small snowy plateau on the mountain side,

you can see a little hamlet and the steeple of a church.

On the day of our arrival, we both had a massage at the spa centre

and then enjoyed swimming in the pools as it was snowing on our heads!

I like the Hammam very much which is steamy and perfumed with essential oils

which clears the lungs and respiratory system.

The centre under a deep blue sky at night.

I went here some years' ago with a girl friend on the longest day of the year

and we swam under the stars until midnight!

This lovely golden scene was taken from my hotel room at the spa.

This was the first sun of the morning, around 6.30 am which illuminated the peaks

in a golden light.

The new day brought us bright blue skies which contrasted so beautifully with the fresh snow.

The sun hadn't yet reached the foreground.

The branches are still bare, but tiny buds are swelling and getting ready

to burst open at that time when the temperatures rise over a certain amount of time.

This is the lovely Georgia O'Keeffe picture in my hotel room.

This metal statue is at the entrance to the Spa Centre.

I sat in the waiting area drinking herbal teas and waiting to be called.

I had chosen an Alpine salt scrub followed by a back massage done with shells

and heated oil!

We did several lovely walks in the hotel's park and beyond until we reached a waterfall.

This is a fun reflection I took in one of the metal deforming structures.

You can see part of the hotel in the background.

The water from a waterfall travels down to the Rhône River below.

The level of the water is very low at this time of the year.

We have had little rain and the snow has not yet melted.

In the late spring and early summer, you can hear the water

rushing noisily over the rocks.

A last look at this beautiful mountain range covered in fresh snow.

What a lovely early birthday treat and some quality time spent with my son.

A visit to remember!

I also came here with my daughter for the day last autumn,

to celebrate her birthday!

The First Snow of the Season

This week has been a mixture of blue skies and sunshine, but also dull, grey days.

On this particular day, I passed this beautiful tall Beech tree with still a few leaves hanging on.

There were also some pretty Winter Jasmine in bloom.

Two days' ago there was an icy wind blowing

and snow had been forecast!

When I got up this morning around 5 am, I put on a coat before pulling up the blinds

and going on my balcony!

It was indeed snowing and it continued to do so for most of the morning.

I took this photo just before 8 am when the street lights were still on.

The house is just across the road from me.

You can see the snowflakes falling against the dark paintwork on the house.

A pretty snow scene in-between two houses.

The first snow of the season is always so special!

I am happy to say that the roads were cleared by a snow-plough and the paths cleared by a blower.

I had a snug day at home, reading and doing crochet

I lit candles and this one looks so pretty on an orange tablecloth.

The little house is made of ceramic.

I did some reading about the life of a vet

and his love of animals.

This is a beautiful hand-painted Christmas bauble

which represents figs and their leaves.

This week, I visited a friend who lives further down the lake

We went to a Christmas Market and she gave me this lovely candle holder

with the winter trees and a moose.

A thoughtful Christmas present!

Isn't the Christmas card adorable too?

I finished crocheting my winter blanket.

It looks really pretty on my grey couch.

Now I'm crocheting some more squares in the same colours to make a cushion cover.

The little Tomte wearing a long pointed hat, is a Scandinavian gnome.

He was given to me by my daughter.

Isn't he adorable?

The tomte is an essential part of Scandinavian folklore.

He's a little gnome who is dedicated to one home or farm.

He looks out for the farm animals and children of the home.

He patters about by night, unseen, to check on everyone's welfare.

I chose this Swarovski crystal star for my blog header.

It sparkles so prettily by candlelight.

I hope that this month of December is treating you well.

Do you like this time of the year?

Do you have special traditions that you like to honour?

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