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!

When March is Being Moody

Blue skies

and blossom

Lavender Pomander still life on the grey, windy days

Strawberries and cream coloured roses

which help us be patient for the spring flowers just starting to push out of the earth.

They last a whole week and

I love them at all stages.

Next came some tulips

illuminated in the morning sun shining on my round table by the window.

An explosion of petals

and shadowy centres

I bought some primroses for a window box on my balcony.

Gorgeous sunshine yellow

and soft peachy petals .

Two little fairies plan their day

and flowing petals in soft shades of grey.

March is changeable

and has many moods.

Never a dull moment in each single day!

Sunshine and Flowers

Our exceptionally warm temperatures for the season

and daily sunshine have brought us spring flowers

like these Crocus

Snowdrops

and Winter Jasmine

The full moon got me out walking to capture a lovely sunset.

It shone brightly in my neighbourhood

A day's outing by the lake in the town of Morges.

The mountains were misty, but the water reflected the beautiful blue of the sky.

Other people were out enjoying the lovely weather.

Another day I took a boat over the lake to the town of Evian for the day.

I was amazed and thrilled to see the first cherry blossom of the year.

It is very early, but luckily this is ornamental cherry.

The fruit bearing trees need to remain in hibernation a while longer.

Leaving the French town of Evian and surrounding mountains

to return to the Swiss side of the lake where I live.

I have been enjoying spring flowers in pots for a few weeks now.

Like these orange primroses and ivy leaves.

Spring crochet is getting ready to decorate my home with fresh colours

and a new tiny owl scissor fob was made over the weekend.

I found the lovely pattern here:

Anabelia craft design

Why We Should Get Out More

During the winter months, we often find excuses not to go out.

It's too cold, it's raining, snowing or the sky is grey

and it often feels so much more comfortable to stay inside with a good book!

It's a well known fact, that getting out every day is good for the morale.

Our horizons are widened

We see new things

We blow away any negative thoughts.

This week has been very springlike with bright blue skies and warmer temperatures

so there was no excuse to stay inside!

I heard birdsong and rejoiced!

Also, walking is healthy for us in so many ways.

We breathe deeper

Our muscles get a work-out

A daily walk can combat those who suffer from depression,

It alleviates stress and is even said to improve memory and lower blood-pressure.

My first walk today was right after breakfast.

There had been a night frost, but I did spy some tiny primroses

poking little yellow buds out of the earth and moss.

Tiny wild Cyclamen were dotted here and there among last autumn's acorns

under a big oak tree.

So much to see now with the days getting longer and there's a feel of a change in the air.

Beautiful spring flowers are available and tulips are one of my favourites.

Golden yellow to brighten one of the duller days.

Or these gorgeous deep pink ones splattered with white flecks on the outside petals.

They make me think of raspberries and cream!

I was fascinated to see how the colour changed as the days went by.

Graceful right up until the end.

Do you love to make soups at this time of the year?

I do.

Here's a delicious one for you to try:

400 grams each of carrots and sweet potatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

Toss briefly in 1 tbs olive oil and add

1 litre of water

Salt and pepper to taste

When tender, mix with an electric hand blender,

add some grated fresh ginger root.

2dl of coconut milk and 2 teaspoons of honey.

Heat gently, but do not boil.

Serve with a slice of wholemeal bread and a piece of cheese.

Just think how good this soup tastes after coming home from a walk in the fresh air!

My crochet project this week: tiny envelopes for Valentine's Day

and roses.

Pink for tenderness

or perhaps something with more impact and passion in red.

Are you with me on getting out more?

Even twenty minutes a day is good, but thirty is even better!

Shall we work up to an hour a day?

It's a wonderful objective, don't you think?

***

Crocheted rose pattern from Attic24

Longer Days

The days are getting longer by several minutes each day

and that is what allowed me to witness this beautiful sunset when I crossed a bridge

to the other side of town at 5.30 pm.

This is the silhouette of the St. François church steeple in Lausanne.

I shall be looking out for more sunsets!

A mini snowstorm in my street

Winter is still lurking

while the spring flowers sleep.

But the tulips are here 

bringing wonderful colour into our homes!

They didn't want to open and so I put them out into the rain

which seemed to suit them very much.

It was worth the wait.

The garland of hearts is finished and looks fresh and cheerful

above the couch in my living room.

Here it hangs underneath the lithography of one of Magritte's paintings.

The painting is called "La page blanche" (the empty page)

which it isn't!

I like Magritte's surreal quality and his humour!

This reminder and quotation from Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne:

"Promise me,

You'll always remember:

You are braver than you believe

 stronger than you seem

and

smarter than you think."

Words spoken by Christopher Robin to his favourite bear.

***

For the beautiful pattern of the heart granny square

HERE