In German speaking Switzerland, on the north face of the Bernese Highlands at about 600 meters above sea level…
It is time to wake up because…
Spring is here!
Look carefully, spring is everywhere.
Frühling
Tag Archives: Jungfrau Region
Forest and Wood
I suppose this image is about design. But it is also about people who have lived for generations with the forest. Wood takes on many important facets of their lives.
What do you do with wood? On this window sill is a painted wooden model of a village in the woods.
The village in the woods.
My heart’s in the forest.
WhichWitch?
Hamamelis species
Witch-hazel
Can anyone share with me witch lore about this plant?
Early March, full flower, no leaves, yet.
Tree
Every so often something makes me take a photo–something?
Walnut tree–Juglans nigra
Is it my eyes, is it my heart, is it paranormal?
I don’t know. But Alfred Joyce Kilmer wrote, in his poem ‘Trees’:
I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.
My photos may not be technically the best but they do have my heart in them. And I love living in the Swiss Highlands because such simple things as the beauty of a tree have become embedded in their culture for all to appreciate.
A few years back, I posted a story here entitled ‘Landscapeyness’. The title was not so accurate related to its content about trees and culture in the Swiss Highlands. The following image shares the flavor.
Forest, animals, people, nurture, rest, music, landscape…
The artwork is called Schnerenschnit.
And then Christmas was over.
Purify by fire…elimination of last year’s evil. The municipality arranged for a community Christmas tree burning. Presto! Last year’s evil is up in smoke.
Every country and culture has a different interpretation of Christmas, trees and Santa Claus.
After the passing of the Christmas and the New Year, our local neighborhood, in the Jungfrau Region of the Swiss Alps, furnished these three image examples.
Saint Nikolas prepares to distribute bread, while his companion, Schmutzli prepares to sweep away what remains of this past year’s evil.
And if some evil escapes Schmutzli, numerous helpers are prepared to scare it away.
Have no fear, Happy New Year!
Alpine Goldener Autumn
I better post this before a serious snowfall. The colorful golden beauty of the first image is that it occurs above the tree line, above 2,000 meters elevation.
The lift, for access to these areas, has already been closed for maintenance prior to the upcoming ski season. So, I screen captured the image from a 24/7/365 webcam, at Jungfrau.ch.
This golden color arises after the evening temperatures regularly drop below freezing. The color will be hidden any day now when the first snowfall arrives. This is a view of the Grosse Scheidegg pass (2,300 meters elevation) just east of Grindelwald.
The last two images are from the Japanese Ginkgo. It holds its bright yellow gold leaves until the first major frost–then the leaves drop almost all at once. At 600 meters elevation, the first frost arrived this week.
Ginkgo biloba at 600 meters elevation 20Nov2018, Interlaken, Switzerland.
Goldener Herbst.
Rising
I am obsessed with the magic of clouds rising from nothing.
But what is that nothing?
Imagine what you might see, feel, hear underneath that dark, 100 foot tall forest canopy as a cloud just begins to emerge from around you?
This mixed evergreen and deciduous forest has a canopy that is more than a ten story building, 30 meters (100feet) tall. On the forest floor, it is dark. And the floor is not level. Beneath the canopy is a steeply varied topography–very exciting–filled with surprising variety of flora and fauna–if you are quiet and patient.
Seasoning—is it right?
Spring, summer, fall and winter…all have their individual tastes and arrive each year with their own uniquenesses.
In the northern hemisphere, now in 2018, we are making the transition between fall and winter. All of you have your own memories and interpretations of these seasonings. I doubt there is a right or wrong.
But the other day, the mountains around my home revealed a certain kind of smorgasbord seasoning, grace to elevation changes. What? What do I mean to say?
On one day, I experienced a very unique variety of seasonings. Full blown winter and full blown fall, completely independent of each other, within less than an hour of each other, again grace to their elevational difference. And, the best for last, something very special above them all.
It is all about the landscape. I hope you can enjoy these images.
Fall landscape
Winter landscape
Heavenly landscape
Probably don’t…
…want to hear about this stroke update. That’s ok because you don’t have to read it. I want to put words to what I felt today.
About 18 months ago I was in bed, a vegetable in a windowless and clockless emergency ward. Tubes everywhere. Nothing that worked before was working.
Gradually things sank in, internal clouds started lifting and I started thinking. Still unable to get out of bed. If only I could speak again. If only I could clean myself again. I dreamed if only I could walk in the country…oh such a dream. Then the rehab began. Then the hard discipline became essential. Little step by little step.
Below is where I walked today. I almost melted with joy and happiness. Wish fulfilled. So many to thank.
Who wouldn’t want to take this walk?
No Place Like Gnome
I just can’t wander too far from Gnome. Are they following me?
The black cat is cool with all of it.