Hot and Sunny

Saturday was the hottest day here so far this summer. I walked into town around 10 am to go to the library and one or two other errands. Putting on my movie star look again - wearing my sunglasses and a wide-brimmed white hat… ;)

In the town square there was a band playing. This is a summer tradition, every year in July some music students are employed by the town to give daily street concerts. I found a bench in the shadow so sat down for a while to rest my feet and listen. I also had ice cream in the park on my way home.

Back home I had a sandwich and ice tea for lunch – and strawberries. Too hot to cook!

In the afternoon the thermometer outside my window on the shadowy side of the flat showed 33°C (91,4 F). On the balcony a lot hotter… I had three parasols up but there were also gusts of wind coming so the one supposed to be standing on the floor kept flying off. It was on its way over to visit the next-balcony-neighbour last time I caught it! Had to take it down, obviously I can’t leave it up when I’m not sitting there. Which I can’t do in the afternoon when it’s like this, but I was hoping to protect the flowers…

Inside I have around 27°C and two fans going. Felt almost cool when I got in from outside, but not if I try to “do” something!

‘They’ say that it’s going to cool off again in a day or two, though. I hope they are right! Not much one can do about it, but I do prefer 23° rather than 33°.

Enjoying the Sunshine

We're enjoying beautiful spring weather now, and they say it is going to continue over the next few days. So I was inspired to "move outdoors", i.e. to fetch my deck chair from the storage room in the basement to the balcony, for the summer season. My balcony faces south-west, which is perfect in the early spring and in the autumn. On a really hot and sunny summer day however it gets too hot there in the afternoon. But on the whole... comparing it to my previous flat, where the balcony had morning sun... It really prolongs the summer season to get the afternoon and evening sun instead. Monday afternoon I was out there for two or three hours; planting some more flowers, and then just sitting in the sun, and reading a bit - wearing jeans, but short sleeves. And it's not even mid April yet! After the long, cold winter we had... it's a very special feeling to be able to do that again!

And my clematis plant has survived the winter, too! :)

A Sunny Snowy Countryside Walk (2)

Behind the Mill, a path goes on over a small island, embraced by two different arms of the river. We continued our walk across it to the next bridge. The area is a nature reserve. In the summer, the island is a sort of meadow, with quite a few rare plants. This winter, it is a vast white field.

Hopefully the information on this signpost was not too important.

Half way across the island.

The other arm of the river.
This turned out to have its own set of ice formations.

On the other side of the river, the path leads on into the wood.

We did not go further this time, but turned around...

... and walked back towards the Mill.