Still mellow

... even though it is again cold and rainy, not at all weather for picnicking.

Which reminds me that after publishing that last post, I met G, U and Ralph for a picnic at the Bärenschlössle! Yes, my dearies, a genuine sitting-on-the-grass-in-sunshine picnic in mid-April. Quite pleasant it was too.

Today at work on the translation again, surprisingly relaxed even though G and the part-time assistant from our last competition were there preparing for the next competition. (Yes, the office was chosen to take part again; I will have little to do with it because I will be a fulltime Münstermann when I return from my father's 80th birthday celebrations in Toronto.)

I am hard put to say what exactly has put me in such a good mood in the last few days. Favourable biorhythms, perhaps, or the glow resulting from making new friends in RL and SL. In any case, my mood continues mellow and gently happy. I hope that your days are going as smoothly.

Better

So, here we are again. Monday morning, sunny and cool, sky blue but with the gentlest and thinnest haze of high-level clouds. The coming week should be the same, with temperatures in the mid-teens (measured at the airport, which will mean up to 20°C down here in the valley). I saw on my walk downtown on Saturday morning that the chestnuts were leafing out, but didn't have the camera with me. Their young leaves have something of the charming awkwardness of puppies stumbling over their own outsized feet.



I went for a long walk at the Bärensee with Princess yesterday, enjoying the sunshine and talking about Life etc. as one does. Neither of us had eaten since breakfast so we braved the thronging hordes and had lunch at the Schlössle which was entirely adequate. One doesn't expect gourmet cooking in the middle of a park. We saw turtles sunning themselves on a half-submerged log, and a half-dozen Mandarin ducks (sorry about the poor focus, either my hands were shaking with excitement or reflections from the water confused the camera).

Then to a concert in a church near her house, where Famous Photographer's choir sang Telemann's Lukas-Passion (1744) which I had never heard before. Telemann was something of a specialist, he composed 46 Passions (which is why they tend to be known by name and year). Nice music well sung, but it isn't going to replace Mozart or Bach in my affections.