Snow in 2006

I remember this winter so well, it started rather warmer than usual, so much so that our anniversary, end of January we were sitting outside a cafe in Ascona on the lake front eating ice-creams. Temperature was somewhere in the low twenties +22 - 24 C. And four days later it started to snow and didn't stop for 2 days...



































One of the January bright and fresh days we took Papa for a walk, he still had to have crutches, so he had to have a lot of rests, we kept it a short walk to keep him from freezing... It was beautiful though. I love Origlio, it's always beautiful no matter which season or weather. And yes, I was there too, trust me... It's just that the camera stayed with me at all times.








When you are snowed in, sometimes it's important to have a good team, who will help you to dig out the car, catch some snowflakes with a butterfly net (?) or make a snow mouse? Or even two? Well, their use will increase with time I am sure, for now the kids make sure life is fun and never boring... They keep you company and rattle on whilst you work hard clearing that snow, or take pictures of the others working ;)


















Carona is always quite stunning, but there is something extra special, elegant and wonderful about Carona under fresh layer of sparkling white snow! Love the way everything looks so new, and the kids, well, they just adore the stuff, they eat it, they swim in it, they bore the holes and live in them, they are just being kids, and who can blame them. It's hard for us grown ups not to feel a bit of the kids, when it's all around you.




February even brought a little bit of snow to Lugano, not for long though, almost immediately it became too wet to be cold snow, and turned into slush.











When snow is hard to come by, head to the mountains, sledging is something we have learnt to do well in Switzerland.




































































































































































This was sure a warm one, since we had seen snow last in February, just before we went to visit Granny and Peter in UK. The kids in Asilo used to get dressed in costumes, and make a racket in our quiet village. That year they were wolves. And sometimes our kids just dressed up for the fun of it.

Snow in 2005

January 2005 we had visitors from the Netherlands: namely Josca and Dirk, who took us out for a week-end in Andermatt. We sledged, I crawled backwards on the piste for 10 km with the snowboard attached to me, until I guessed it would be faster to take it off and walk holding it... It's all very good, but is it... entertainment?! Not for me obviously, and don't start the - how come? you ARE from Russia? gags! I am not made for either skiing or boarding downhills, the only thing I can do well downhill is roll cheese, well I have never tried, but very eager! Alright?!








Yes I am 35 and all I can do is sledge, please, continue laughing... if you must! And yeah! I look really good in all the gear, but that's when I am standing with both feet firmly planted in the snow, as soon as I move though, what? yes. I fall indeed. Very confidently, too.


Josca and Dirk ski really well! John had fun snowboarding, too. That's at least until he finished the day, bent down to take the board off, fell backwards, knocked himself out, and came back in 25 minutes to his senses losing his short term memory... Pays to have two doctors visiting, but I tell you, that was one of the longest nights I remember... Every five minutes almost to the second his memory would "reset" and he would ask me again and again the loop of the same questions, like how did we get to the hotel? Did I drive? What has happened? Did the kids have dinner? and so on and so forth, after four hours (multiply by twelve times an hour) and getting closer to midnight I decided that he won't remember anyway, and started answering with the first thing that popped into my head, like we flew in a helicopter, you were hit by a meteorite, and so on... He might be cross with me now, but that's what stopped me from strangling him then, so I say, whatever works for you... No?



The village of Andermatt was beautiful, and John wanted to go snowboarding again the next day, and it took all my persuasion and both doctors to prevent him... he couldn't remember doing it the day before you see...













Just before the operation we went to our Carona botanical gardens up the hill for a walk, what a splendid view, what a sunny crispy day, how much fun for all the family!




















Papa's knees are tired, he needs to rest, well, the faithful daughter will wait for him...






Come on Papa! You have had your rest, we walk on now! Come with me!

































































































Waiting for papa to come out of the hospital, we have made bunny-guards to greet him, he claims we didn't visit him a lot, but what with mama not driving and being snowed in on Friday and the roads not being cleared till Sunday night... well, we went to collect him, didn't we?!
















































December 2005 - we are comfortable with where we are, we understand enough of Italian now and start talking back. The house feels like ours, and the girls have fun everywhere and anywhere.

John is still on the crutches but walking around and clearing snow, too. Bless him.