Waving Bye-Bye

We finally got through it. The winter is gone. To be honest, I can’t really complain about the winter this year. We only had one week with snow in January. This week the temperatures will rise up to 18° Celsius. Hurrah! Spring is my favourite season of the year. I love to see everything coming back alive in the nature.
I’m also happy to report I’m back walking after some mild physical discomfort although I still need physiotherapy the next two months. But having an espresso in the afternoon outside cheers me up a lot.

Jimi is back in a good condition. He had a bladder infection for the third time in one year. He was checked thoroughly and found in an excellent health. The problem seems to be he’s having acute stress attacks the last months which are probably the cause of the infections. A lot happened in my house recently; the AC installation, the solar panels installation and some other small works inside. So fingers crossed he stays calm the next months…

One more thing… I rediscovered the Shazam app lately. Shazam is a useful application that can identify music based on a short sample played using the microphone on your phone. I had a few returning songs on my playlist of which I thought were from an American artist. After using Shazam I found out the songs are from Sarah Dawn Finer, a Swedish singer/songwriter and the Hindley Street Country Club, an Australian band. Life can be full of surprises.

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

It’s There!

No Jimi, I’m afraid I can’t believe you… Spring isn’t just around the corner. It’s still far, far away, to my great regret. Dark and cold days lie still ahead of us. The weather forecast predicts snow. Yes, snow! The horror… the horror!

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

Flore

How to warm you up on cold winter days. After a few days of hesitation, Jimi decided it was time to go outside and check out the garden covered in snow. Much to my surprise, he was enjoying his walks and soon he was following the tracks of the sparrows and blackbirds in the snow. As you probably know, I don’t like the winter but I do enjoy my daily walks in the snow.

Thank goodness I found a good recipe for these cold days. I just bought the latest CD from Gabriel Rios, ‘Flore’. Gabriel Rios (born 1978 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican-Belgian singer songwriter currently residing in Belgium and New York. It’s his 5th studio album and a pecan to the music of Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s a Latin album made in isolation and exile, not only because it was birthed during last year’s pandemic, but because it finds Rios looking back from afar, maybe for the first time, to what remains of his past and his roots. More specifically, these are songs that go back to both his father and grandfather’s youth; songs they would have loved to hear him sing. Feel free to check out this warm album of a great musician. (Info from Sony Music)

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

Just When I Thought…

“Just when I thought I was out (of the winter), they pull me back in!” – Michael Corleone

First snow of the winter. More snow coming. Just when I thought spring’s around the corner, I woke up in winter…

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

First Snow/Last Snow

Finally, we’re heading to spring! The days are getting longer, yeah! I’ve got a good feeling about it. Last week, we had 2 days with light snow fall. Jimi was very interested in what was happening outside. I guess this was the first time in his life he actually saw snow. It reminds me of Mr. Bowie, he loved going outside and play in the snow. Feel free to go back in time and check out this post.

Meanwhile, European countries are on high alert as coronavirus (Covid-19) is spreading rapidly across the region. A few days ago, the government announced the first coronavirus case in my hometown. We have to be very careful at the moment.

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

Ecological Footprint

Walking in the snow. Following Mr. Bowie’s ecological footprints wil guide me home and ignite my bones. Giant steps are what he takes. Paws they hardly touch the ground. I hope my legs don’t break.

Enjoy this cold day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

 

First Snow 2019

Checkin’ out to see it’s safe outside.

Enjoy this cold day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

No Planet B

Waiting for spring. And summer. Early morning exercise is good for your heart. Walking in the morning has tremendous cardiovascular benefits, so Mr. Bowie gets the most from his walking routine. But today it seems Mr. Bowie regrets his decision of going outside. Temperatures dropped below zero degrees Celsius and a few cm snowfall is predicted for next Tuesday. This will be our first snow of the winter. Although Mr. Bowie likes playing in the snow, lately he prefers sleeping on the duvet in my bedroom.

Meanwhile, over 12,500 students gathered in Brussels on last Thursday, skipping school again for the second week in a row to march for the climate. “Skipping school? No. We fight for our future,” one sign read, according to The Associated Press. This protest mimics similar climate movements by students in other countries over Europe. One of the most notable young activists is Greta Thunberg, a Swedish 16-year-old who began a strike in front of Swedish parliament last year and has inspired thousands of others to do the same. The students marching for action against climate change will go on until they see real change, according to Anuna De Wever, the 17-year-old instigator of the movement. Respect! The Belgian students are hoping to protest again next week, according to the reports.

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

Sunday Snowday

Snow! The horror… the horror! This morning, a cold snap resulted in several disruptions on the roads and rail way networks in this part of the world. I had to drive through the snow to see if my Dad was alright. We had lunch together and watched Bear Grylls on tv. I picked up some good advice to get back home safe.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bowie’s wondering what the white stuff is doing in his garden. And why he has to stay inside…

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

Hibernation

Dangerous cold, snow, sleet and rain today. No Mr. Bowie, we can’t go outside. It’s even for a furry four-footer way too dangerous. How can I mentally survive winter? Do people really love winter that much? Can humans survive hibernation in good condition? Hmmm. I guess I’ll stick with espresso.

Enjoy this beautiful day, my friends, wherever you are. Peace, love and understanding.

Snow Walking

Most cats have to travel a long way to the snow fields. Ensure you have regular breaks to stop, revive and survive. Walking to the snow fields can be tiring because of bad weather, darkness and narrow, winding roads. Watch for signs of travel fatigue and stop and rest as soon as you feel tired, Mr. Bowie. Adjust your walking speed to the weather. Slow down when conditions deteriorate and proceed with caution, particularly in snow or ice conditions.

Tracks

Mantled with snow. When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or let your cat out for a walk. And have an espresso with marshmallows. Spring, where art thou?

Stay Away

Snow. It’s good to stay away for a while but it’s better to stay away forever. Please just stay away. Please. Come in from the cold and take the chill off with a warm cup of hot chocolate! It tastes like love and happiness.

PS: Chocolate can be poisonous for cats and dogs. Chocolate contains chemicals which for cats and other domestic pets can be deadly.

It Happened Yesterday

Steppin’ out. I’ll take a snow check on that invitation, if that’s all right, Mr. Bowie. I prefer espresso to playtime in the snow. But please, wear a warm woolen hat to protect your head and especially your ears from the cold.

It Happened Last Night

And finally winter… 

“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” – Carl Reiner