Perfect summer

This summer in Lungau has been text book. The farmers had just enough rain and sun for their first cut of silage. We had the heat of 30 degrees, but it was bridged with rain that had the best growing conditions for the flowers and the veges. I found it too hot when I had to go grass mowing with Dave, but I just don’t do hot. He’s spent a working life out in the heat, and to use his highest form of insult, I was born to work in an office………

We had odd bouts where there was snow on the tops, but you can have snow here any season of the year! Some farmers made three cuts of hay and silage, and there has been time for the grass to re-grow for when the cows come down. I’ve yet to get my picture of them looking out of the trailer tops.

We’ve had brilliant thunderstorms that went with the hot weather and yes, there had been a lot of damage, but where we’re protected by the Tauern mountains, we missed it this year. But all normal alpine weather, if bit more extreme due to the higher temperatures!

The final heat ended on the dot of September first, and since then its been appreciably colder, thank heavens. The hill behind us is white again this morning after a couple of days of rain, and I think of the cows stuck up there. In 2007 there was a really heavy snow and a lot died, but I think this will melt.

And the fruit and veges have been brilliant, and we celebrate our first ever Lungau melon!

Only down side was I seem to have the latest ripening Elderberry tree in the valley and I may only be able to make jam, but I have a few bottles of last years to keep us going!

How was your summer? Or those in other climes, your winter?

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Swingle finds some snow!

Up at Schönfeld for our first big walk of the year, there was still some snow left, so guess who went nuts! FB click on the link for the slideshow!

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This Spring#1

This time last year, we had six inches of heavy snow and it ruined a lot of the soft fruit crops. I’m hoping this year we’ve avoided it.Its not unusual but a nuisance! Last week was strange though. There was about 2o cm of snow north of the Tauern mountains, and it didn’t get over them to us as often happens when the weather is coming from the North.

But we had snow showers coming on the wind, and boy was it windy. It got up to about 60km in bursts and the trees roared. And this happened for nearly ten days. No one can remember such wind, Now at last as I write, we have rain here, much needed and there was some snow down to about 1000 meters. I hope it’ll stay up there too!

But the sound of the wind in the deciduous trees reminded me of the 1970s when we had a spell of storms that took trees down and caused powercuts. That roar in the night in the branches was both exciting and scary. Took me right back to being 13 again!

Ok, I spoke to soon, on April 28th, it all happened again, third year running, just glad it was only the cherries that were coming into blossom, not all the other fruit! And as I write, its already starting to melt!

Swingle has fun!

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Bella is with us for her annual holiday, and the dogs are having a ball! Playing, eating, going for walks and more playing in the snow. Such a simple companionship. We’d hoped that it might deflect  Swingle’s nightly pees, but not so. Apparently the medication can take up to a month to work. I must admit I’ve felt really low about the whole thing, but if it doesn’t sort itself, once the weather warms, we can make a dog door for her in the night, and Dave and I have taken turns, so I get some better night sleeps. I have never been good with sleep deprivation especially with two kids who didn’t go through the night until they had finished teething!

Still this week has been a joy, I don’t think I’d want two dogs permanently, but this is just perfect and Dave heaves a sigh of relief when he hears me say it!

Chilly Cherry on top

<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/cherry-on-top/”>Cherry On Top</a>

Crazy weather

April 27th

It’s not unusual to have a late fall of snow in April, but this year must be the wors and the lastest!  We’ve had several days of a really cold wind and snow showers, which stayed in the air, but the mountains got a covering and even Salzburg! Apparently it came over the UK from Iceland to us. And this morning we woke up to it laying, and as I write at midday we’ve had 25cm!

Yesterday it was all green and the cherries were blossoming everywhere, but the flowers were browning in the freezing wind. So I guess precious few cherries this year! Dave and I have covered all the plants in the greenhouse,so glad we hadn’t planted anything out!  We were quite smug too that we hadn’t yet taken the winter tyres off the car, meaning Dave was the only one to drive up the steep road to the Burg for work!  I went for a walk with Elke and her son, and we got frozen and covered in snow as it waited for the main tip when we were at the furthest point away. But the dogs loved it. Poor little Robert was fed up and even tried to get his Dad to come and pick him up!

I was so glad that I’ve still got some bird food and could fill the table up, so many Chaffinches, bullfinches

and the tits are fighting over it all as I write!

And it’s then going to freeze tonight. Sooner or later I expect Linda will be out with the snow shovel, I’m keeping below the parapet, it’ll be gone in a few day-won’t it?????