Brother Bear

My brother is an incredibly talented nature photographer. As we live in the area populated by brown bear I simply have to share some of his latest masterpieces:

And no, I've never come across one myself, 

thank goodness :)

Some More Summer Memories

In August, we embarked on our traditional hiking trip to the north of the country with a large group of friends. Nothing works better for the children's motivation than the company of their peers (and a touch of stimulating music)...

Until next August :)

Sweet Memories...

... of our hiking on the coast! No, we didn't lie on the beach and splash in the sea all day every day, of course not. There were two certain young persons in our company who would have preferred it that way but oh no, it wasn't meant to be.

Our first stop was this gorgeous little church on top of the hill above the bay...

... with this crucifixless crucifix at the main altar...

... and there was an old painting of the local legend to be seen as well. 

There is a huge stone cross on top of the hill not far away from the church...

... and the views are breathtaking throughout the entire hike.

We're putting it on repeat for next year!

Deja Vu

Some familiar sights again 

when I go out jogging in the 'hood...

I love this time of year.

Out Again!

After two weeks in bed with the worst case of flu it feels wonderful to be out and about again, even on a dull and cloudy day like today. I took a brisk walk while my little girl was at her church class and enjoyed the winter landscape slowly dropping its winter attire.

I'm completely ready for spring!

Cats & Dogs

This photo is a reminder of the lovely summery weather we had - a sure thing of the past for 2012! November has started with torrential rains, many parts of our little country have been affected; luckily, the south, where we live, has been spared so far. My heart goes out to all those people whose homes have been badly damaged in the last couple of days.

Amidst all this rain the sun actually managed to take a short peek at our little land, just after lunch today. I grabbed the opportunity and took a brisk walk round my favourite neighbourhood - close to where I took the picture of this tree several years ago. I'm grateful for my home  - and saying a prayer for every person who's lost it in the past week.

P.S.: Thank you for all your warm welcome-back comments, my dear friends. It's good to be missed :)

Family Picnic In The Woods

Some snippets from our traditional get-together back in July. 

We had a lovely time! Looking forward to next year...

Weekend Hiking - Flora (And A Wee Bit Of Fauna)

... can you spot it?