I don't think they're edible but it seems they are very craftable and their wood is highly desired for making bows for stringed instruments. My favorite use for them was as a tennis ball replacement for Layla's game of fetch as we walked by the lake. Oh, and it has been said that they keep spiders away.
I guess I should consider myself lucky for having come across one of these here in Switzerland. Unfortunately by the time I found out what they were the fruits had fallen off the tree and been swept away by the super efficient Villeneuve municipal landscape crew. Oh well, I'm not very crafty anyway.
Now we can all (yes, all three of you my dear readers) rest easy knowing what we've found.
This is what the top of the Matterhorn looks like from a helicopter (so I'm told).
I haven't seen it for myself but I know some lucky ducks who have...
that's right, these guys!
Maisie and Denise
Michael
Michael's friends Denise and Lawrence came to visit this summer and they were super generous and kind enough to take Michael and Maisie on a helicopter tour of the Matterhorn with them. Maisie couldn't stop talking about it for days. Definitely a highlight of her time in Switzerland.
Thanks to Denise for the photos although I can't thank her enough for sharing such a cool experience with Maisie!
While my mom and sister were here we had a crafting day (because it was cold and rainy outside). My sister and I made little fabric flowers (for hair accessories)
while Funny and Maisie made this guy
He turned out a little better than shameful bear, don't you think? I think it's because they used a better quality fabric but Maisie thinks it's because my Mom was behind the sewing machine. Further proof that fewer curse words produce better results.
As for mother nature, I found this "fruit" on my daily lake walk
It looks like this inside:
Does anyone know what this is?
And, I found this dancing leaf on the same walk.
You can see more of the "fruit" on the ground to the right of the leaf (if you can take your eyes off of it).
Maisie tossed aside Kayak Club this year for the more sophisticated Sailing Club. It was only a matter of time I guess because the sea is in her blood (I've got nothing but desert sand in mine so she didn't get her love of water from me - thanks Grandpa H). Yesterday was her first day on the water and it was a beautiful day on Lac Leman (Geneva).
Maisie was paired with a more experienced partner who showed her the ropes:
Setting sail:
Hauling in the boat:
Maisie the Sailor:
Below is a photo of one of our "Summer List" projects. I couldn't find any terry cloth so we bought a towel and made this:
We named him Shameful Bear at first because he looked so awful. The fabric pulled apart as I tried to sew it (I'm no Auntie Kristen) and he was full of little holes but we got out a needle and thread and closed him up. Maisie did the face and accessories (fancy bow tie) herself and we think he turned out to be pretty cute after all.
We are now fully into the school routine. As much as we enjoyed our summer, the fall weather is so beautiful that we can't be anything but grateful for it. We can't wait for my sister and my mom to get here so we can share it with them!
This past weekend I participated in my first Dragon Boat Race on the beautiful Lac du Joux in L'Abbaye Switzerland. It was a breast cancer research benefit and I joined a team that was made up of Moms from the International School of Lausanne and most of them are also my hiking buddies.
Here is the excellent team I was lucky to be able to paddle with:
We had a knowledgeable, experienced Captain and a super motivated drummer which seemed to make all the difference in our strategy. Here we are kicking the butts of our competition in the first race
(we're boat number 6):
And here we are coming back to the dock after our first victory (that's me, last paddler on the right):
We ranked 2nd overall out of 12 all female teams and lost the final by 7/10ths of a second. I'd say "We'll get 'em next year" but who knows where we'll be next Fall?! I'm going to miss this stuff for sure!
