Category: seasons
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Fall, a Time to Find Poise and Value in Life
Fall and spring are my favorite seasons. Fall concurs with my age and stage of life. It reminds me of what has been and lends hope to what to expect. In bright sunshine fall shows with strong colors, but pastel colors prevail when the sky is dimmed by fog. This show happens where I live…
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When Trees Become Dead Wood
In many nature blogs, and travel vlogs the beauty of healthy majestic trees is rendered in photographs. Yes, that is what makes our heart beat accelerate. It speaks to a sense of beauty and aestetics. It calls up memories that strengthen our sense of perfection, tenderness and charm. However, trees die as we do, and…
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July Weather in Switzerland: Rain and Chill
The month of July surprised people in Switzerland with a sudden change from hot and dry weather to heavy rain and lower day and night temperatures. The flora, on the other hand, enjoyed this weather and the forests became almost impenetrable away from the paths and trails. The Vogelmoos Nature reserve showed lush greens, the…
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Altitude impacts vegetation
The focus of my blog is to describe and document with my camera the fauna and flora of the Vogelmoos. This nature reserve is located in Central Switzerland, approximately 15 miles west of Lucerne, where I live. The Vogelmoos was founded on the initative of a gamekeeper in the 1970s. He raised funds and founded…
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Spring’s Yellow Beauty
Marsh-Marigold, also known as kingcup (Sumpfdotterblume in German) is a typical spring flower of the Northern Hemisphere. In altitudes less than 1000 feet (300 m) the plant has been flowering for a month, i.e. since mid-March, in Central Switzerland. The vibrant yellow of the flower and dark green leaves are the hallmark of this beautiful…
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Wonders of Spring
What a beautiful sight while following the meanders of the Wyna, a brook flowing through Beromünster, a small town in the Canton of Lucerne, today. It was cloudy at first but the sun made a midday appearance whilst the temperatures stayed around 50° F (10° C). See, what I found on this Good Friday morning…
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Tender Signs of Spring
Aren’t we waiting for decisive signs of spring? This longing stems from the inumerable disruptions of winter by burst of blue skies and warm temperatures that suddenly retrace to the cold of winter with low lying clouds and intermittent snow. On one of the recent days pointing to the warmer season to come, I shot…
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Temperature Stress
The year started with moderate temperatures. Nature seemed to awaken from hibernation. But in mid-January icy temperatures and snow arrived in the Alps much to the enjoyment of skiers. The forests were hit with freezing temperatures challenging their resilience. Nature uses brief periods of temperature moderation to return to life and the next challenge that…
Vogelmoos Nature Reserve 