No sooner did we ring in 2009 than temperature shot up and all that December snowfall came melting off the mountains. It's always a strange moment, watching the river pour over the dike. The sound alone is eerie ~ like a waterfall. A vivid reminder of nature's power.
All of this is pasture ~ the river is normally confined to the far right of this picture.
And here's our road. A bit damp just then.
I think my yard looks very inviting in this picture, don't you? (Don't answer that!)
Ahhh...there's nothing as pleasant as looking out the window at the snowfall.
Watching the flakes float down...
...creating a peaceful winter wonderland.
Well. I can dream. In reality, the northeaster rips through, wreaking havoc, whipping snow into drifts, and creating an unbearable wind chill. That's how we saw out the year 2008.
The Olympic Museum in Lausanne is absolutely stellar. Aside from the magnificent location ~ poised just above Lake Geneva, amidst lush gardens and a sculpture park ~ there are literally tens of thousands of objects commemorating the ancient and modern games. 
Something there is about the Olympics that can move me to tears. Yes, it can be political. Yes, it's commercialized ~ as one clearly sees while moving through the exhibit detailing the history of the games. And yet, there are those lump-in-the-throat moments that rise above the rest. Even for the non-enthusiast, seeing all the torches used in the modern games is very, very cool. (By the way, just after I took this picture, an attendant informed me no photography is allowed in the museum.)
While you can't see it in this picture, the eternal flame is always burning in the cauldron behind Kai. The Olympic motto ~ "citius, altius, fortius" (swifter, higher, stronger) ~ is etched around the base.
The path leading up to the museum entrance winds through a sculpture garden filled with great works like those above and below.
After our museum visit, we strolled the adjacent parks and gardens.
We journeyed out toward Lausanne to visit Hans' aunt and her family. In many respects, the French-speaking part of Switzerland feels like an entirely different country than the German cantons.
A boat ferrying between Switzerland and France.
One of the highlights of the trip for me was enjoying a long run along the quay bordering Lake Geneva. This is looking toward Lausanne.
Hans and the boys with his aunt Doris, her daughter Karin, and Karin's daughter. Doris and Karin visited us shortly after Luke was born in the year 2000. Our guys had a grand time with their adopted little sister, Ayla.
A restaurant in the mountains near Hans' stomping grounds.
Our farm's namesake, the edelweiss.
