Hoffnung

Kreuzende Pfade, Bükfürdö Hungary

Entenschwarm, Bükfürdö Hungary

Frühlingsboten vom Naschmarkt

Frühlingsboten vom Donau-Au Park

Und dräut der Winter noch so sehr,

Mit trotzigen Gebärden,

Und streut er Eis und Schnee umher,

Es muss DOCH Frühling werden.

Und drängen Nebel noch so dicht

Sich vor den Blick der Sonne,

Sie wecket doch mit ihrem Licht

Einmal die Welt zur Wonne.

...

Drum still! Und wie es frieren mag,

O Herz, gib Dich zufrieden.

Es ist ein großer Maientag

Der ganzen Welt beschieden.

Und wenn Dir oft auch bangt und graut

Als sei die Höll' auf Erden,

Nur unverzagt auf Gott vertraut!

Es muss DOCH Frühling werden.

-Emanuel Geibel

Spring into the Woods

The last week's weather was great, but the rain was to return this weekend. Not fair! So, to beat the rain, we went early Saturday into the woods, or really a marshland, near the Donau. Sabine works in the area, and takes her jogs through these woods - she wanted to show us the snowbells carpeting the forest floor (no exaggeration!!), and the fresh buds on every branch.

We got "lost" in the woods:

Anika has learned to love the flavor of "bear lauch" a wide edible leaf that has a remarkable garlic taste. She can eat enough to really, literally stnik up the entire car with her breathing. Anyways, we found Anika sitting in a patch of "bear lauch" munching away....

Pascal is always the soldier, or guard, or karate master. Give him a stick, and..... I got him to pose in front of a thickly barked old tree. I guess he is guarding the tree itself - someone should. He looks a little confused in the picture, but he quickly came back to his senses.

Mama and Papa also got to play in the trees. Watch out for the old rotten branches, crack, slip.... awwwww!!!

Spring on a Really Nice Table

I went to the Liechtenstein Museum in Wien today. It is Prince von Liechtenstein's old palace, which is now open to the public to show off his collection of paintings, sculpture and furniture. Actually the princely family lives on.... there was a black and white photo of the prince and his wife (looks like a 1980's photo) together on a sign rambling on about the palace and the collection and how the prince and his wife were so pleased to give their old palace over to the city of Wien as a museum. Very nice palace, very nice art collection - all old stuff, like Rubens, 18th century art mostly, lots of baroque.

I did a drawing on my iTouch (electronic finger painting) of a girl with flowers from a beautiful wood veneer inlaid table. I thought this girl would be the right thing for the season.

Below is a 'video' of the drawing being drawn.

Another iTouch drawing/video of a real Tulip, not found in any museum but instead at home.

SPRING SPRUNG SPRANG

Yahoooo! Spring is here. It was in the mid sixties today (~17C), and the sun was out. What a difference the warmth (relative) and sun make. I really like the milder weather.

Sabine went running on her lunch break yesterday. Her work is close to the Donau river far away from civilization in amoungst the woods, fields and wetlands. She saw whole fields covered entirely with sprouting little "Schneeglockchen". Today we bought one at the Naschmarkt. I drew the little bunch sitting on our kitchen window sill.

My work is going pretty good. They like my messed up deutsch, and whatever negative things the Europeans might say about Americans, they are pretty curious about me and more than willing to give me a fair chance. In fact, at work, they listen too me more here they ever did in America. I think they are waiting to learn something new from me. I might even be able to deliver on that.