Nervous anticipation!

Have been invited ski touring tomorrow, ridiculously high up on a glacier, somewhere in Switzerland. Bit scared! but very excited too. Have been told that it is flat (?!) and not scary at all. Need to go to sleep soon, am on the 7am bread run again after a few days off - shall go to bed, go directly to bed without passing Go or collecting £200. Chalet bosses arrived safely in time for lunch, sans guests, so just the three of us here tonight. They are both recovering from operations and want a really easy day out, they think it will be easy enough for me to come too! Will be mortified if I am still left behind. Leaving here at 8am with a picnic, will report back later. First experience of 'skinning' coming up.

Oh, just looked at what Wiki says about ski touring - it  'requires cardiovascular fitness, mental toughness, and a firm understanding of mountain craft' . Oh (again).

Second egg

for the happy couple at Loch Garten! it's very sweet to watch them, they seem a bit dim but I suppose they only have small brains despite being big birds. I logged on just after the first egg was laid and saw Odin (dad) come in to land. Mum EJ stood up to let Odin peer underneath her. He straightened up quickly with a puzzled expression, then bent down again for another good look to check that he really had seen what he thought he saw. Perhaps he's never had one before and isn't quite sure what is going on. He keeps trying to be helpful with the housework, bless him, shifting bits of moss back and forth in a clueless manner. Brought in a huge branch which he dumped on top of his missus and wondered why she was a bit narked. But he does seem to be pretty good at getting dinner ont table, which is what really matters after all. 

And I have just seen a crested tit on the seed feeder while clearing away lunch! First time. Is that what is known as a lifer? And after all those Rothiemurchus walks with a cricked neck scanning the lofty pines for the pretty little things.

Now I just need to see a crossbill.

Oh dear, not much mention of skiing .... haven't been out for a few days. Been getting the chalet in tip top condition (I hope!) for the return of the owners for the last week of the season.  There is really a lot, and I mean a lot of stuff to dust. And what with the advent of spring and insects I am finding that every time I look up there are new festoons of cobwebs, as if there wasn't enough else to do ....

Glorious sunny day ....

 .... in Aviemore! I got distracted the other day by a text from Alan and Tess who were cycling to Boat of Garten on their Easter hols - and it reminded me of the Loch Garten ospreys and the visit we made a couple of years ago. Pleased to say that there is a pair in residence, same female (EJ) with a different male of unknown origin. Every time I have had a look at the video cam it has been sunny which is pretty remarkable and it's been nice to see the Scots pines of that wonderful piece of old Caledonian forest too.

Since I'm on a wildlife theme - I opened my curtains the other morning to find a red squirrel in the tree outside. One of the bigger, dark chocolate-brown variants that you get on the continent, with enormous ear tufts. The linked piccy is from a Czech website and gives you the idea! Oh and then, on my way back from a lovely ski today, as I was struggling back up the steps from town, in my boots - ow ow! - carrying my skis - oof! there was an unknown (to me) butterfly sunning itself. And it was one of these - a Camberwell Beauty. Well, presumably they are called something French here, but don't ask me what. Gorgeous rich purplish-reddish velvet wings.

It's getting so warm now I am still hopeful of seeing/hearing a marmot before I leave! Saw three swallows today as well, so summer must really be here in the Alps. 

Happy Eeeeeeaster!

Seems I only post when the weather is bad! perhaps that is because when it is good I am out. It has been hot hot hot! for weeks and weeks. Ever since Bill left. I am hiding my sunburnt arms today by staying in having a pottering kind of afternoon. Still lots of skiing here, though some of the lower runs getting very slushy even by mid-morning and of course I don't normally get out till midday when I have finished scrubbing. Slushy is quite fun though, the pistes get really bumpy and you can almost pretend it's powdery bumps. It must be good for my skiing too coz it is much more difficult - good for the leg muscles as well. Am planning to return home with thighs of steel ready for immediate transfer to bicycle!

So here are some sunny, snowy photos to prove it!

Coffee and cake time, got to feed those growing muscles