Dedi's first 2009 Outing

It's been a quite the winter but finally the weather has turned the corner and we can see Spring on its way. With the sun out today, Dedi was game to get out and do some cycling. We were a bit underdressed as it was actually colder out than it looked from inside but no complaining.

One thing say I'll say is don't think for one second that a winter without cycling has made Dedi 'soft'.

As I watched Dedi blast by me and power up the hills she let me know that being a 3rd grade teacher on the 4th floor without elevator access has some nice side effects. Go girl go!

Crazy February Weather

Saturday, sunny and nice, Sunday snow snow snow, Mon-Tuesday ice ice ice and finally today super nice! Got in a nice ride towards Vevey today. I love the view as you round the curve and the mountains just stare down at you! (last shot in this series...)

Le Matin Captures Aubrey

The local newspaper has a small feature on Aubrey...They took some photos of her as she was commuting from school. It should be in print in several weeks...

LeMatin article

20.02.2009 | Aubrey, Lausanne, Style : Sweet&Cute

Aubrey, 16 ans , étudiante de Colorado Springs

Elle porte : un bonnet HM, un manteau Erin Fetherston pour Target,

des collants Target, des derbies Voegle, une besace du surplus militaire

Ton icône de mode? CocoRosie(www.cocorosieland.com) et Erin Fetherston (www.erinfetherston.com)

Ta marque fétiche? Je n'en n'ai pas

Ton shopping tu le fais? chez HM, chez Target quand je rentre aux US,

dans les second hands et aussi sur le web surtout www.urbanoutfitters.com

Timing du matin pour te vêtir? 30 minutes

Qu'est-ce que tu ne porteras jamais? un cargo pant hiphop

L'habit fait-il le moine? "it's a way to say it"

Trip to Papiliorama

What a nice break from this cold long lingering winter! We headed out to the Swiss Tropical Gardens in Kerzers, Switzerland (home of the Papiliorama) and and enjoyed a hot humid tropical day.

Even better, we met up with Margaret and her children and caught up a bit with our lives. Unfortunately Dedi was feeling sick and missed out on the adventure.

I think Brenna and Aubrey enjoyed it more than me...What I thought was just a butterfly sanctuary turned out to also house rare tarantulas, snakes, and free flying bats. After the 2nd one flew within nanometers of my exposed scalp, I was ready to face winter again!

Audrey Hepburn Gravesite

Aubrey discovered that Audrey Hepburn was buried fairly close to our home so we went out there today and paid it a visit. It was pretty remotely located and in a very small cemetery. We were surprised to find fresh flowers and a lit candle.

Wintry solo effort!

These shots are from my first attempt to ski from Mollendruz to Marchairuz and back; a 40km round trip journey. There were 'conditions' at play; wind, snow, cold, visibility, and no groomed trails. I made it about 3/4 of the way and turned back to play it safe. The last thing I needed was to have some malfunction and get stuck out there by myself. In the end I did see two snowshoers (who of course walked over and destroyed about 5km of my tracks) but that was it. I will say I enjoyed the experience, especially having the whole place to myself.

The following Saturday (January 31) I gave it a second shot. This time I had fog near Mollendruz but nice snow conditions and I had guessed correctly on the wax. I made good time and finished the loop in 5 hours, including a nice lunch snack in Marchairuz.

Mollendruz - Marchairuz Cross Country Skiing

I've found myself skiing across the Jura mountains almost every weekend this winter! It's been fun going off trail as well as just sticking to the course and going for the distance. Each time I've gone the conditions have been different, ranging from blue skies and sunshine to blizzard like conditions. But each time has been a blast! I've also come up the learning curve on the secrets of waxing skis for optimal performance!

Here's a collection of shots from this season!