< Who, me? >
< Spring and damp weather have heralded the appearance of many critters, including these snails. >
< It’s the season of long days, warm weather… and flowers. The poppies are in bloom in the fields on the east side of Favoritepark, which is about a 10-minute walk from my house. The flowers are a wonderful sight to behold. I took this picture several weeks ago, at about 8 o’clock in the morning. >
As spring gives way to summer, the weather has gone from warm and dry to hot, humid, and frequently stormy. Often, on a warm afternoon, thunder can be heard echoing in the distance. Other times, however, the storm passes directly overhead. This happened last Saturday; the temperature had worked its way up to the high seventies (Fahrenheit) over the early afternoon, when I decided to take the train into Ludwigsburg. By the time the train came, the wind had picked up, thunder could be heard, dark clouds were building up, and the temperature was dropping noticeably. In the few minutes it took the train to get to Ludwigsburg, the storm had reached the town, and wind and heavy rain lashed down. I almost hadn't taken my umbrella. I was very glad I did. I got on a bus, and rode through town, watching the chaos. People were caught off-guard by the storm, and many were wearing T-shirts, shorts, and skirts, and no jackets. By the time I got to my destination, it was chilly (I’m guessing mid-sixties), and I was wishing I had a jacket. Silt-laden, rust-colored water rushed over the small farm roads next to the grain fields, flowing right over drains that were already backed up with rainwater. The lightning was almost directly overhead, and the thunder was ear-splitting. I was playing the “storm” section from Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony in my head. The storm rolled by, and a little later, the rain had slacked off to a trickle. By that evening, the weather was warm and pleasant again. Later that night, I read in the news that flash floods in Switzerland had caused three deaths.
< Poppy blossom >
< Blackberry blossom >
