A beautiful day......

It is slightly earlier today. The writing. So I am slightly more awake. And Marge found my glasses which is always helpful. When one only has one's sunglases to wear in the dead of night, looking mysterious doesn't help with one's vision.

The sun shone today. Eureka!!! A stunning day, with many people floating above the valley. Paragliding. Bright sails or canopies everywhere. And there was a celebration of 100 years of the Alpine Club at the mountain too. So we ventured over to have a look at the Rega helicopter close up (the emergency medical helicopter).

Well.

There I was, minding my own business taking a couple of photos of the bright red helicopter - have I mentioned that flying helicopters is on the "to do" list??? Nice helicopter. And the man in the red flightsuit walked round it as the blades started turning, and I snapped more photos. Let's take a video, I thought. And switched mode on the camera. 10 seconds later, the helicopter took off, and we were suddenly leaning backwards at 45 degree angles. The wind generated from the downdraft was phenomenal. Jean couldn't even hold her camera still for a photo. It was hilarious. The hair took off, and by the time it had disappeared over the mountain, we were all doubled over with laughter. You have NO idea what we looked like. We were only about 20 metres from it when it headed for the skies.

So we went on to the mountain base for coffee looking like wild women. Jean and I, that is. David doesn't have the same problem with hair, of course. We wanted to see the avalanche rescue dog demonstration, and after a coffee with Marge, we watched the rescue men uncover a mound of real snow. I had wondered how they were goign to manage an avalanche in mid summer. Easy. They brought it down from the top of the mountain.

Anyway, the dogs were fantastic. The one which works on this mountain is what looks like a cross labrador/giant poodle. A labradoodle, according to David. Such a sweet dog. The demonstration involved about 8 or 9 dogs, and apart from the one who stopped digging and started eating the snow, then took off to see some children in the crowd, they were astonishingly good. They are so well trained, and heaven knows how many lives they have saved. Wonderful dogs. All the dogs are owned by their trainers, and all the trainers are volunteers.

So it was a fun aftrenoon. Apart from the bit where Jean nearly got beheaded by a descending boom at the car park exit. She was distracted by the fact that the Rega helicopter was back. But David and I yelled loudly enough to spur her into a run and she avoided catastrophe and lived to have her photo taken in front of a red helicopter.

We managed to get the lawn mower started when we got home, and David mowed the vast areas of grass while Jean and I dead-headed and watered. Actually Jean dead-headed and watered while I sat in a chair and filled watering cans for her. I'm sure filling watering cans while reclining in a chair burns off calories. Mum was busy cutting the grass between the paving slabs. I tell you, it is all action round here. Marge was really so pleased the garden was under cntrol when she got back from work. And we were delighted to be able to do somrthing to help.

And so another day in the Alps draws to a close. Today we could see all the mountains. The clouds had lifted, and the skies were clear. So beautiful. You need to come and see for yourselves, of course. And eat dinner at the best place in town - my brother-in-law's restaurant. Not that I am biased or anything.

We all work together as a team when we are here, you see. Everyone helps with everything, whether it is cooking, cleaning, gardening, washing up at the restaurant, ironing, swatting flies.......you name it. Shopping too. We slide into a routine, where we try to make a difference, and yet there is time for walking and having fun too. And because we are in a different place, it all seems fun, not chores. A win/win situation.

Now if iIcould just keep my eyes open longer, it would help.....