PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE

The Alps From Above and Within and Dandelions on the Meadow

Week 142 of the photographic documentary of my daily life

The weather is only gradually improving. We had very few jumping days this April which means our paycheck won’t give us much. But at least we had time to see things and do stuff.

Yes, I’m one of those people. Always seeing the positive in things. It makes my life easier and me happier.

After the short and spontaneous escape to Malta, we were back in gray and rainy Germany. That Thursday, we only had a meeting at work in the morning. The rest of the day was free but dreary.

I was doing our taxes, swearing a bit and not really paying attention what was happening outside our game-viewing window. I took this picture just so that I had a photo taken. Later that evening, my friends, the deer, came by but the light was too low to capture them with the camera.

On Friday, finally, we had a sunny day and could jump out of our plane for once. I was doing a training jump with one of our students who performed well in the sky.

There were some clouds on the horizon but nothing serious. See below, this is Bavaria. Part of southern Germany.

On Saturday, four of us instructors had a long day. After working on site from 9 am on, we loaded the plane at 5 pm with eight parachutes and took a ferry flight toward the Alps.

We were asked to do tandem jumps at a memorial celebration at the birthplace of this company. For us, who had no connection to the deceased, it was a fun adventure as we had great views on the flight there, saw the Alps from the window and the sky while freefalling and got to make some people happy in the sky.

Yes, the Alps still had snow-capped mountain peaks. See on the horizon to the right.

On Sunday we woke to a meadow shining golden. It had been cold and rainy for so long that all that nature needed were those two days of sunshine and all dandelions in the field opened up at once.

It was really that crazy. The day before not one of the buds were open and now the entire meadow was one field of blooming flowers.

On Monday, we were back on the move. We had off until Friday and since we missed a friend’s 30th birthday party on Saturday as we had to work on the weekend, we now caught up with them.

We met them both when all of us were living in Namibia. The four of us were part of a group of friends that lived the best time of our lives. Now, we’re forming two couples and still are best friends. Even though we don’t see each other often due to mostly our nomadic lifestyle, we try to make time every year to meet up.

They live at the edge of the Alps and now rent a flat facing west. Offering stunning sunsets every evening.

While the guy has a 2-months-on, 2-months-off flying contract (he’s a pilot), the girl works as a social worker in a children’s home with the most normal hours (despite shift work) from all of us.

However, she was off that Tuesday and despite the rain and bad predictions, we headed out for a long walk across the mountains and valleys nearby.

We experienced wind, rain and even some hail while out in the open but that didn’t stop us from walking and chatting. I had to fall back on my husband’s iPhone to take pictures as I wouldn’t take out my camera in the rain.

We walked for some time in a valley following a roaring mountain river when I looked down and found a few different species of mushrooms. No wonder they grow now as it had been so wet this month.

On Wednesday, she was back at work with a long shift but her boyfriend was suggesting we’d hike up Pfänder from where we could get a nice view above Lake Constance if the clouds would clear. And they did.

We could see the lake, the snow-capped mountain peaks of the Alps and we could see all three countries. Austria, where we were standing on and Germany and Switzerland on both sides of the lake.

This has been my week in photographs. 7 days. 7 photographs. Anyone can join. Once. Or weekly. It doesn’t matter. We welcome everyone! Dennett started this photography challenge in 2020 and many have participated ever since.

Erika / Eileen / K. Barrett / Juan / David / Mia / Susan / LensAfield / Kim / Barbara / Diana / Barb / Sandra / Shruthi / Ellie / Pene / Olive / Gustavo / Jane / Penny / Jillian / Shell / Ivy / Lisa / Lynne

And these are the previous weekly photo essays:

One Week in Malta

Week 141 of the photographic documentary of my daily life

medium.com

Easter Eggs, Wildlife Encounters and Freefall Adventures

Week 140 of the photographic documentary of my daily life