Hello bloggers, long time no speak!

Yes, I know, I've already shown you my car, but I figured it's such a nice car - so what the heck!

Just returned back from a trip to Anglaterre, I think that's England in French, though I may've mistaken a letter or two. Great to see all my relatives. Nice to have a little English rain, too (well, rather a lot actually)

The journey out was a Swiss nightmare, since no buses were laid on at Morges, when all the railway lines died. A very unusual situation I believe though. I met a very nice Indian tailor who worked in Singapore. We exchanged cards, whilst trying to grab a taxi. Helloo! Then I proceeded to race backwards and forwards, trying to grab a group of people to squeeze into a cab. But by the time I returned (with group in tow) someone had nicked my taxi EVERY TIME. This happened about 8 times in total. I started the day looking smart and cool and collected. After an hour of this, I was pink and very sweaty! Ah, the joys of travel!

How wonderful to see my uncles art! Wow he is a true talent! Does the most amazing fine art drawings all from his imagination.

Lovely to come back home and see my husband and doggy though. I think that our dog really missed his open-top trips to the woods, while I was gone. I have tried to take a photo of him, but he's so eager to get in and out of the car when it stops, that I haven't managed it yet.

Well, I've been enjoying the Swiss weather back home in Switzerland. And this morning, (whilst driving past some spooky woods) I saw an animal stood at the edge of the wood! I slowed down, wondering what it was. IT WAS A BOAR!!!! He looked at me and I looked at him, for a few seconds, then his piggy eyes kind of expressed the word "SHIT!" and he bolted back into the woods. WOW!!! That was a special sighting. It made my day. And I've really missed my son, coming back to Switzerland. So, it really perked me up. Of course, it may've been a boy or girl boar, but I'd say adolescent. Bit like my son, really. Wonder which one has got more road sense??

Don't worry, I'll get my paintbrush out again soon. Just settling in a bit first. Enjoying the sun and the sundresses.

Painting of Axle, original oil painting, by me!

Hello bloggers, are you wet and windy?

Yes, here's me, out of my comfort zone and at a completely different set of woods. But yes, it's been raining solidly these past two days here in Fribourg, Switzerland. So; how did I get here? Yes; my new car, of course. I've been bumping and bouncing around these Swiss roads. I haven't killed anything yet. Though quite a few cats have tested their luck on my reflexes. Perhaps, they assessed that my lack of speed meant they could take the risk! Why are cats always so intent upon crossing roads? When they have great huge fields to cross? What pressing appointments do they have? Do they have to arrive at a certain time? Maybe a cat is never late!

Well; roundabouts were a bit hairy I can tell you, (hairy, is another word for scary, in English). It doesn't mean that they were actually hairy. I've never seen a hairy roundabout. And my God, the Swiss love to overtake - when there isn't really enough road left for them to do so. I did undo the soft top lid after a few rides, and suffered my skirt nearly blowing up around my neck. But Axle, looked wonderfully at home, with his fur and ears blowing in the new-found wind. How lovely that must be for him.

So, here it is.......introducing 'Dizzy'......

Yes; thankyou she is lovely. It's not the tractor in the background, either.

I haven't got any bugs in the mouth yet, I wonder if you get that with a convertable? You certainly get the most wonderful aromas, yes, some of which ARE manure, in the country. Hopefully, next week I'll relax enough to enjoy the driving. It has been a long time time I've driven though. At least 6 years. And it's very wierd doing everything on the other side of the road. Going the opposite way around a roundabout and looking left, instead of right.

At the new woods I found some wonderful red-headed woodpeckers, pecking in the trees. It was so deeply still and silent apart from the sounds of birds. There are so many chunks of forest like that in Switzerland. Enough, not to see a single soul. I love old woods. They are so enchanting in a spooky kind of way.

We saw a sign for a place called 'Dizy' the other day, too. Though, I'm, sure you pronounce it differently in French.

Anyway, happy driving. Wishing for some driving weather now. Oh, before I forget, I have a lovely painting up for bids on ebay this week (very cheap starting price, too)

Pomeranian and Yorkshire Terrier painting.

'Just two cute' would make an adorable present for someone who loves dogs. And what a BARGAIN!!

Ebay Item number: 220235811974  happy bidding!

Hello campers!

Is there a Chinese year of the Dandelions? There should be. Dandelions are everywhere. Here's me stuffing a dandelion into Axle's nose. He wasn't very impressed with it. You can't eat it, or lick it, or smell it really.

"And stop blowing it into my face!" 

 "Sorry Axle, I thought it would be fun!"

"Where's the fun bit? They got stuck in my eyes and all over my nose!"

"Yes, on reflection, I can see that that wasn't really any fun for you, sorry Axle!"

It's just so tempting though, with all those fluffy dandelions everywhere. They are just now coming into their round puffy heads. Such fun to blow around. When Axle was a puppy, he used to chase things like that. I guess he's far too grown up for that sort of thing now.

Actually, talking of dandelions: I have what I call my 'Dandelion Test' for my camera. Dandelions, (apart from this year when there's zillions of them) are usually what I consider to be one of the dullest weeds around. So, I use them to test my cameras - since I've had a few over the years. Now, if my new camera can make dandelions look good, then I know it's fabulous. So, now you see why I call it the dandelion test. My new camera must be awesome, going by these pictures.

I need a trip to a hairdresser soon. Yet; dare I risk it again here. I went to get some highlights earlier and came back with grey highlights! I honestly looked like an old woman! I wouldn't have minded but my french is quite good now, too. So, it can't have been the language barrier. Then, I noticed looking around the shopping centers, that this is the colour of hair highlights all the women were wearing! That's a bit odd, isn't it? So, I'm left to my own devices again with my hair. I'm sure I have deviant hair. I like henna mostly, because it's natural; yet, sometimes it 'takes' on my hair, and other times it doesn't. Can hair have a mind of its own? I'm sure you ladies know just what I mean! Very odd behaviour for hair.

So, finish on a song. But you can't hear it, so it's wasted on you  

So, instead I'll finish on some fish. We found a lovely garden center the other day, with all these lovely fish. Nice big tanks, too. My husband was 'oooing' and 'aaaaing' since he's always wanted a tropical fish tank, with some fish of course. Of course, it was a little bit spoilt by being next to a sex shop! Now, that's just not 'British' is it? A sex shop! In your local high-street? Can you imagine it, next to your local supermarket like Tesco's or Sainsbury's?

"I'm just going off to buy some tea-bags and a peep-hole bra dear! "  That's Europe for you. Maybe I've led a far too sheltered life!

Might be getting my new car soon. If a few pigs are flying west in the sky. No, actually I really think I am getting a car. So if you see a youngish-woman with either grey hair or odd coloured hair driving on the wrong side of the road, that's probably ME! 

Enjoy your spring. www.moorethanart.com  www.boundlessgallery.com

Hello all

Can you see the little yacht boat on the lake, through the wild cherry tree? This is Lake Neuchatel on a warm spring day. Pretty isn't it? I love those muted-faded blues when the sun washes out the colours. We've had some beautiful spring days and with all the rain the fields are filled with lush dandelions. I don't think I've ever seen so many dandelions. The yellow fields look beautiful.

We went on a car-buying hunt the other day. First we tried the nissan x-trail, I do love that advert! Well everything was well made and it drived like a dream: until I started feeling nauseous! There's this constant vibrating which I ended up calling the 'tuning-fork' effect. You see a tuning-fork at its base remains still, only the outer reaches vibrate the note. And this four-by-four  - being top heavy- seemed to have this effect on me -churning my stomach mercilessly. I felt really sick after 10 mins, which was a real surprise to myself and my husband. Disappointing, too. On a long journey, I think it would've been impossible for me.

Very excited though, because I saw this lovely little renault soft-top instead! Which my husband calls a hair-dressers' car (sure you boys will know what that means!) Meant nothing to me! Just thought it was really cute. And I can't wait to see the dog riding with the top down - with his ears flying in the wind! Dare I drive in Switzerland though?? Not just after I've painted, hopefully. Nothing empties your head out, quite like a painting.

I'll try and take a picture of me and the dog in our new car, if it doesn't drive off with someone else. I would take a picture of my husband and me, but I don't think his legs can get in, not without a bit of a squeeze anyway. I told my husband at least I could take you to the doctor, if necessarily. From the look on his face, I think  he would've rather gone in a taxi! I guess he doesn't want to look like a hairdresser!

Anyway, finish with a pretty picture.

When the weather gets as lovely as this I have to grow something from seed. It's always an urge! Are you the same? Well, we had so much unexpected rain this winter than many of my seeded plants like Crape Myrtle, were killed. They need far more drainage than I gave them. And I think this winter was far too cold for them. Gorgeous shrub though. Heavenly.

My rose seeds I grew the year before last are brilliant now though. They are all about one foot tall (from seeds I bought!) It will be a real surprise what kind of rose they grow into. I always prefer a seed to all that grafting (seems a bit cruel to me, chopping off legs and glueing in someone elses body!) I know it takes forever from seed though. But somehow, you feel so connected to the little plants if you've grown them from seeds. Like little babies!   I wonder if my new rose seedling will flower? I have about 15 of them in the garden now. They love the Swiss weather: cold in the winter and hot in the summer. They will if I don't massacre them with our new lawnmower! Don't talk to me about our new lawn-mower!! Biggest waste of money that was! Yes, you have to push it! We have about 900m2 of lawn. I mowed three days ago. My body has been in agony since!  Terrible. And it's already growing again. I think hubby may have to go back to his old chore! Sorry dear!

Must just tell you before I go about our car-buying experience here in Switzerland. Every time we walked into a garage and said in limited french can we look at the car they said: "oui oui oui!" then handed us the car-keys!! Seriously! They knew nothing about us. They didn't even take our name or look at our driving license. Three out of three times they said they had some work to do and here are the keys. So we buggered off with each car (including the new x-trail for 30 mins) I mean, you wouldn't be able to do that in England, would you? My husband said: "Hmmm, I think I'll just try a Porsche and drive it across to France!" Don't worry, he didn't go ahead, but I'm sure he could've done! Bizarre!!

Laurel Moore's art at www.boundlessgallery.com and www.moorethanart.com