I hope our hedgehog makes it

That's a pity, but you can speed up the defrosting by using a microwave before putting them in the oven.

We are turning it here into Beatrix Potter..



Which probably wouldn't keep us too warm, either..

I need an uber warming drink now.

Got the absolute lurgy too MC - chest, sinuses, ears - La Totale! Had it for 4 days (OH kindly brought it over from his visit to UK) - and now got visitors arriving, with teenagers, for half-term hols. Wish me luck. Off to the airport. Merde.

Hang in there, Odile, this virus seems to be a mofo one. No real big fevers, but it's painful. And the ghastly winds outside...yikes.

I asked my wife this, do locals get flu shots typically?...She wasn't sure but didn't think so...I don't get a real sense of heavy prevention...I opted out of not getting one, first time in probably 10 years...Have had a couple of colds but nothing severe...yet

And I do think the worst might be over

I'm not sure about the locals but here at my office there is a big campaign every year to get your free flu jab and my doc(s) are always going on about the jabs as well.

I agree with you, I think you can only get a crazy spell of minus temps in 2 digits once a winter here. I hope

I don't think flu shots are so big here. I don't really believe in excessive vaxing either, though, so it's ok with me. Just the earache and respiratory crap with this virus is nasty. I can't find my earmuffs..

Flashlove in Basel Bahnhof SBB 14 Februar 18:00 pm

Come with someone and wait for the whistle to blow at 6 pm

Hug for 5 minutes

The whistle will blow again

Face the main entrance with your arms wide open for a hug to a stranger

Stay like this for 5 more minutes

BE there! Spread the word!

I was wondering also why no one really talks about shoes.. We tend to say that by keeping your legs warm you will feel warm also.. I have usually woolen socks in my shoes, and i try to take care that the shoe is not too tight, that makes it worse also. And one trick is to have woolen socks and then the normal socks, or just woolen socks, to allow more air in between.

For other clothes, well i like to layer up, but i guess some wind stopper stuff would be good also. What I find difficult here, compared to Finland (apart from the coast line), is the amount of humidity in the air, and that makes it actually feel a lot colder than what it is, so far don't know very well how to fight against that.

True, tall leather boots are great, too. Not sure why, but black ones always feel a lot warmer, too.

Ok, guys, it's zero. The spring is coming!

Ok, I take that back, spring will probably wait a while, still. The lake wind is icy. All the more reasons to carry on knitting, but still....bring on the warm weather, I say!

It's getting warmer!
I'm so glad, at our old flat I had been supplementing a couple of crows' diets with walnuts, and since we moved (not far away thankfully) I have filled my pockets with nuts and my usual runs have been via our old place to help the birds through the cold snap. (Yes, I know, I'm crazy!)
Get out you bikinis all you in the South!

http://meteo.sf.tv/sfmeteo/prognosen...er_aussichten1

Having worked for years with animal rescue in the UK - if you find a kestrel and a rodent dead in the same area- it is much more likely to be a case of poisoning. They would have frozen after death.

Awww...so envious.

But, you are far from crazy for feeding birds more. Dad cooks for birds. I know. He does. It's a little ott. Since the large housing project birds are so not used to search and dig for their own food anymore, and earthworms are dead by now, they need to receive something more substantial. So he makes them his own mix of lard, specks, oat meal and nuts. Hmmmm nom nom nom..Thinking of which, I got a bag of pistachios in my teacher's lounge locker, wayhay. Nuts are perfect cold weather food.

Shoes are key...It's interesting, in the US, I used boots from Ecco for the winter times or when snow was on the ground...Doesn't seem to be how boots & shoes are used here...Boots are for hiking and instead a lot of shoes are designed for the winter, both in terms of warmth & dryness...It's a real change for me

Meindl, Lowa & Raichle make some quality products

In such extreme cold weather beside protecting yourself from cold you should also take care of moisturizing your eyes and your skin. Your eyes may be very dry in this season. You can try moisturizing eye drop to keep your eyes moist

I'm rubbing hand cream into my eyes but it stings like hell.

Now you tell me...

Keeping feet and head warm, makes a difference. I am surprised at how few adults wear hats in winter.

In other Swiss news, people who have actually left their bedsits in the last week and torn themselves away from their screens, will have noticed the arrival of spring. This is typically noticeable by the amount of dog crap that magically appears where there was once piles of snow and also people mentioning how it hasn't been this warm during February, since, um, last February.