It’s official: Summer is here! Heat, is the main ingredient. I hate it! (The heat that is).

We have a stream of guests dropping by to swim, chat and enjoy our lovely, leafy Oasis. The vast garden offers a safe venue in times of Covid:

Veronica’s very good friend VT, she was the owner of my Lego’s BFF, Tessi.

I love her, she is so sweet and I am allowed to cuddle with her as much as I want. Also, she brings me special treats.

There is a slight problem though…her dogs. Gilda and Klooney. Gilda and I… well, let’s not get into that. (You don’t need to know every little detail of my life).

What? I am a VERY gracious hostess! No, I do NOT growl at canine guests.

I don’t understand why I have to be “punished” and sent inside, like a naughty puppy, when it’s MY HOME and MY GARDEN!

Ok, ok, if truth be told, I sometimes, very rarely, and on occasion, feel an urgent need to express my deepest feelings. Especially when a dog sneers at me…you must see my point of view?

Also, it’s a fact that one should not keep emotions bottled up! It’s very unhealthy. Only Veronica doesn’t get it, at all.

She takes our guests to the community beach to have fun and swim, without me… “Felicia, that beach is tiny, one dog is enough, and you have to be careful with your leg, Dr B warned us”.

Yeah yeah, lame excuse…whatever…

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CS is the sweetest, and I love her, even though she is a cat person, (I know, very disappointing). She’s been on many of our walks, she’s a lot of fun.

Pity about the cat stuff though.

Let’s not forget to mention the Family:

I adore EC, when he lived in the house he always let me sleep on his bed. As a matter of fact Veronica should take a leaf out of his book.

EMC and ZC, are not the biggest dog fans, let’s say they love me…at a distance…We celebrated ZC’s Birthday.

NC is the one that came with Veronica to pick me up at Jacky and Andy’s house. He’s a star. Well, after me, I’m the true star of the family and they all absolutely adore me…and Indya…of course.

Veronica has set up a special children’s table in the garden.

She looks after Little L and Baby O while MC naps in the Guest room. Rumor has it that the room has special healing powers.

Apparently being a parent is exhausting. If I got things right, these babies party all night long. (That’s the mother’s story anyway.)

I help as much as I can, though I think that Baby should not lie there on the ground, very unsafe. Yes, what with “The Strutting Pigeon” among other dangers.

When she’s not sleeping, MC has other, exhausted Mothers over for tea. The kids have fun and the mothers can complain and share their various night adventures, or stories about their stubborn toddlers.

I’ve noticed it has an instant cheering effect on the mothers morale.

(I Can’t believe Veronica had four kids)

MC bought a Family Bike. It’s actually quite cool, and Little L loves it.

Summer walks are wonderful…when not too hot. We mostly walk in the woods.

Through the fields, if the sky is cloudy.

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Or on lovely evenings when the light is gorgeous.

Incidentally you might wonder why I am on the leash? Veronica and I have an ongoing “argument” about my sudden need to run out in the field and dig…apparently this is forbidden.

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“Felicia, dog’s are not allowed in the fields”. I want proof? Has she just randomly invented a law, just to annoy me? Supposedly it is a nature reserve. Not sure I believe her.

Nearly every day we go to the community beach.

And listen very carefully: I WENT SWIMMING! Yes, me, Felicia v. d. Andreashöhe swam! Told you I had a few moves up my sleeve.

To be perfectly honest, I was chasing a stick, when I suddenly couldn’t feel the bottom of the lake, I HAD to swim. (But that’s irrelevant, I SWAM!)

Did I like it? Ehhhh…well, let’s just say that in my opinion swimming is highly overrated. Will I swim again? Let’s take a moment to consider…NO, I’m good. You people can, from now on, stop hassling me on that particular subject.

In the middle of the summer, on the 1st of August, we have our national holiday. Not that Veronica celebrates or cares that much.

But I have to wear a white and red ribbon (Swiss flag). And Dennis cooks a special meal (No fondue).

When the heat is overwhelming I sleep on the kitchen floor. Also there’s good view of the living room, and the cooking station, and my food bowl.

Evenings we hang out by the pool.

Alas the wonderful, relaxing, far niente, atmosphere cannot last for ever. Sadly, everyone has to go back to work.

OMG! I can’t believe I actually used the word “Wonderful” in regard to our summer! What’s wrong with me? It’s probably an age thing.

Summer of 2020 was a strange but lovely bash.

Bring on the fall