Jodelklub in Langenthal

I saw in the newspaper that this group was performing at the Marktgasse in Langenthal. It is only about a half hour away, so we went to hear them. Great music, and the price was right! They even sang "Alte Kamerade", a song I know!

Edelweiss!

I was so surprised to see potted Edelweiss for sale at Migros, for about 5 francs! ("Are they even legal to sell here?", I thought. Evidently they are.) I put it in a bigger pot, and it has gratefully spread out. It is now in bloom--hence the yellow color in the center. (It didn't have the yellow when I bought it.) I wonder what it does when it is finished blooming...

How does my garden grow?

I couldn't find the red and white striped hanging petunias here, so I planted one of each in the pot. The two pictures were taken a week apart! Can you guess which is the more recent one? The little bird we got when we gave some kids 5 francs for the children in India.

Geraniums on the Balcony

They have finally started to flower, so my balcony looks very "Swiss" right now! If you look carefully, you can see the "non-conformist" pink one in this picture, hiding in the middle! I think it is Steve's favorite...

Bern "Geology Hike"

We saw in the paper that there would be a hike through Bern explaining its geology. So we went. It was all in Swiss dialect, and we don't know much geology, but it was interesting nonetheless. We never understood what this cave/tunnel was for, but it was wet and interesting inside. It was lit by the "string" light you see in the picture. The flash really shows the stalactites.

You don't really realize how big the Aare River is until you get close to it. The bridges are mostly up so high that it doesn't really look that big. And it moves right along. It is cold, too, at 13C, which is 55F.

As we hiked along the road that paralleled the river, we passed a painting business. I thought their covering of this little bare wall space was pretty neat! They have this on their trucks as well, as their logo.

At the end of our hike, we passed through a huge, private swim club. They have a pool as well as steps down to the Aare River. There are probably 100 changing booths, lots of wooden platforms for sunning, and an enormous grass area. I should have gotten a picture of the sign that said, "Men only. No women and children" for one swimming area. This is the view of the Federal Building from there.

Pres. Matern's Surprise

I made a big batch of brownies before our last Zone Conference with Pres. Matern. (They are his favorite.) While he was out getting his plate for lunch, I put them at his place. I got a photo of his reaction. Being a good mission president, he shared most of them with the missionaries, but I got him a paper plate and some saran wrap to take at least a few of them home with him. That is Sis. Matern on the left, one of the most loving ladies I know.

The "Apero"

Here is the Apero we prepared for the fireside. I did the "Tower of Brownies" and two cakes. The Relief Society President did the rest.

Goodbye to Cyrus and Kendra

It was sad to see them leave. The apartment got really quiet, really fast! But it was great to see them.