"Backpacking" Slušovice to Rusava, Czech Republic

 I went on a sort of rural overnight backpacking trip last weekend.  This is day one.  

The idyllic view from near Slušovice:

There was even a sheepdog carefully patrolling his flock and warning me not to get too close.

Green meadowed hills with clouds that seemed to pose just for me:

Wildlife:

Forest art gallery:

Castle (Ahh...Europe):  

Scary bottomless hole in the road:

Okay, so it had a bottom, but it was pretty creepy.  Thank goodness people marked it well.

A classic Czech spring (though this one's a more overgrown than usual).  I love how you'll often find cups hanging at these places so that anyone can take a civilized drink:

More wildlife in the spring.  Probably teenaged tadpoles.  But maybe fire salamander babies.

Feast of wild strawberries.  Okay...maybe FEAST isn't the right word for something so tiny.  But yummy.

What a great day.  Slušovice to Rusava via Lukov castle.  19.4 km, 571 m gain.  With a moderately heavy pack.    

Just a flower in the rain

 Seasons!!  Rain!!  Green things with flowers!!  What a lovely place the Czech Republic is.  

Vsetín, Czech Republic: park in spring

 

Book Review, When We Go Missing, by April Henry

This was a fast, exciting, enjoyable read with admirable but flawed characters, good plotting, and good characterization.  

A librarian friend once recommended April Henry for reluctant young adult readers, and I have to agree.  I've read a couple of her other books and they've all been good.  

   

Book Review, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

This was a strange book.  

The writing was engaging, but I didn’t love spending time with the main character at first, and her personality seemed a little hard to pin down.  That, however, turned out to be the brilliance of the book.  Stick with it.  The reward is well worth it.  

4.5 stars

I would definitely read more by Gail Honeyman.  

The progression of spring

Since I posted last, here's a photo log of important spring developments:

April 17: Tulips and other flowers planted by the city on the side of the road

April 19:  The local arboretum

Where this:

Becomes this:

April 22:  

April 25: Canola fields that one week drew no attention at all and by the next week were startlingly yellow. 

And general gorgeousness, including many cotton-puff trees.

May 2:  Most of the cotton-puff trees have lost their blossoms, but now, on the hill in the back, you can see the striking contrast between the electric-green new growth of deciduous trees and the dark green of the evergreens.  One of my favorite things about spring here.

May 6:  But even the spruce gets in the new-grow-green action:

May 7:  In the castle park in Valmez

I love spring!

Spring Sunset

 From a couple of weeks ago: