Spring and the last weeks

We don't want to deny it, spring did start in Seattle a couple of weeks ago. At first and then for some time we gazed with disbelieve to north Germany, Kiel, and all the other places that got huge amounts of snow. Even the East Coast got covered again and again and again. Well we accepted our fate of warm wet weather and withstood the rain. Slowly temperature did rise, reaching 14°C daily, the sun is peaking through the clouds more and more and the forecast for the rest of the week is marvelous, thus we don't want your snow from Europe and East Coast any more, we regard this winter to be over!
 (I wrote that 2 weeks ago and it got better and better over here ;-) ! )

To share our love for spring here are a few pictures from our back and front yard, how it looked in the last few weeks.

 Veggies!

 

 

A few of many crocus, tulips sprouting next to them!

 

Many trees and bushes in blossom - showing off two of them!

 

 The kids enjoy the warmer temperatures!

But now more about the more important, or at least more interesting things in life that did happen over the last weeks we did not write about so far. (Is there anything more important than weather? Climate?!! - oh right and family)
Theda and Jonte bubble along in English as if they have done so for years. Their vocabulary is amazing, growing daily, and the fact that puzzles me most is that they use mostly correct adverbs and conjugations not only nouns and verbs (or at least correct to the point that my English knowledge allows me to rule on correct and incorrect).  By now they talk among each other nearly as much English as German - crazy! I wonder if their main peer language eventually will switch to English or stay in German ... or rather when it will be that way.

I really was looking forward to and then enjoyed the Ocean Sciences meeting in Portland last week - meeting many people I haven't seen for ages - interesting new up-to-date science talks - catching up on Labrador Sea research I did not focus on for about 2 years and getting more into the current SubAntarctic Mode Water stuff and also Oxygen Minimum Zone and tropical pacific oceanography (I won't go into detail about these here and now). Overall a great motivating but very exhausting week!
Unfortunately due to the conference I missed Narnes first birthday. Katrin has had help with the kids by her sister Anne, who was our first Europe visitor. And from what I heard they had a week full of highlights and sightseeing but also demanding kids - I guess Katrin will soon have recovered and write more about that experience and great visit.

Still note worthy is the fact that I signed up for an alpine scrambling class with the Seattle Mountaineers. Katrin talked me into that, and I really enjoy it. It all started with friends we made through the kids in preschool. In short: the women got talking and kind of decided that the dads should take this class together that probably is great fun. Well after 2 evening classes (equipment recommendations / requirements and mountain navigation theory) as well as one field class and 2 hikes I am quite enthusiastic. To be honest I am really looking forward to the next weeks of more scrambles, snow and rock, coming up. Getting into areas I normally would not go, never see - getting to know people with similar interest, thus you always find fellows for day hikes or short weekend hikes.
Especially Jonte would like to join me right away. He is really into it, seeing all my gear, ice axe, helmet, backpack, compass - he is very determined that he is going to be a mountaineer and for a few days constantly was one around the house.
Many pictures from all kind of hikes to come - pretty sure about that!