Snowbells in January ???

There are two Phenomena!

#1.)  Snowbells in the middle of Winter

#2.) I am sitting shirtless in the Sun, trying to get a tan.

You will only see one of them

The Main Austrian Pastime

This, at the moment, is Austria's "Big Hero"
His name is "Marcel Hirscher"
and he is almost unbeatable in the disciplines of slalom and Giant Slalom.
Today he won both runs of a double header,
defeating his constant nemesis,
Henrik Christoffersen of Norway.

.

Below: The Norwegian, Henrik Christoffersen

From 0:2 to 3:2 in the Central European League!

Our Volleyball team, Aich Dob, pulled one out of the bag. 
A bag, their opponent,  Kamnik from Slovenia thought they had all but locked up. After Kamnik won the first two sets (23, 18 )
Aich Dob decided they had come to win, not just to play. In a tension filled 3rd, 4th and 5th game
the yellow-jerseyed won 19, 19, and 14.
What a come-back!

how much higher can you jump?

Not even the 2.14 meter tall Middle Blocker of  Kamnik

could prevent this loss.

Austria, where goest thou ?

This coming Saturday, the 27^th day of January will be the 73 anniversary of the Liberation of the Extermination Camp Auschwitz, where the Nazi's killing machine murdered approximately 1.5 Million inmates: Mostly Jews, men, women and children, but also Russian PoWs and others.

Due to the meticulous accounting for which the Nazis were famous, the number of Jewish victims alone could be established as 6 Millions, killed in a series of “Konzentration-Extermination Camps.”

So far, only the Secretary of State is scheduled to represent the Government of Austria during this commemorative Service held on this date and known as the “Holocaust Memorial Day.”

The “Right Wing” is alive and well in Austria, as it is in the rest of Europe.

When the publication of an extreme right wing student organization may state: ...“we will achieve the 7^th Million” in clear reference to the 6 Million Jewish victims, without creating more than a mild rebuke

then the world should ask: “What is happening in Austria?”

The particularly onerous student organizations, such as “Germania” as well as others still call themselves “schlagende Verbindung” (striking Student Unions) who pride themselves in the facial scars they inflict upon one another in saber fights.

Aside from these infantile attempts to demonstrate their bravery, their song book contains unmistakable

allusions to the time during which a gang of criminals ruled the roost in most of Europe.

Bertstravels

hopes for an enlightened future

but does not hold his breath.

The stunningly beautiful work of Dale Chihuly

In 2016 I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario  (AGO)

and was "blown away" by the glass blowing artistry of 

Dale Chihuly

an American artist, born in Tacoma, Washington in 1941

The pieces are huge and colorful and, simply beautiful.

Should you want to know more of this man's work, Google will help you.

                                The Float Boat (2014)

(appreciate the size of these installations by comparison to the visitor)

above and below: Laguna Tortello, Mille Fiori.

A visitor can barely be recognized in the right background, 

but his presence will help you understand the size of these installations.

"Blue and Purple Boat" (2006)

Red Reeds  on Logs

Starburst 2

A stellar explosion.

A Black Hole is being created.

What is it ?

I have no idea...

Roaming around some old pictures, I found this one.

Must have kept it, because I liked it! I still do!