SNOW - December 8, 2012

This was yesterday while it is snowing.  Taken from our kitchen window.  Large snow flakes.

 It isn't snowing today but it is cold.  We walked around the lakes to get some fresh air.

The large blue beach ball on legs is ME with 5 layers of clothes on and still cold. I'm feeding the birds bread crumbs.

The swan is pretty slow and doesn't get much, the little ducks and gulls are fast and usually grab it.

This Canadian Goose ate out of my hand.

This is on the crop side of the lake.

Such a Nice smile on such a Nice person.

The radio control beach is empty now because the lake is partially frozen.

This is the radio control dock. 

Standing on ice.

This is where the kids slide down the little hills on their sleds.

These two dogs had fun playing with each other in the snow.

A lot of the kids use these wooden sleds with the metal rails.  They will all be tired out at the end of the day.

The group of Canadian Geese.

Schwan

Notice the gull standing on top of the Mallard duck

CHRISTMAS WREATH

Here is a Christmas wreath I made for our front door.  I made it at the church during a Relief Society activity.  They provided everything, even the fresh green pines.  That is good because I still don't have any of our stuff from California.

OUR APARTMENT DECORATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS

Our tree

It is feeling like Christmas here with the cold weather and Christmas spirit everywhere.  

We have a little tree and some decorations.  

Wish you all could be here and have some hot chocolate and biscuits (aka cookies) with us.

A candle holder, it has 3 different Germany scenes

The star in our kitchen window

Dec 2, 2012 - SNOW!

The view from our kitchen window this morning

The view from our living room window this morning.

Dec 6, 2012 morning - It snowed again last night but not much, maybe .75 of an inch.  But since it was just a little sunny and I knew it wouldn't last long, I went out for a walk around the lakes first thing this morning.  I took my camera but it was so cold that neither battery had enough charge to fight the cold and as soon as I tried to take a photo, the battery would say it was empty.  That is OK, there wasn't that much to take a photo of anyway and my hands where freezing and my everything was freezing.  What I didn't expect was that a lot of the pathways around the lake where totally iced over.  When I stepped onto them, I am sure I looked like Bambi trying to walk on the ice.  Luckily I think I was the only one in the area so I didn't hear any loud laughter from people seeing me slide all over the place.  For the majority of my walk I walked next to the path in the lightly snowed covered frozen grass.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS (Weihnachts Markt)
The Christmas markets in Germany are famous.  Here is the one in Mannheim.  Some of the activity is at the Prada Platz, some in the area behind high end department stores, and some in the Wasser Turn area.  There is plenty of food and drink and gifts and people.  When we went at night, it was so cold.  Next time I will wear more warm clothes.
The Wasser Turn area.

One of the warm drink vendors.  Pretty elaborate booth!

This is in the morning before it got crowded.

Many department stores in the area set up the display windows that makes it fun to look at with animated stuffed animals.  These guys are making bread.

More department store windows.

The children really enjoy seeing these windows.

Dogs are always welcome everywhere.  

We liked these paper stars.  We bought several for gifts and one for us.  Designed and made in Mannheim.

Little ceramic houses are very popular.

This is one of the drink vendors.  It isn't quite finished yet.  The second floor will soon be open for people to go up and have drinks and a view of the Market.

This vendor makes sculpture out of metal welded together.

The local craftsman, more expensive things, are in a Weihnachts Markt that is in another area of town like this one.

Typical street scene with the tram.

This is at the Prada platz.  They set up areas for children to see the different fairy tales.

The Wasser Turn and Market below.

Schneeballs.  Like a waffle molded into a baseball and coated with different sweet flavors.

Wasser Turn and Cristmas trees.

Wasser Turn.

A few people had period costumes.

Displays for children's fairy tales.

Displays for children's fairy tales.

We had to try the local bratwurst.

Getting warm with fire and hot drink.

Warm drink

The crowds and lights at night.

Candles are very popular here in Germany.  There are many very pretty kinds.

These next photos are from the Heidelberg Market.  We haven't been to it yet but plan on going soon.