This is where I live (Part 4: surrounded by animals)
I’ve saved the best for last! My favorite part of living here is being so close to animals. Right behind where I live there’s a pasture where I can see two horses grazing almost all year round (the black and white/brown horse pictured below). There are sheep and cows as well as plenty of cats. While I do love to see the sheep, I’ve been told that they’re used solely for food, so it’s bittersweet to see them here. Some other animals that wander around here that I’ve not been lucky enough to photograph include rabbits, deer, hawks, hedgehogs, badgers and foxes (which are the only ones of the bunch I’ve not yet seen).
As this is my last part and I’ve got to answer some final questions for all of you, I wanted to put some things in perspective. While I do love living in the Swiss countryside, it’s not all flowers and clear skies. Living in a country where you don’t know the language isn’t as easy as they make it out to be in movies. Living in a tiny village where you don’t speak the language is that much more difficult and for some reason those my age tend to be either too shy or claim to not know English (surprisingly, most of the elders I’ve met have super English-speaking skills). I’ve tried Rosetta Stone and even writing down and memorizing words from a dictionary, but neither one of those have been able to give me the skills I’d need to be confident speaking to anyone (and the courses I’ve found here are the priciest I’ve ever seen). I live in a temporary apartment and, when I’m not out of town, I’m either at home or I’m in the places I’ve shown you thus far through my photos. There’s only one restaurant and one small grocery store in the entire village.
Most of my photos are taken with the camera I have now (and love): Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10. I use photoshop for all of my designs that you see here on Four Leaf Clover (whether it’s the headline, category buttons, leaves, photographs, etc.) Even if only to crop and resize an image so that it fits on here. I do my best to make my photographs look as much as how I saw them in person as possible.
One more thing: I put captions underneath the photos that they represent. I hope that clears up some confusion from the previous part. Now I do believe that answers all of your questions so enjoy the pictures of these lovely animals and thank you so much for checking out my series and taking a peak into my current home.
When it’s too hot for the sheep, you can find them huddle together under their carts.
I thought you might like to see all of the animals that I see. ; )
I’m not 100% sure, but I think the horses wear these covers to protect them from flies and other bugs.
When I was going through which photos to share with you, I spotted for the first time the bird in flight on the left of the cow and calf.
I was so excited to come upon these guys on a walk one day. They were shy, but so curious and friendly. Each one kept butting in to get a photo of their own.
I still plan on showing my flower photos tomorrow in a similar way to how I showed you my sky photos, but this is the final part in my this is where I live series. I think you’ve seen all there is to show at this point, ha! Next up… nearby Swiss towns.
Part 1: a little Swiss village
Part 2: field walks in the outskirts
Part 3: the view in the distance
1 July 2011 / Animals, Misc. or Me, Travel
Tags: cows, home, horses, photography, sheep, switzerland, this is where I live series
Comments
1 July 2011 - 3:40 am
I am really enjoying your “this is where I live” series. I see cows, sheep and horses here in Cali, but never that close. There’s something so magical about where you live and it shows..
1 July 2011 - 5:36 am
I looked at the pics first before reading your post and I was going to say you live in paradise!! But after reading your post I totally get how lonely it must be. The plus side, you get a lot done! I can hardly post once a week! Sometimes I wish I had less distractions around me and I could just hole up in a lake house somewhere. But I’m sure after awhile I’d need to escape from that as well. Hang in there Eva.
The cow photos are sooo adorable!
1 July 2011 - 10:46 am
having that view is totally priceless! i think having the experience of living in a village like that is also – i mean, it was pretty much the same for me although mine might have been a little bit bigger! it’s definitely hard to learn the language when you don’t get to talk to anyway -and i’m sure they talk to you in swiss german, haha!!
we just moved to luzern last weekend!! it’s nice to be around people who speak english!!
1 July 2011 - 8:55 pm
wow that must be so tough to have a language barrier in a small village. do you have friends/family there that you can talk to and hang out with? wait, what brought you to this village and what keeps you there? i’m so curious about your world traveling life!
3 July 2011 - 11:02 am
Hi Eva! I got your comment on my goat tower post, so I came by to check out your site! I just wanted to say hi, and that you really are a lovely writer and your blog styling is fabulous!
5 July 2011 - 4:04 pm
Awww!!! The animals are sooooo cute! It sorta reminds me a little bit of the Lion King (with all the animals gathering around Pride Rock) Granted, I know these animals weren’t all at the same place at the same time but it is still so cool to see it all!
What exactly is the 4th photo of? The one where the caption said “I thought you might like to see all of the animals that I see. ; )” I couldn’t tell what they were and I looked at the for quite some time tryin to figure it out!
I have to admit though, the cows and the horses are probably my favorite though! The cows are just too cute! I loved the one with the mama cow and her 3 little babies! That was just too precious! I love the colors of the horses! They are so pretty! The remind me of one of the horses I used to ride whenever I would go out to Katie’s grandparents house! Now I want to go horseback riding! That sounds fun!
I just love “This is where I live” series! It makes me a little sad this is the last section. But they are great to see! I’m so glad you included this in your blog 🙂
7 July 2011 - 9:01 pm
I’d said it before, but I love where you live! It’s so beautiful! I would love to live in a place where I could see that beautiful countryside everyday!
Although I’d still want to be near a city….
And I love those animals! That’s cool that you see them a lot, although it’s sad that of course, a lot are used as food!
You’re pretty brave though! To live in a country, in a small village no less, and you don’t speak the language. How did you come to be where you are? Do you live in the country alone? Details!
1 July 2011 - 2:49 am
to be surrounded by so many animals at home – how fun it must be! the big open fields are gorgeous as well!