Well, about 20 minutes ago (10:20 am Central European time), the very first snow of the season started to fall near my home. It is welcome and exciting. I mean, many people love snow, but the first is always special. Isn't it? I took a couple photos to share. One is of the hillside and fields across from my house. The other is our bird feeder. The birds have been gobbling up the seed from the feeder for a while, but the first FINALLY discovered the suet, which is behind the feeder. Or at least that was first I saw one there. The kind of bird is described and pictured at Sykora modřinka – Wikipedie if interested.

Covid 19 is getting quite horrible again in Europe, including Czech Republic. Stricter rules are being implemented again. Unvaccinated people are no longer permitted to eat in restaurants, so wait staff must check your vaccination card. The restaurants get heavily fined if they don't check. I think that many European countries are possibly close to another lock down. For that reason, our plan to drive to France is put on hold until this eases again. I'm hoping it will be in late January, but it could be further from then. It's also scary to read about the new variant in South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong. Ugh!

The president of Czech Republic has been in the hospital for several weeks because of...um...alcohol withdrawal and likely cirrhosis of the liver. It's rumored that he was even in some kind of coma at one point, or having severe DTs. He got out, against medical advice, just the other day and was then exposed to a government worker with covid. He now has that, despite three boosters, and is back in the hospital. He has no covid symptoms yet. His officially "unspecified illness" these last several weeks has long delayed the swearing in of the newly elected prime minister. Now it's yet further delayed.