Stuttgart's First Snow

My most recent post was basically just a photo show of Vaihingen, the neighborhood of Stuttgart where I live. As coincidence would have it, the day I posted that story, last Saturday, was the day Stuttgart got its first snow of the year. It wasn't a very big storm, maybe four-or-five inches (10 cm) or so, but it was enough that I went around and took some photos, so, yes, more photos of the 'hood!

An old Fachwerkhaus a few houses away:

It's mostly fall-like here but it's been getting colder. Our neighbors still have tomatoes ripening on the vines outside our kitchen window and the rose bushes still have some flowers on them:

Around the corner, there's an apple tree that's loaded with fruit. Just like when I lived in California and didn't eat most of the oranges on my orange tree, the folks here are about 50/50 when it comes to picking the fruit off the trees.

What I believe to be a Japanese maple tree across the street. I love the bright-red color contrasted with the snow and green building:

A random street on the way to the supermarket in the center of Vaihingen:

It was still pretty early in the storm so there's not a lot of snow so far when these were taken. A scene from the smallish Saturday-morning farmers' market:

The snow really started to accumulate as the sun went down and the temps dropped. I considered going out to take photos for about an hour or so but had a hard time getting the energy up to leave the nice warm house. I'm glad I did though as the photos are pretty nice. A view down my block:

Every time I walk to the metro, I pass a red bicycle that's been locked to a street sign pole. The bike's been there every day that I've lived here with the exception of about a month or so at the end of summer when it was gone. I honestly figured that someone finally stole it (as easy as lifting it over the top of the pole) or just got tired of it being there. Well, I guess not because it came back one day.

The whole thing reminds me of a bicycle that showed up one day in the backyard of my friend Andrew's house. He started taking photos of it every few days to document it. I haven't gotten that inspired but I do wonder whose bike it is and why it's left there day after day. Is it possibly used only for a once-a-year vacation?

A couple of trains passing in the night:

Vaihingen is located up on a plateau on the southwest corner of the city of Stuttgart. The photo below shows the start of the valley, just beyond the metro station, that runs down to the center of town. If you look carefully, there's a tall structure almost at the left edge of the horizon. That's one of the buildings at the university where Diana's been doing her research project.

We're "fortunate enough" to live downstairs from our landlord. He's married and has a couple of early-teen daughters that are still of the "we-can-play-in-the-snow-and-have-fun" age where they can make a snowman for everyone to enjoy:

Batten down the hatches - I think winter's-a-comin'!