#Summer Lockdown….second wave?

July 18

5,6 km – done (04:33 – 06:33 hr)
Walk slowly, wait 10 minutes for the sun to rise….and it was worth the it! I wonder how many people saw this utterly magnificent sunrise! I was speechess. The sun was veiled with a sheer cloud and resembled a sunset….the colors were so warm. Official sunrise: 05:33 Foto: 05:47 hr. The sunrise in these beautiful colors lasted just 5 minutes…but I have captured it for eternity!  “Sauve quelque chose du temps, où on ne sera plus jamais” ( Annie Ernaux, book Les années, 2008)

 

Geese:

I took this photo at the last minute…love geese and it looked like the sunlight was just perfect. But I did not think it would turn out this well! I have to choose a good back round to give the photo composition a polished and peaceful look. Those irritating solar panels just above the reeds (NL: de rietkraag)…seem to ruin many shots. The reeds, the rippling water and the way the geese swim in perfect rows of 3 (…expect the one straggler)…was just a gift to this amateur photographer! Foto: 06:15 hr

 

July 19

5,6 km – done
I really wanted to stay in bed this morning but I knew I would be ridden with guilt the entire day. Very quiet Sunday morning (…no noisy trucks rushing veggies to the grocery stores). Temp 18 C (64 F) at 05:00! Some days the sun wants to stay in bed as well… Foto: 05:28 hr

 

July 20

European  Coot

We have 3 types of friends in life: friends for a reason, friends for a season and friends for a lifetime. Carla is a friend for life! There are other coots hiding in the reeds but when I whistle…Carla swims to greet me! Foto: 06:13 hr

 

Summer in The Netherlands

Now if I had a boat this would be the perfect place to moor parallel alongside the quay or bank. This place is on the outskirts of town…walking paths/bike paths close by and in a 10 minute walk you are in town for a shopping day or coffee. Imagine waking up ….hearing the birds…and perhaps seeing me meandering by! Foto: 06:22 hr. #LoveTheReflection….in the mirror-like water.

Best Friend

Coffee and croissant with a friend….best way to start the week!

 

July 21

5,6 km – done
Good news – walks start later and I feel I’m experiencing a normal sleep cycle. Last month I felt like a dairy farmer who has to get up so early to milk the cows….Exhausting after a few days.
Bad news: more traffic, bikers and the rabbits have gone down their rabbit holes.
Sunrise (05:37 hr…you have 16 hours of sunlight to enjoy!) was hidden by some passing clouds…so I keep walking and hope to catch the light later. Foto: 05:54 hr

 

Heading South soon…?

One on the most haunting sounds of nature is hearing the low ‘honk’ of geese flying. It is always a sign that summer is here…but winter is coming. These geese were out for a practice formation flight before making their long trek south in a few months. As you can see they need to log in some flight hours to pull the team together in the familiar V-formation. #NeverGiveUp Foto: 05:52 hr

 

July 22

5,6 km – done (04:50-06:40 hr)
Struggled to get out of bed….but once I’m outside and sniff the morning air I’m glad I decided to put on my walking shoes. For the first time a car stopped to speak to me! It was a van for a security firm (beveiliging). He said I see you every day…and I said “I see you too….and it gives me a ‘safe/secure feeling’. Response by the gentleman: “That’s my job!’ Sunrise Foto: 05:35 hr

 

Who are you?

Not much happening in the fields and duck ponds this morning. A few bikers on the path but that’s it. My best fotos today were taken just out side my front door! This ‘rode rakker’ (Dutch for red cat) was doing his morning round….checking out the street life. Foto: 06:38 hr

Books:

Finished: 22.07.2020
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: D
#20BooksOfsummer20
Conclusion:
Bad news: parts 1-3
The low score is because of the false advertisement surrounding this book.
About 60% of this book is about her father Freddy Jr., it is a sad, irrelevant story.
Good news: part 4….powerful analysis of D.J. Trump that I very much enjoyed.
Buy the book?….wait and borrow it from the library

 

Books:

Classic… I never thought I would read….b/c I dislike V.S. Naipaul as a person after reading a revealing article about his dysfunctional marriage. Nobel Prize in Literature 2001 for “Bend In The River”. Short review: https://nancyelin.wordpress.com/…/classic-bend-in-the-river/

July 23

Swans:

After a late night “at the Irish theatre” ( watched streaming performance ‘The Weir’ on You Tube)
good news:…I was able to recharge my sleep batteries
bad news: I have a very upset cat who is not liking his ‘eating schedule’ being descimated. My response? “ Tell it to the Marines!” (Tell it to the Marines” is an English-language idiom, originally with reference to Britain’s Royal Marines, connoting that the person addressed is not to be believed). Still I wanted to share with you my 30 seconds of calm…swans. #NeedCoffee

July 24

Heron:

I have waited months to capture a blue heron, and today is my lucky day! Here is Harry…just chillin by the Elefstedenhal skating rink pond! 70% of herons in The Netherlands breed in our province (Friesland, see Google) known for its canals, lakes and wetlands. These birds do not head south in the winter…b/c our winters feel like a very cold Spring…so no need to fly to Benidorm, Spain! Foto: 07:40 hr

July 25

Every cloud has a silver lining and this was a beautiful sky…crisp, clear with volatile clouds in the distance. I was able to protect my camera from the downpour...but must invest in a waterproof carrier bag very soon! Foto: 07:21 hr

 

July 26

Art: …good read in The New Yorker

Hopper depicts solitude….not loneliness.
By being separate, we belong together

 

Art:  Van Gogh

Location of Van Gogh’s last painting “Boomwortels” (tree roots) painted (…sadly unfinished) hours before he committed suicide in 1890, is discovered by Dutch art expert. Place: Auvers-sur-Oise

 

July 27

5,6 km – done (05:23-06:43 hr)
Very slow ‘photo’ morning….I was out walking early. The duck pond gives you and idea what is to come…rain, again. Foto: 05:39 hr

Not even  Bruno was  interested in me!

 

July 28

You always hear…“scattered showers expected”...and it seems they all fall on my head. Second drenching this week…and beware those little pixels on the rain radar….’buienradar’…are very big and wet! Foto: 06:24 hr

 

Soup:

EXCELLENT home made tomato soup
…from scratch! Dinner in 30 minutes!
Makes 3-4 servings (…depending on size of soup bowl)

Sauté in 2 TB butter…in soup pan
1 onion chopped
handful chopped celery( leaves)
2 garlic (crushed)

July 29

Garden:

Your 30 seconds of calm.….my garden.

 

July 30

5,6 km – done (05:15-07:15 hr)
High pressure means clears skies and capturing a sunrise is a challenge. It creeps up on you…but the days are 1 hr 15 min shorter than on 21 June! Foto: 06:08 hr (official sunrise 05:51 hr)

The March Hare:

This was just a rabbit on the run. I’m surprised I even got a decent foto of my furry friend. Foto: 06:10 hr
This reminded me to the March Hare…who appears to be late for his job with the Duchess (Alice in Wonderland)

July 31

Cat:

5,6 km – done (05:27-06:45)
So quiet this morning…many people are on vacation and Friday is often a day people are off from the workweek. The sun was creeping over the treetops around 06:00 hr. Only one friend was prowling the grassy path…I call her Stella. Foto: 05:37 hr #NeedCoffee

 

Now for something completely different…

Well, just when I thought no more photos….I run up against a car with eyelashes! Really, not painted on the hood…real curls…I touched them to make sure! It seems it is a car from a dog walker…lots of hairs and dog blanket in the back seat! #NeedCoffee and a good book.  Foto: 06:59 hr