A Frosty Drive in Ottoland, NL

 

It was a week ago Saturday, January 9th, when Astrid and I awakened to a frosty winterland and decided we NEEDED to get out for a wee drive.  Our parched and aching souls needed a "fix" after the DC Capitol insurrection in America 3 days earlier.  When Astrid suggested Ottoland, I said "YES!"  It's only 13 km from home.

And it's known for its sheep.  I wanted me some sheep!

After driving through the wee village, we stopped at one of the first fields by a canal.

We're talking about only freezing point (32°F/0°C), so the thin ice surprised us.

But the calming effect was magical...

even though the icy soul of America's nation was gripping us both.

What was Mother Nature trying to say?

Would there be a peaceful transition of power?

Or would some still be tilting at windmills?

We found the sheep and asked them.  This is what they said:

"Sheep sheep are adorable.

Human sheep, not so much.

Think for yourself, for flock's sake."

--Scott Stabile

DUH!

And then I found this from J.R.R. Tolkien:

"Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate."

And that gives me hope,

before our new USA President is inaugurated this coming week.

May God have mercy!

End-of-Year Gifts

Christmas had already come and gone, leaving one week before the New Year celebration.  Things were slowing down, I thought, getting us ready for 2017.

But 2016 still had something left in her to give.  And did she ever!

First, Astrid called me from work last Friday to tell me there was a rare occurrence in the weather pattern that created an incredible display of frosty art.  When the temps are below freezing and there is fog, BINGO.  She then made me promise to take a walk for her to capture it in photos.  In fact, she was that close to telling them at work she was "sick" so she could come home to join me.

I promised, of course, and this is what I saw:

You may recall that we can access the citadel walk just meters outside our backdoor.

This was around 8:45 a.m., just as it was getting light.

Already, dogs were out walking their "masters."

It was another world.  Magical.

Those who have taken this walk can almost guess what comes next.

You climb the hill, round the corner, and there she is:  the outer harbor.

That was when I saw the sun starting to rise.

Leaving the outer harbor, you see the church, the toll house, the Brainwave.  

And then buiten de waterpoort:  outside the water port.

After crossing the inner harbor and climbing back onto the wall,

the water port is viewed from a different perspective.

And then, De Hoop windmill...my favorite place on the entire walk.

You round the next corner and get the salmon fisher and the Dalem Gate.

 Looking back on De Hoop and looking ahead to the last part of the citadel wall,

even the birds were in heaven.

If you can't have snow, what better gift than to have FROST.

Thank you, Astrid, for making me promise.

I was back home by 10 a.m.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

That was Friday and Saturday, the last day of the year, promised to be foggy, but without frost.  Astrid and I had already decided to drive out into the polder as long as there was fog.  So off we went, once again around 8:45 a.m.

The fog was so thick you could cut it.

At first, we couldn't find the sheep and cows we were looking for.

Astrid said they were probably still in the barn because of how cold it was and still early.

But a few minutes later, we found them...the sheep, that is...far off in the polder.

Did you know that swans pair up and mate for life?

Almost every farmer's plot has a pair...coexisting with the sheep and cows.

This time, however much Astrid whistled, the sheep did not run to us.

Fine.  We just cuddled them from afar.

We had one last goal before driving back home:  capture the polder gates.

When I finished with my captures, I then concentrated on Astrid!
She is, after all, the Lady of the Polder from our Shutterchance photoblog.
I am often reminded that that's where we met, on the Internet, via our photography.

And believe it or not, the only weathervane that spoke to us that day

was one I didn't already have.

How timely for the end of the year, don't you think!

So, see what I mean by GIFTS!

2016 wasn't all that bad, you know, no matter what anyone else says.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jack Frost and Some Macro Fun

Here's another break (from the Vasse trip in December) to keep us present with the here-n-now...which happens to finally have below-freezing temps here in Gorinchem.  Other places in the Netherlands have had snow, but not here...yet.

At least Jack Frost has visited!  So on Monday, walking home after grocery shopping, I took pics.  I'm still trying to make my Canon Powershot max its limit, hoping not to get out my big-girl camera and macro lens.  I'll keep trying....

This is pretty much in order of what I saw from beginning to end.

It intrigued my how some had frost and others didn't.

And how some had LOTS of ice crystals.

Brrrrrrrrr.

It really was cold but we all were in heaven.

Some more than others.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Still in the macro mode, a couple days earlier, I had to capture Astrid's amaryllis.

How is it possible they can grow so tall?  And this is the second bloom!

As you see, I had to stand on a chair (still in my pyjamas on a Saturday morning).

Later that afternoon we drove to our sister city, Woudrichem, across the river,

to buy more ingredients from the windmill for Astrid's bread machine.

Afterwards, for lunch, we dined at the nearby De Stroming restaurant...always a photo op.

[We plan to take sister Ruth and hubby there in July!]
The doggie vane was an added "gift" on the drive home.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

One last fun thing from Monday night, because I had free passes to the show skating in nearby Dordrecht,
we went to see what it was like:

I ended up having so much fun watching and filming Astrid.
And though neither one of us needs to do it again, Astrid said it was totally worth it.
Even worth her taking Tuesday off work, she said (since we got home at midnight).