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).

A Week's Mish-Mash

First of all, today is my turn at Vision and Verb again....

...and it's about coloring outside the lines.

This is my second time in 3 years to pick up the 12 books I brought with me

when I moved here to the Netherlands, collected from 10 years ago.

I feel like I have found a much-neglected friend!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Secondly, Astrid and I went to see Les Miserables yesterday, Sunday, at our nearby theater's 11a showing.  We were the only ones there!  It was our own private presentation...and meant I could cry unabashedly every time I wanted to.  OMG!  I don't care what anyone else says, it was W O N D E R F U L.  

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Thirdly, my laptop was in for its manual maintenance for 4 days last week.  OUCH!  I do NOT like being without my friend day in and day out.  Sure, I was able to use Astrid's and did, thanks to her gracious generosity.  But as you know, it's not the same.  For one thing, I didn't have access to PhotoShop and therefore did no processing of images.  HEAVENS!

BTW, I had never heard of an annual maintenance for a laptop, but I've faithfully done it now for 3 years...and it appears to be paying off.  And the reason why it took 4 days instead of one is because they found a virus that by-passed our Norman security.  That little bugger!

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Now, with what was left of the weekend, I was able to process images from a couple weekends ago when we drove out into the polder...after getting more snow.

 I suspect one day I will sing "I left my heart in the Polder!"

That's how much I love it.

 Astrid took a slight detour from the way we ususally drive home after the pannenkoeken restaurant. 

Lucky for us, we found a small stretch on one of the canals where skating actually was good.

Most of the canals this year have had slushy ice because the snow fell while it was freezing.

Astrid can give you the whole science behind it.  Trust me.

 But it was the sheep...always the sheep...that stole my heart.

How can you resist them!

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Did I ever mention that Astrid has a green thumb?  As second nature as it is for her to bike-ride and ice-skate, she thoroughly enjoys growing flowers and plants on our window sill.  So, I got out my macro lens while my laptop was gone.

 She bought 3 amaryllis bulbs...one pink...

 ... and two red.

Oh yes, I also got out my oculus, as you see.

Those plants totally blow my mind.  Have you ever watched them grow??!!

And seen how strong their stems are to grow so tall and hold so much weight!

 But THIS blows my mind even more!

Astrid buys hyacinths throughout the winter but this first one is, as you see...in water.

I had never seen this done in my life, with a vase made for it.

Not only did she never add water after the initial fill, it never turned cloudy or dirty.

You all know by now it doesn't take much to make me happy!  Which reminds me to remind you about my coloring post today at Vision and Verb!