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!

Another Day Out in the Dutch Polder, Near Almkerk

I get antsy for this, you know, needing to see and feel it again.  It's gotten under my skin.  And besides, you never know what you're going to see!

In this case, we specifically went to Almkerk, 7 km south of us across the Merwede river, to find a cat weathervane we knew was there (a long story related to a Facebook friend we know here).  As it turned out, we never found the cat...but will go back with our friend to guide us later.

In the meantime...we were NOT disappointed....

...because we saw our first BUTTERFLY vane!

And, looking at that center image above, do you see a haystack/silo (with a vane on top, yes)?

The roof rises or falls on those corner poles depending on how much hay is stored.

Don't you wonder how the Dutch think these things up?!

It was a good day for vanes, even though we never found the cat!

I included a view of several houses in a row to show how plentiful the vanes sometimes are.

Almkerk also has it's own water tower, restored after the original was destroyed in 1945's WWII.

And two windmills, of which this is one:  the Oude Doornse Molen c. 1700.

And then, of course, you can't have the polder without swans.

Astrid counted 30+ swans in this group, all "children," she says, waiting to find their own field.

Swans pair up for life and live in one spot...one pair per spot/field.
I do hope these kids find their perfect mate.

It was a sunny day, so Mother Nature was out in force, doing her thing.

We were able to tell immediately that the horse rider was handicapped.

How splendid to be taken care of so well...on a beautiful day.

One thing I have learned about the Dutch:  they HAVE to be outdoors.

I don't go outdoors every day but maybe one day I will...and find that I, too, am Dutch?!
I have no excuse.  I just need to do it.

The Worcester Cathedral, England

Bill and Ange, our hosts, knew we are keen on seeing these well-known cathedrals, so off we went to see the one that is just minutes away from where they live in Droitwich, just 10 km away.

Worcester is a city in the West Midlands of England with a population of close to 100,000.  Like Droitwich, it's Tudor, half-timbered buildings are part of its charm.

 The fun part is you don't even have to walk far to see them.

And yes, this is that city, known for its Worcestershire sauce and its porcelain.

See the knitted sushi and English licorice?  

The lady happened to be outside and she said she makes them from her knitting left-overs.  :)

But it wasn't sushi or licorice for which we came to Worcester!

It was the Worcester Cathedral, built in 1084 and situated on the banks of the River Severn.

The portal entrance itself, with all its statues, is worth the visit.

But the first view of the nave is always what takes my breath away.

I still can't put my head around worshipping in such a place!

And then I look up!  How did they do that?

And then I look down.  Even the floors tell you something.

Every stained-glass window, of course, also means something.

When you get down to the details, I'm always mesmerized by the quire/choir.

Having sung in many choirs in my lifetime, I can just imagine singing here.

Would my choir-director mom be enraptured, I wonder?

And what about my preacher dad?  Would such a pulpit fluster him?

Most of the pews look comfortable...for the rest of us.

(Did I mention I'm starting to "collect" church cushions?)

The rood screen and high altar...and modern attempts to reach all, perhaps?

It's a place for remembering those who have passed on before us.

It's always time to remember.

Speaking of which, the Norman crypt below is from c. 860.

And then we went to the cloisters. 

On one side of the cloister garth is the Chapter House.

It was a huge and empty circle that day...ready for an imaginary concert or reception.

With the garth/courtyard across from the Chapter House, what a reception that would be!

Wouldn't you love being the gardener there.

While we ate our lunch there, at the inside edge of the coutyard, a photographer took our picture.
We're famous!  Supposedly we've ended up in a magazine somewhere.

Then we left the cathedral, and I was suddenly short of eyes again.  I love ruins like this.

The college green, the archway leaving...what a way to say Good-Bye.

It left its mark on us; and we left our mark on it.

As we left for the car, a congregation of swans directed our view back to the cathedral.

I've never seen so many swans gathered together in one place in my life!

I think it means something.

And thus ends the two-day visit with our fabulous hosts, Bill and Ange, from Droitwich Spa.
THANK YOU.

Bits-n-Pieces

Sometimes as we are out-n-about, I end up with a mish-mash of things that in and of themselves don't really make a post but, together, they are, well...bits-n-pieces to put together as one.

As a matter of fact, these bits all happened the second Saturday after we went to the Ottoland sheepfold, which is why I want to show them now before they go into a Black Hole somewhere.  It was a full, fun day.

We drove directly from the sheepfold to the swan man's house about a kilometer away, in Goudriaan.  Goudriaan is also where Adrie, the woodturner, lives.  See how close everything is!

I call Arie the swan man because he's the guy who smokes swan meat...

as well as geese, wild pig, deer and mackerel.

 See that stash above?  That's ours...swan and mackerel only!

I know what you're thinking:  NO!!!  NOT THE SWANS!!!

But, like deer and other such animals, even swans can be too plentiful.

Too many swans and you destroy the polder for the farmers. Not good.
Once you get past the "Bambi Factor," you'll LOVE smoked swan.  Besides of which, it's so lean.
All that oak wood is for the smoker, where Astrid is standing (top right).

Arie also has a barn where his neighbor's cows bunk down.
One of the support poles is from a windmill sail!

We continued from Arie's to our favorite pannenkoeken restaurant,
catching the sights along the way.
Those herons are little rascals...always moving away when you get close.
The one above was at 1928mm on my miracle camera (for those who understand).

Have you ever seen a manure truck?  It's springtime in the polder for the farmers!

And what about a log trailer like this, pulled by a tractor.
Only out in the byways of the Dutch polder!

 At the pannenkoeken restaurant,  the sun was playing hide-n-seek.
How cool that they even have a kiddies' corner!

Between Arie's and the restaurant, there was lots of foot gear to enjoy.
The Dutch do like their clogs, especially on the farm.

Then, one last stop at Wijnhandel van Ouwerkerk in their new building next door to here.
It's gonna take some getting used to.  I loved the old look of the "museum" from 1860.
That place will now be used for storage/stock.  (sigh)

Like I said, just a bunch of bits-n-pieces, all on a Saturday afternoon!