Juhi and the Frog

Went to V&D with Juhi today to get out of the rain and we found this frog sitting on a table and meditating.

And look at the storm clouds! It was not a nice day but enjoyed the waLK.

Mushrooms of Koningshof

Went walking and cycling with Nicolette in Koningshof and saw these huge mushrooms along the way.

Nice color.

Those are tall.

That's one huge mushroom.

Notice that Nicolette is in a circle of mushroom.

Irish Spring in Haarlem

Well there we were meself and Kim strolling around the Bolwerk and admiring the trees and bushes in their new green clothes when we saw this little cat out hunting.

Funny about trees, as the weather gets warmer they start to dress their naked bodies in their green overcoats while we dress for winter and shed our clothes in Spring and Summer. Roll on Summer so I can jump on Trigger and head for the Nudist strand at Parnassia!!

Flower Floats in Haarlem

Here from today in Haarlem... Nice weather to view the Flower Floats

The Bloemencorso 2012 (flower parade) was a bit wet on the way to Haarlem...

Hello Dolly

My friend Ruud Douma and his alter ego Dolly Bellefleur will be featured on National TV -- De Wandeling on March 23, 2012 at 7:55 pm with a replay on Sunday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 27.

Here is a preview of the broadcast



I love the concept of the duality as they talk not only with the well known DollyBellefleur but also with the man behind the "beauty with brains"

St. Patrick

Hij verdreef de slangen
van wijsheid
De heilige
Standvastige.
Het land werd arm
en stroomde leeg.
De visser verdronk
in zee;
de boer verzoop
in alcohol.
En heel even stonden ze er weer:
mijn druiden.
Ik zag hen
op de rotsen langs de kust,
in de heuvels
en in de schemering
van de bomen in het dal.
En door mij heen
stroomde het water van zee.
            ~Yvonne Koldewijn Sharkey


St. Patrick

He drove out the serpents
of wisdom
the steadfast
Saint.
The country became poor
and destitute.
The fisherman drowned
at sea;
the farmer drowned
in alcohol.
And for a moment they stood there:
My Druids.
I saw them
on the rocks along the coast,
in the hills
and in the darkness
of the trees in the valley.
And through me
the water flowed back from the sea.

Finally...

I am an opa!


Clara Frances' first picture...

The Old Man

A clip of Kees van Boxtel
with Jolanda Traarbach
at Mondiaal Centrum Haarlem (MCH)

End of Mini Ice Age

The ice is finally breaking up on the rivers, canals and lakes. The Polar Bears are now beginning their long swim back to the Arctic and the beavers can now start to repair their lodges and make their dams.

Great sorrow in Friesland that the Elfstedentocht did not happen but I, for one, am enjoying basking in warm temperatures of 8c.

 

But it did really look very beautiful and purified.

Last Day of Snow and Ice

This was Sunday and the next day the thaw set in and all the snow and ice was gone by the evening.

I think the birds will be happy that the subzero temperatures have gone...THEY were not fanatical about the Elfstedentocht!!

Elfstedentocht

The word means a Journey through eleven towns...on ice.
200 km. in total starting in the dark morning and ending that midnight.



This clip is from 1954 but there are others in there and 1963 was a real humdinger; they called it “The Hell of '63.”

The last one was in 1997 but hopes are high for this year...it will probably have to take place by Saturday because the freezing conditions are expected to go down after that and a thaw will set in.

16,000 people have already enrolled to take part and it is the first thing on the news every night showing the Ice Masters out drilling the waterways to see if it is thick enough...they need an overall 15 cm. and they have that in most places along the route.

Yep, the Dutch are really crazy about their ice but in a really nice way.

Coen's Music

Got a mail from Coen Streigel on his new website –

Coen’s Music.

Yvonne and I knew Coen from some time ago.

He used to play with his band, The Three Craws, at Yvonne’s Poetry reading.

I think he is pretty good.

Haarlem in Snow

Haarlem yesterday Brrrrr! Looks nice though!