Life in these turbulent times with climate change, political chaos (the Netherlands), the growing wealth gap, COVID-19 deniers, digital money, energy transition, resurgent populism, reduced reading skills among young people, neoliberal economy, etc. did not get any easier for guys like me who grew up in the turbulent sixties and seventies. So even though I no longerContinue reading “busy to get used to getting older”
Category Archives: in our garden
turtledoves in our garden
Mother turtle-dove decided to make her nest in a wicker basket that is always on our porch. She laid two eggs which both hatched without any problems. So we could enjoy 2 turtle-doves growing up every day and have also gained a lot of respect for the turtle-dove that took excellent care of their young and defended with great courage against crowsContinue reading “turtledoves in our garden”
The old water pump has become a museum piece.
The old hand cranck pump wasn’t complete, so I decided to just clean it and hang it in our garden just for fun. I like seeing the old handmade wooden piston, which still had the original non-return valve leather on it. The leather that belongs to the seal around the piston had disappeared. I paintedContinue reading “The old water pump has become a museum piece.”
The bloom and an old pump …
The almond tree is in bloom … and I’m working on an old water pump that I like very much but with which I can’t think of what to do with it …
Snow
Our German Shepherd likes the snow to clean his coat. Every now and then it is good to take pictures in the snow again. It makes me aware of how easy digital technology has made it. In the old days, it used to require a lot more craftsmanship from the photographers … Stay safe &Continue reading “Snow”
mice in the garden …
They are getting too many … and there is not enough room for them to spread naturally in our neighbourhood … in the middle of a residential area you can call this a natural pest … So unfortunately I have the help of a pest controller requested, via the municipality of Vlissingen. Before the pestContinue reading “mice in the garden …”
autumn colours
You’re lucky when you can appreciate the fall colours as part of your life … when it seems so natural that it grows in your backyard for free and automatically. Because it happens for free and by itself, too many people don’t give it any economic value … but I feel rich with this popContinue reading “autumn colours”
a blooming rose in November !
Due to the relatively mild weather in the Netherlands, a rose-bush in our front garden has flowered. This was rare in my youth and I am afraid it is a sign of the changing climate in Europe. The rest of the garden is already in “winter mode”. The garden is frequented by hedgehogs who are looking forContinue reading “a blooming rose in November !”
turtledoves
They are well cared for by their parents, these young turtledoves in our backyard. It’s fun to take pictures of them.
Dragonfly
Dragonfly was once the name of a band in Vlissingen. I thought of Rudy de Queljoe when I photographed this dragonfly in our garden. Canon 100-400 mm handheld funny, that seeing a small insect takes you so far back in your thoughts.
New Normal ?
I am clearly unable to cope with the new normal that the rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is bringing about. A few days 35 degrees Celsius in Vlissingen … and now I suffer from migraines. Almost all I did was sit in the shade and take pictures from there … and reading books …Continue reading “New Normal ?”
in our garden …
Yesterday the temperature reached 36 degrees Celsius in our garden. I have done almost nothing but observe what happened around me …
There is no chaos in the natural world …
… but you’re only able to see the order after many years. Only then you can notice what you considered chaos, repeats itself every year with exactly the same colors and the same pattern. Unfortunately, it also takes many years for people to see and feel the slow change to a different climate.
Mushrooms
We shred old branches and put them in the vegetable garden. Marjan discovered that mushrooms quickly grew and started to identify them. This creates a hobby that requires a lot of knowledge from books, internet and her own experience …