It's been so nice to be able to experience seasons again, and to see nature reborn each spring. I was hoping to be able to get a good camera, but for now, my old cheap one will have to do. I love photographing the details of life. I may not see that well (yay autofocus!) but I can take the time to look back later and study the images. I hate the whole "getting from point A to B" rush that I left behind, and much prefer to take the scenic route, stopping to chat with people, lingering for the obligatory kopje koffie - and of course taking photos of everything! 
At the corner, there's a pair of swans nesting. Man and nature seem to get on quite well here. I have seen on the highways that cut through forest where the animal bridges are. I don't know what they are called, but they allow the forest dwelers to cross the highway safely and undisturbed. 
The tulips are blooming! Apparently one can leave them completely unattended and they come up year after year on their own. We're going to visit the land where the tulip came from, what used to be the heart of the Ottoman Empire, and the place where tulips were first commercially cultivated. We're going to attend my brother's wedding in the former Constantinople, now Istanbul.
There are a lot of connections between Turkey and the Netherlands, and I of course want to see the flowers.
Wurst at the market. There's wild pig, buffalo, and... horse. Yes, they eat horse. I'm from the part of America where we don't see horses as a human food source. It's the thought of it that seems strange - although it tastes fine.
Flowers on the side of the bike road. No cars allowed!
I'm not sure how many ducklings one mother can have. I couldn't fit all her babies in the photo!
Also in my neighborhood.
In a twist, it's supposed to be sunny and warm here, and rainy/cloudy for the time we'll be in Istanbul. I'll be posting to my blog if I can from Turkey, and of course Twittering. My roommate is watching my baby Basil plant, and I'm going to try growing tomatoes when I return. Try is the operative word here. I'm still a city girl at heart, and the only thing I've ever been good at growing has been mold - by accident, without any effort on my part. On to try something new!
Last but not least, I want give a special hello and thank you in this entry to my best friend Diane who makes me smile and feeds me the most delicious coffee (and is very huggable), my friend Jim-the-Writer who is always fun to talk with; smart and witty, my mom Claire who probably will never realize just how special and wonderful she is (to everyone, not just me), and a dank u to Ko and Janny who are always kind, generous, welcoming and supportive to me.
