Below Zero Netherlands

It’s been antartica here in the Netherlands. For 2 weeks already. This is what it’s like living inside the fridge.







My lease car from work died on me the other day. I think the cold triggered the problem. I haven’t heard from the garage yet. It looks like they are struggling to find out what is wrong with the car. In the meantime I’m driving a loaner car.



My other private car is doing fine. We make sure to turn it on and drive the car to the in-laws in the weekends so that it won’t die like the last time. If a car is left unattended for a longer period of time, especially during winter in below zero conditions, it will eventually die, albeit temporarily.







I had a stroll with my client during their lunch break. In Dutch we call it, ‘We gaan even een frisse neus halen.’ This means, ‘Let’s go get some fresh air.’ However, if literally translated it should say, ‘Let’s go get some fresh nose.’ Hehe.



These things, the nuances in the language, you only get to learn in time. After 10 years in this country, my Dutch is fluent. I conduct business in Dutch. I think in Dutch. When I speak English, I throw in Dutch words. But I still learn everyday many things... from new words, new sayings to ways of expressing and writing my thoughts in proper Dutch. Of course, I have an accent, and I have grammar blunders and insecure moments too.



But if I compare myself to other foreigners who have been here for 10 years and more, I think I did very good. My clients and business partners do not believe I’m just 10 years in this country, so that is a good sign. But I tell you, getting to this level with my Dutch wasn’t an easy walk in the park. I have to work VERY HARD for it and I still am actually.







This was taken earlier this afternoon between Dongen and Tilburg.



On other news, we have finished packing about 80% tonight for our upcoming wintersport holiday in the Alps. This will be a whole week of skiing (moi) and snowboarding (Dutchman). Come Friday the holiday feeling will hopefully sink in.

Dry pond

After Hurricane Katrina last August, it did not rain until the first of October. Then it was dry again for a long while. The pond shrank.

It's deeper at the far end than it appears, but I had nightmares of fevered fish rescues... up to our knees in muck, trying to corral flopping fish who couldn't understand the concept of their own salvation.

I had sometimes wished for a little mud edge in the summer, which might prove attractive to migrating shorebirds. But that's a lot of edge, and the shorebirds are long gone.



Before the end of the year, it started raining again... better, but not yet normal. I heard it's supposed to rain all weekend, so maybe that will help.

Of course Jasmine likes it dry, since she can get right up to the edge and bark at fish.



In the background is the tree that fell during a storm. Beavers had gnawed all around the base, so even though it leafed out last summer, I suppose it was only a matter of time before this happened.

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Critters at Friday Ark.

High Water at High Falls

High Falls at Grand Portage State Park on May 25, - The Pigeon River has risen 5 FEET in the last 24 hours from yesterday's heavy rainfall!

Springfield VT to Jefferson OH

Today we drove about 540 miles to our new destination. It took us about 11 hours to get there. We drove through New York, and the scenery was gorgeous. I still was not a fan of being in the truck that long.



Normally I try to catch up on my scrapbooking while we drive, but today I was trying to read instead. That only lasted so long before I was ready for something else though.



Luckily, I have the boys to entertain me. They shared interesting fun facts with me. Like Memaw has mint Tums in the glove compartment of her car. So anytime Austin has a tummy ache, headache or heartache she can fix what ails him. Given Memaw's vast personal pharmacy, it does not surprise me that she has Tums in her car. But mint? I had no idea they made mint tums. Good to know!



Austin just returned from a visit with Daryl and Diana, so he filled us in on all the comings and goings with the family. They had a family get together while he was there, so he had lots to share. He told us about a house that Daryl and Diana want to buy, so we looked online at pictures of that.



Aric shared his talent in taking my brother Steven's songs and remaking them Weird Al style. Or maybe that should be Weird Aric style. For example, one of the lines in a song as originally written is: You've got me locked inside your prison, and I hate everything you do. Aric's version was something like: You've got me locked inside your freezer, and I am slowly turning blue. (Forgive me guys if I have either one of those lines incorrect. I'm going by memory and I'm kind of oldish now so my memory comes and goes) Aric fully entertained us for some time with his brilliance in this area. Ah, my kids are nothing if they are not creative.



The very best of all for this particular trip was a conversation about Austin's now bald head and the moles the shaving of hair revealed. Austin asks how bad it looks that the bulging one shows. Aric: It doesn't look bad from far way. But up close it's scary. It looks like it's giving me the stink eye.



It just doesn't get any better than that kind of live improv that they have going on. Not to mention, that there is a certain interaction with brothers that is fascinating to me. That would be one great example of how guys relate that is totally different than girls. It is hysterical to me to listen to, and as a girl I know I'd be horrified if my sister said that to me. We are more likely to say, the mole...nah, it hardly shows at all. Let me get some concealer out of my purse and see if I can make it go completely away though.



I love having boys for so many reasons but one of my favorite reasons is that on days like this, they make my life so much better.





Living the life while driving through pretty New York!

Side Street or Main Street?

Cycling in greater Boston, I alternate between routes that take me along busy roads and routes that take me through quiet side streets. Each option leaves something to be desired. The busy roads are, well, busy - lots of car traffic, lots of action, lots of chaos. But they do seem to have enough room for everyone, including the processions of cyclists that now travel along them more than ever. The side streets are much quieter and greener, but are often too narrow to fit both a car and a bike side by side - resulting in its own set of challenges.

I've mentioned before that when I have close calls or memorably negative encounters with cars, it almost always seems to happen on a side street. But the same is definitely not true for everyone, and a recent post on Let's Go Ride a Bike illustrates why many urban cyclists tend to keep away from busy roads. So I keep wondering what it is that, over time, has made me weary of side streets, whereas others see them as a refuge.

One possibility is that I tend to overcompensate for the danger factor of main streets by being extra-vigilant, extra-focused and extra-careful as a matter of course - expecting the worst from every vehicle out there, and cycling in a way that anticipates that.On the other hand, side-streets lull me into a state of relaxation, because they seem so tranquil and friendly - so when something bad is about happen, I don't see it coming and am less likely to avoid it.

But this factor aside, I also think that drivers are less likely to keep their aggression in check when there are fewer witnesses. On side streets there aren't many people around, and perhaps the drivers with whom I've had confrontations and close calls were well aware of that. A scary thought, to be sure.

What is your take on main streets versus side streets, and what is your preference?

Wordless Wednesday :: Schooldaze ~ Twelfth Grade

Clipsham short walk

'to the woods, to the woods', did I hear you cry?

Just under 4 miles there and back, behind a prison I'd not realised was there. Weather fine, though the ground is muddy in places, and the light was beginning to fade. Garmin functioned perfectly.





I stopped at Pickworth for a look at the footpaths.









The limekiln, which is so clear on the map, is behind a gate firmly marked 'Private, No Entry' and almost impossible to see from the road.





I drove to Clipsham, and parked on a minor road, just off the main road. I walked along this road which runs parallel to the main road, then turned right, past signs to the Hall, which is very well hidden. The church is more obvious.

. There is little danger of taking a wrong turning here - plenty of signs to indicate private property, and to be fair, decent footpath signs too. The path forms part of the Rutland Round.

You come out into a field where the route was well trodden, then through a gap in a hedge, and across another field - here it wasn't so clear, and as the cultivated field was quite muddy, I took a detour round the edge on the way back. There is a waymarker just before the wooded area at the bottom of the field. At this point you go through the hedge and follow the path along the edge of Addah wood, before turning right. I wondered what the high wall ahead was - it's on the map - the prison. The path through the woods is pretty easy to follow - when the yellow posts aren't obvious there are some white paint splashes, and a couple of arrows. I disturbed a couple of deer. Through Lady Wood and a left hand turn. Walk north until you come out of the wood. Follow the edge of the wood and go a little bit further to the quarry. I checked the time and decided to make my way back before the light faded.

Another Sunday Drive

We had a nice, lazy weekend and except for Nathan working on taxes we didn't have any pressing matters to attend to. So once he was done with his taxes we took a Sunday drive.

Lauren's Significant Other, Dustin

For years, I've heard Lauren talk about one of the biggest loves of her life. I kept telling her that I hoped we could meet someday. Yesterday, I was finally able to meet Dustin.



I can think of a few people off the top of my head who understand Lauren's love. Jaci, my Mom and Merrin are who come to mind right away. I think horses are incredible and I enjoy time with them. But I do not have the all encompassing love for horses that Lauren has. Lauren eats, sleeps and breathes horses. She has been this way for as long as I can remember. So to see her in her happiest place in the world was a treat to say the very least.



To watch her ride, and see her great form was a special thing for us.







Most of all, I loved seeing her smile. She is a pretty serious person, so to her her look downright radiant made me smile from ear to ear.





Thank you, Lauren for letting us meet Dustin and getting to see you ride. We loved every minute of it!




I'm gonna smile every time I see this picture! Just beautiful! Both of them!

Front Racks and Elegant Light Placement: Mission Impossible?

In preparation for the eventual acquisition of a handlebar bag, Graham has now been fitted with a front rack (Nitto M-18 from Renaissance Bicycles). I have been planning to purchase a front rack for a while, yet had no idea that there were so many choices and that the whole thing is so complicated.



To determine which front rack your bicycle needs, several things must be taken into consideration:



First off, do you want the rack to mount onto the fork, onto the brakes, or onto the front axle? Okay, easy enough. The fork on my Sam Hillborne has braze-ons for a rack, so I wanted the type of rack that attaches to them.



But the decisions do not stop there: If your bicycle's fork has braze-ons, is their placement compatible with the length and angles of the rack's stays? Some front racks have fixed stays and the placement of the braze-ons on your fork has to match them exactly. Usually this only works when a rack was specifically designed for a particular bicycle, or if a bicycle was custom-built with a specific rack in mind. After browsing rack models until my eyes got blurry and speaking to several bike shops, I was still unable to determine for sure whether any of the racks with fixed stays would fit the Hillborne and did not want to risk ordering them. Thankfully, there are also racks with adjustable stays (like the Nitto M-18 I got) that expand to accommodate the placement of the braze-ons on your fork.



But wait, that is not all: You must also consider your brakes. Even if the rack you choose does not mount onto the brakes themselves, it can be incompatible with a given type of brakes (in particular, cantilevers) due to clearance issues. Don't forget to check up on this!



Exhausted yet? I feel spent just writing about this! And I haven't even raised the question of aesthetics yet. If you look at the front racks closely, you will notice that some are square (like the Nitto M-18 in my pictures), while others are round. If you have a rear rack installed on the bike, it may be important to you that the two match - in other words, that both are square or both are round. So that is yet another design element to watch for.



Last but not least, there is the question of light placement. Some racks are made with little braze-ons for mounting lights. The Nitto M-18 is not. So we bought a VO light mount - which is basically a small metal bracket with two holes. The size of the holes was not compatible with either the rack's or the headlight's bolts, so we had to drill them out.



With the light now successfully mounted, we are still not sure of this set-up.The bracket is made of relatively thick steel, but nonethelessvibrates slightly side to side (but not up and down) when the bicycle goes over bumps. The Co-Habitant does not think this is anything to worry about, but I am not sure that I agree.



I am also not sure how I feel about the garlands of wiring that now seem to cover the bicycle's front end like ivy. Once the handlebar bag is installed the wires on the rack will not be visible, but what about the section that curls around the shifter cable? All in all, I cannot say that this set-up can be called "elegant" and we are still considering alternatives. One thing I do like, is how far forward the light extends - this placement seems ideal for road illumination. Is it a matter of compromise, or is there a magical solution out there that I am overlooking?



...



Update: There, we fixed it!



We have successfully re-routed the wiring, so that it now runs straight underneath the rack instead of coiling around it.



We have also titled the bracket down, placing the headlight a little further back, which should reduce the vibrations. I will remove theNittosticker when I get around to it.

"Aerial" view.

The wires are considerably less noticeable this way, and I think the results are good. Thanks for everybody's comments and suggestions.

Jemez Creek

Took the dogs and when to Jemez Creek for a walk the other day.
There are several rest areas along the road that have acess to the creek for hiking and fishing. There are nice paths for walking. On this day we noticed the water in the creek was really low allowing us to see a lot of rocks we can't normally see. We also saw a few trees that some beaver had been cutting down for food or for damn building but no sign of a damn any where here like we see higher up in the mountains.

Highly collectible art

My nieces hadn't drawn me anything in a while, so I put in a request when we were all at my sister's house for dinner.

Budding Artist #1, 2nd grade.


Her drawing:


"Those are the mountains on top," she informed me. "At the bottom you can see the dew drops on the grass." The sun was setting, of course.

Budding Artist #2, 1st grade:


Her drawing:


"That's my sister Windy on her horse," she explained. She has neither a sister nor a horse, but never mind. "They are riding into a canyon. There are birds in the sky. The best part is that you get to finish part of the background yourself."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't have any crayons, especially none as fancy as theirs.



But wait, there's more on the back:


On the right she'd written "Windy" and the name of her horse, "Seray," which is evidently pronounced "Sarah".

On the left she'd written several other good names for horses.
Stally (the "a" is like the "a" in "at")
Stalllie (the "a" is like the "a" in "father")
Chratr (She told me how to pronounce this, but I've forgotten.)
Exsie
Xray
Lexiy (pronounced "Lexy")
Anna
Amy
Asyay (I asked her how to pronounce this one, but she had forgotten, just minutes after she had written it out.)

I like to think that she is taking after me in some small way, since I spent half of the fourth grade thinking up really good names for horses. (No, I never had one either.)