They say life's like a roll of toilet paper. It moves faster the closer to the end you get. Seems I haven't been on for a while, but I feel like I was on just recently. Ah, well... Quick summary: We never had proper summer this year. It's been rainy and cold. We went on a car trip down to the Netherlands and back, and had some really nice, hot days on the road. While in the Netherlands my husband and I celebrated our Silver Anniversary at a camp site, outside the auto camper, with a couple of friends and Chinese take-out. It was perfect. it was so good seeing our friends again in real life after four long years! We also visited the Floriade. We were a bit disappointed this time, but it had a gondola, and that was fun! This is one of my favourite buildings, the harbour tower in Hoorn: My husband decided to treat us to a trip to Rhodes, Greece for two weeks in September/October. The temperatures were just right for us, and the sea temps were very nice indeed! We also got to cuddle a couple of new babies and give the new grandparents and parents big hugs. This is the north gate into Old Town, Rhodes. My favourite gate. I have a thing for old stonework: When we got home, the weather was undecided. Was it summer? Maybe Autumn? I don't really know where October went, but I went on some hikes in October and November so it wasn't all bad. November was very dry, and warmer than July, so I got to clean up a bit in the garden during the few daylight hours we had. Had some autumn colours this year: Keep going that way, and you'll eventually hit Shetland. This is called Columbine Bay because of a ship that blew all the way from Dunrossness, Shetland and stranded here on February 6th, 1886. Poor Betty Mouat had been on the ship for nine days and eight nights all by herself before she was rescued from it here. Scenic, isn't it? Winter hit us the first week in December. We got a good dumping of snow, then two weeks of really cold winter weather with temps down to -10C or 14F. Not so cold maybe, but very cold for us here on the coast. That's when we made the ice lanterns. I've immersed myself in genaology. It's fun, but time consuming. I plan to do a little, and all of a sudden, four hours later, I'm still at it and all of the measly five hours of daylight we have this time of year is gone. I've also decided to order paper copies of digital-only photos, and have an eight-year-long backlog, so I'll be busy for a while. Right now the snow is melting, so no white Christmas for us unless Mother Nature changes her mind yet again. We have a guest in the downstairs bathroom, but that one deserves its own thread. Good to see you all again!
Heyyyyyyyyy…! It’s Droopske. Olé. It is great seeing you again. You may have been out of sight, but you were not out of mind. Ermmm . Never mind, I won’t go there. It was go good to see the pics and read your narrative. I called my Bride over and we took it all in together. There were ooh’s and aah’s with every scroll downwards. To begin with, that was an excellent shot of the old harbour tower. What a it was a great composition you put together. Chapeau. Then moving on to the gate to the Old Town on Rodos, a place my Bride and I know well. We so enjoyed our visit there. Of course, your fall landscape and the stranding site of a boat from Shetland.—All so good to see. You have had some seriously cool temps there already, and when te winds blow southwards, we can share your frigidity. Thanks mate. The Bride is also dreaming of a white Christmas.it looks like the closest to that we will get is Bing crooning on the radio. Good to see you again….no, magnificent to see you here again. Velkommen hjem.
Well said Sjoerd. I've thought of you often Droopy and am very happy to see your post. What beautiful scenery. Greece must have been such an amazing trip. I'm very happy to hear that you were able to visit old friends again, and also were able to see some new little people and give baby cuddles. I hope next spring brings you much nicer weather than you had last spring. Winter solstice soon! Then slowly the days will get longer. Wonderful to see you back.
Tusen takk, @Sjoerd. The Stew always feels like home even if I'm away for a while. The warm, cheery atmosphere, you know? You're way too kind with your compliments, though. I have photos of that tower from almost all angles bar downwards, lol. Do they do helicopter tours down there I wonder? Thanks, @Melody Mc.. We like Rhodes. The first time we went there was for sun and sea, but now we go back for the people. We have made good friends there. We can ring them, video call them, but we can't hug them through the ethernet. We hope for better weather next year too. My projects this year went down the drains, so I need a few weeks of dry, preferably two-three weeks at a time, not two-three days.
Drones aren't fun because I can't sit on them and take the photos myself, now, can I? Restaurants on the other hand... They're fun! Unless there's a pandemic. Then they're not fun.
Oh Droopy, you can sit on drones and take pictures. Buttttttt…… Yeah, after the pandemic is over then. You are right.
Missed you too! It's from 1542. The fun thing about that tower is that it looks like a completely different building from the other side. If you google Hoorn harbour tower you'll find lots of photos of it. The D'Amboise gate in Rhodes is from 1512. As I said, I must have a thing for old stonework.
