A, well then...When the frost is on the pumpkin and the fodder’s in the shock...O It sets my heart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock. Righty-ho, I have taken some poetic license on this quote to be sure. Without looking it up though, do you know the real author? The veggie garden has been put to bed now and the flower beds are melting away. By all accounts there is not much to see or do in the garden now. But I love this time of year dearly—the smells, the crispness of the air and the little birdies that come by for a bite to eat at the feeding station. I love going there, sitting in the garden shed looking out the window while the gas heater is stewing-away....a puzzle or the tablet in hand. Yeah, it’s cool (in more ways than one), but today I want to tell you about another type of winter fun. Perhaps you folks sometimes drive around at night to look at other folks’ Christmas lights outside their houses. People do that here too, but what we do each year happens during the daylight hours: We go to garden centres and look at the Christmas decorations on display. Of course they have stuff to sell all around, but they also make displays demonstrating the things they have on offer. The garden centres always have a whole section just for Christmas decs. Here is a typical entry to such a section: You enter here and follow the signs. The signs say something like “Christmas Route”. Now then, there are lights, swags...just about anything you could imagine. One of the things that they sell are little village scenes with typical buildings found in our villages and towns like butchers’, bakery, churches, canals with boats...all very charming. One thing that caught our eyes was a display of the eleven towns and villages in the "11 Town Tour". It is a skating event that occurs seldomly these days because it just doesn’t freeze for long enough periods of time to make the ice on the canals thick enough to be safe. The event is huge here---like the World Series or the Super Bowl. The whole country stops for it and goes to see bits of it. It is shown in schools and folks at work watch it. Here is a short cartoon (narrated in English) for you to watch in order to give you an idea of what it’s all about, and for those of you who have a genuine interest there will be a more detailed vid in English at the end of this thread giving the real flavour of the event. The Cartoon: I have selected a few views of some villages to show you. The first one is the beginning and end of the race: Here is Hindelopen (some of you may know this village): Then a couple of other villages: The villages and buildings are arranged in a schematic way; that is to say, that the makers have made certain buildings that are iconic to the various villages and then compacted them into a small, representative area. Of course Dutch folks recognize these and realize that the plan isn’t meant to be exact. Now then, as promised...a link with live footage of the 11 Stedentocht (11 Town Tour) with Commentary in English. I believe that many folks will enjoy this little vid even if you do not have a connection with skating.: So then, everyone here will be anxiously waiting (with everything crossed) to hear the Friesian words spoken by the organizers, It giet oan ---It's going to happen. Addendum: The name of the real poet featured in the opening lines of this thread is: John Whitcome Riley
Our stores do some decorating too but not as much, they are more into you buying their items. Steins used to decorate quite a few trees anhings and a lot of other things when we moved... Here is our front porch, it is a small porch so we didn't need much. We have 1 large sd you could buy things off of it if you liked but now they don't have as many trees decorated. I hope you didn't buy too much Sjoerd....I have made quite a few purchases this year myself...
@Sjoerd what beauty and lights around here go up in early November in neighbourhoods but regarding towns there's only one that goes extreme...skating is lovely tried it years back and ended up going on my back never again ...there is one garden centre that do a lovely show the Holly bush Cannock this was took a month ago by someone else. I've got the poet as James When the Frost is on the Punkin By James Whitcomb Riley When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock, And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock, And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens, And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence; O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best, With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest, As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here— Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees, And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees; But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn, And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn; The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill; The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed; The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!— O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock! Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps; And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ... I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me— I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!
I watched with interest the 11 town tour on skates. As a skaters parent, I can appreciate the huge effort of making and maintaining smooth ice for 200 km!! Looks like a great time!
Hello There KK-- The Christmas decs are still there, if that is what you mean. They will be viewable until "Three Kings``. The skating race is not something that takes place each year. We are all hoping that it will be cold enough for it to happen this year, but we do bot know yet. Hi SHERRY-- The purpose of the lights shows in the garden centres is not just to look at. The purpose is to sell their products, and showing them in an attractive way is their way of enticing folks to buy them. They are still fun to look at though. I´m glad that you liked the thread, GAIL-- I liked seeing the li´ul vid as well. It is nice to see how things are in other countries. Hey NETTY-- Of all the folks on here, I was sure that you´d like this thread and vids because of your connection with skating. Chapeau for having the stamina and interest to actually watch the longer vid. I thought that it was done really well with a good explanation.
Sjoerd it's the only place that I've seen that's nice at Christmas time..while shopping for other things
