Apparently on the chart of what a duckling must learn before being loosed on the world is how to fish by diving. It was hilarious to watch whatever parent duck it was, chasing after them one morning this week and forcing the now much bigger ‘babies’ to dive. At times they were paddling as fast …
Author Archives: The Chronicler
See Inside
Twice a year, a regional open house for real estate; a great scheme. One Saturday in October and one in April between 11-3, all the houses for sale in the area can be viewed. An opportunity to get a global picture of what is available and at what price. So of course, I visited a …
Life of a Fuut Family [crested grebe]
Out the upper window I can see a small wooden float on which a duck is nestled on a flat nest. Each day I watch the non-progression of a bird sitting on four eggs. One day the partner duck added lily pads like a lace edge to the float; no blossoms, just the pads. Day …
Hanging Out the Wash
Wherever I live, it is important to me, to hang out wash. Unlike the boat dwellers, I don’t have to hang mine out for all to see; I have a back yard. I’m certain, now and then they must receive comments.
Sent by a Reader
Artists JanIsDeMan and Deef Feed asked tenants on Mimosastraat what their favourite books were and painted the answers on their buildings. Beautiful street art. Utrecht at its best! . if you want to see it close up or in more detail… use the url above for more information. it is spectacular! Thanks A!
Tear Inciting
The first I noticed was that the intersection suddenly had police-officers directing traffic. I am on my way to an outlying grocery store. Okay, on my way to an Aldi. I hadn’t been in the store so very long when I heard a siren that sounded like a firetruck or an ambulance. I went …
My Window on the World
My apartment of faces the street, and I love that. I want to look and and see what the weather is: are there umbrellas being carried, is everyone sleeveless to beat the heat, is the firetruck I hear coming going to be stopping in front of my building. This view of course brings with it …
The Resident Gardener
The sweet person who owns the house in which I live has asked that I take care of the garden. One of the requests was to remove the growth between the ‘pavers’. However, we don’t quite agree on what should go and what should stay. Last week I noticed that there had been some ‘weeding’ …
Spring &White Asparagus
Waited a loooong time for this to happen. Holland’s white asparagus are a taste unto themselves. It is not the same when you get them at Fresh Fields, Whole Foods or an other American grocery store. The fields are close by here. Heard from my information-rich neighbor that you can now purchase them ‘already peeled’. …
An Icelandic Teenager
said regarding female equality in society: “We are demanding something that should have already been ours a long time ago. What a concise thought. Iceland is the #1 country for gender equality. If one gives it any thought, at all, how silly that the genders are not equal. And then extrapolate that to the entire …