hoe oud is de Sint?

... and HOW can he manage to do SO MUCH on his birthday?!!!!! First, he travels by steamboat all the way from Spain with a boatful of zwarte Pieten. Then he travels by horse around the lowlands (Holland + Belgium), visiting primary schools (we estimated ~ 10,000 in both countries). And finally, he visits each home and makes deliveries if the children have behaved "well enough". But what happens to the kids who don't behave?

... spy the critical element in this equation? leffe + radieuze = een blije Sint


whew - the kids passed again .... and were rewarded with an XL speculoos cookie, plus choco letters - lekker:)


later that night, as we listened to Sinterklas liedjes (songs), played games, and sang loudly (of course, so the Sint can hear us), there came a loud knock on the door .... bang, bang, bang. But when we opened the door, only a sack of cadeaus was to be found ---- and in it, a marble game for Thijs ..... a stuffed horse and horse-drawing book for Phoebe .... and a knitting set for Alex.

But again, mommy's desire to be stuffed in the sack and shipped back to Spain (w scope, binoculars, bird books) went unfulfilled. Guess I'll have to behave really, REALLY badly in 2009:)

thanksgiving

yes, we did it again - we stuffed a turkey bird! Seems traditions are there for a reason ... they remind us of the comforts of home that we're accustomed to celebrating on a seasonal basis ... and on Thanksgiving day, nothing takes our family "home" more than stuffing a turkey and preparing MOUNTAINS of yummy food!

This 7.4 kg (18 lb) bird came from England --- plenty big enough for our dinner of 12, plus leftovers.

Lulu was treated to a nibble of cucumber here, a carrot there, and by the look on her face she was very grateful, indeed.

The kids toasted with a bottle of bubbly too (kidibuhl - which tastes a bit like sprite, but comes in a corked bottle) and sat down to a candlelight dinner.

We celebrated with our American friends Carolyn, Frank and their 3 kids, as well as our French-speaking friends Mario and Nadine, who are also avid bird lovers. But this time, we weren't studying the bird .... just enjoying it:) ... and being grateful we didn't overcook it!

grateful for BIRDS!

grateful for my YOGINIS!

happy thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a happy thanksgiving,
because there is so VERY MUCH to be thankful for, like .....

family to keep us strong
kids to keep us young
a partner for cuddling
a friend for sharing
peace
love
happinez
winter prik
terrasjeweer
tawny owls and yogaKIDS!

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

WE did it, America! Yes, we can! Yes, we DID it! You've restored my hope, my connectivity - our global respectability. I am SO proud of my people at this moment ....

a birdy-full day

The sun gods were smiling on Belgium today and delivered the MOST perfect of October days .... clear blue skies, 20+ celsius, and calm. We pick-nicked in the park and stopped to snap a few pics of birdies along the way --included a few here your birding pleasure ...

a few migrants .... known as Brandgans, or Barnacle geese

Nijlgans, or Egyptian geese with chickies!

sweet little kuifeend, or tufted duck

2 black swans?????? You don't even have to go to the zoo!

Fuut, or great crested grebe parent + 1 super COOL chick

Sitting quietly on the edge of the pond, a patient-waiting Ijsvogel, or Kingfisher

I never tire of their splendid irridescent green plumage - it's absolutely captivating!

Squint and you'll see the tiny fish in its beak ...

and what's hiding behind the Nijlgans? Why, a casarca! Or ruddy shellduck ----- another escapee, no doubt, but never mind. I'm grateful to witness this lovely goose anywhere, anytime:)

maggie be free

After a week in rehab, we took maggie to the park and set her free. It was great to see her fly away when we opened the cage! Thijs was teary-eyed, but the rest of us were relieved and happy to see her back in her element. A few days later, she was spotted in another area of the park, so at least we knew she survived the first few days. We witnessed her being attacked by 2 magpies within 20 mins. of being released, so we worried a bit. Magpies can be quite aggressive, but obviously she's learning how to fend for herself. Been a great learning experience for the kids, and NOW they seem to see magpies EVERYWHERE!

maggie

Maggie is the newest member to join the household. My friend Allison rescued her as she was being attacked by a cat, which you can see by the lack of head feathers. Together we're trying to rehabilitate her. I call it "her" without knowing the sex just because it looks like a girl to me, for some reason, but with my luck it's a boy. Doesn't matter, really, since we'll be releasing it in a few weeks (hopefully she'll be good to go!), and then she'll/he'll be back with mates in the wild. What a beautiful bird she is!

lulu's collecting habits

Alex got a pet rat (LULU) this summer, and without a doubt she's been the most entertaining pet we've ever had. The second she's set "free", she begins collecting things. And these are just a few of the things we've come across lately when cleaning out her nest in the corner under a bunch of folded up curtain.
paper
and more paper
and more paper!
3 garlic bulbs
pin cushion, with needles in it
wine corks
marbles
more marbles
crayons
chewed off bits of leaves
two tea lights (little candles)
thijs's soccer shorts
alex's ballet top
1 pair of phoebe's underwear
assorted socks
a slice of apple
few cheese blocks

how to be an artist

Stay loose
learn to watch snails
plant impossible gardens
invite someone dangerous to tea
make little signs that say "yes" and post them all over your house
make friends with freedom and uncertainty
look forward to dreams
cry during movies
swing as high as you can on a swingset by moonlight
cultivate moods
refuse to be responsible
do it for love
take lots of naps
give money away
do it now
the money will follow
believe in magic
laugh a lot
celebrate every gorgeous moment
take moonbaths
have wild imaginings
transformative dreams
and perfect calm
draw on the walls
read everyday
imagine yourself magic
giggle with children
listen to old people
open up
dive in
be free
bless yourself
drive away fear
play with everything
entertain your inner child
you are innocent
build a fort with blankets
get wet
hug trees (and smell them)
write love letters.

Sark 1990

Fly Away Home #1-- 10,000 Miles

Just watched Fly Away Home with the kids, and would rank it as one of the most inspiring children's movies I've ever seen ... up there with Whale Rider!

This song by Mary Chapin Carpenter plays while Amy flies "her" geese home to their over-wintering site .... get the biggest lump in my throat every time i watch/listen.

Have you seen it? WHat are you waiting for????????

just get your box of tissues ... you're gonna need it!

Saturday night live skit on Palin/Clinton

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

If this doesn't bust your gut, I don't know what will.....

clik en enjoy!

ps. but beware -- you'll have to wait through a short advertisement, but the skit is worth the wait!

what's so funny about this picture ....

laughs, giggles, ha ha's in foreground, but what's going on with that guy in the background? Could that be Stijn doing his classic version of the power nap? you-bet-cha!!!!

This is typical camping weather for the Netherlands - rain, rain, rain - but we FEESTED the night away in the "praat kaffee", with grilling and chilling, and water play in the playground adjacent. Can't let the weather dampen your spirits, now can we?

.... hmmmmmmm, and what's this strange metal thing doing bolted to a tree? Why, of course, it's a bike rack!!!! Isn't it obvious?

... the master of the power nap, up close and personal

Crocs have navigated the globe, and you can find this plastic footwear anywear these days. Thanks again, Marita, for an adventurous weekend camping in Holland. Hopefully we can return the favor again sometime soon!

Mason Bee Be Free!

if this isn't the sweetest bug vid, then i don't know what is! Hope you enjoy it as much as i do ...

Before you know it, I'll be making bug lists like i'm making bird lists ---- ooops, too late!!!

leaf-cutter bees

Another amazing creature is nesting in our backyard, and this time it's a leaf-cutter bee -- enjoy!!!!!!!!

sunday with the roofvogels

Bird Friends of mine invited us over today to watch the ringing of barn owls that nested in their barn (ringing = banding in European lingo) by a Flemish Barn Owl protection group. Fortunately, there happened to also be a kestrel nest just 2 m from the barn owl nest (how lucky is that!!!!!), so we got to witness 3 kestrel young getting ringed as well. Stijn doesn't think they're cute, but I immediately fell in love with them!

There were 5 barn owl chicks, and Phoebe was thrilled to be able to hold one of them for a few moments. They were very docile and easy going, and she loved every minute of it.

Alex enjoyed a moment with a barn owl chick as well, which she loved. The kids have been watching "Dr. Doolittle" and all wish they could talk to animals, especially after this special session!

Here you see a younger chick and its older sibling which was born some days earlier - what a dramatic difference in size!

The female was soooooooooooooooo pretty to see, and luckily she remained in the nest box so we could get a close look at her. Now that's icing on the cake!

how many chicks have you seen in your garden?

This spring I've seen loads of chicks in our garden, thanks to our well-stocked feeder that attracts them from far and wide. Somedays they devour the food in < style="font-weight:bold;">chick count? Not spectacular, but not bad either ...

5 blue tits
5 great tits
2 marsh tits
3 green finch
2 great spotted woodpecker
1 robin
1 hedge sparrow that won't stop chirping!
4 goldcrest

scorpion fly

nobody guessed, but thought you'd enjoy knowing about this cool SCORPION FLY (family Panorpidae, order Mecoptera). The MALE shown here has enlarged genitalia that resemble a scorpion's stinger, but MY fotos from a few posts back were of a female, which lacks this prominent feature. They've been very active in our garden the last few weeks and a joy to behold! Undoubtedly one of my favorite kinds of flies!

Carl the Carrion Beetle

While brushing my teeth this evening, I spotted a CARRION BEETLE nonchalantly walking across our hallway!!!!! It's Nicrophorus investigator, which translates to "i thrive on eating DEAD animals!"

It also goes by the name Sexton beetle (English) or Doodgraver (Dutch) - meaning "dead digger". This particular beetle was infested with tons of tiny, reddish-colored Gamasid mites, which apparently are harmless to the beetle, but look kinda creepy to the unknowing.

After putting it into one of our plastic insect houses, Phoebe's first question was, "what can we feed it?" I can already see she's hoping to keep it as a pet, but that would entail finding dead animals. At least that's cheaper than a trip to the pet shop to buy food. Oh no, is Stijn's Dutch frugality rubbing off on me?

I'm thinking .... Hmmmmmmmm ...... this could be my new angle for coaxing them into walking in the woods! We could design a scavenger hunt (ha ha ha, no pun intended) to see who can find the most animal carcasses ... but i wonder how fresh they have to be.

Just this evening, Phoebe talked about how she missed Dudley, the dung beetle, and how we provided a happy home for him for 6 months - funny what kids remember...

One thing's for sure, when they reminisce about their youth, they're more likely to remember the creepy crawlies we found than the home-baked cookies!

disaster strikes!

ohhhhhhhhhhhh, you won't believe the FRUSTRATION, the DEPRESSION, when I discovered my beehouses had been raided! By WHAT, I have no clue, but clearly SOMETHING had mounted the bee house, broken through the earthen plug, and feasted heartily on the pollen and beebabies so carefully tucked inside. I found the evidence one morning, so i think this happened during the night, but i'm not 100% sure.

Above you can see that several pieces of bamboo had been manipulated for closer inspection by the beast, and I even found 1 piece of bamboo lying on the ground underneath the bee house.

And here you can see that one bamboo piece (top, right) was "munched" on and split into pieces as the critter devoured the very last of the bee babies in this house. This occurred during the SECOND RAID! Yes, the critter made a repeat visit! Not only does this critter have a mouthpart that can excavate earth and split wood, but it also has a good memory, along with the ability to climb patio posts, scale patio walls (or fly). Hmmmmmm...... this could be a tough mystery to solve.

As you may recall from a previous post, we built 2 new bee houses, and both have since been used by solitary bees. However, the bee nest shown here didn't last long, unfortunately. First you see it (above, lower left) ....... and then you don't (below) :/

To make matters worse, a blackbird nest was ALSO raided the very same week. There were several chicks in the nest - although i never counted because i was waiting for them to get bigger - and these 2 eggs that never hatched. I found the magpie feather a few days later, so don't necessarily want to put the blame on them, but I wouldn't put it past them as they're aggressive nest predators. The upside is that I saw the female actively building a new nest the following day.


So .... if anyone has ideas for WHAT animal could have done this, I'm all ears. Beech martens live in Belgium, and are known to eat insects and raid bird nests:( Woodpeckers are also a possibility ... but they eat like kings at my well-stocked birdfeeders, so you'd think they'd show a little more respect. Maybe one of the juveniles got out of hand or gave into peer pressure. Whatever it was, it will not get the LAST bee nest as I'm protecting the final bee house - by bringing it in our house! Oh boy, wait til Stijn gets home and finds a bee nest next to his bed:)

what great historical event happened yesterday?

a few hints ..... with these fotos taken last month when we were there visiting ...

Arromanches ... where huge slabs of concrete remain that were once used to transport tanks and military vehicles ashore

Here we're standing next to one of those concrete slabs - and they're HUGE! One can only appreciate the scale and magnitude of this operation when you visit these sites and see what the allies were up against.

This is the cemetery at Omaha beach, where 9,000 American soldiers are buried. Every headstone carries its own story .... whether it's a soldier that died on the day of the invasion, the day before the war ended, or somewhere inbetween.

a pillbox at Pointes du' Hoc .... where Rudder's Rangers scaled the cliffs, against all odds, and eventually took control. Now there's a colony of Mew gulls nesting on those very same cliffs ... and barn swallows nesting in the bunkers.

Obviously the kids missed a lot of the details, but they absorbed a great deal of history during our stay in Normandy, and they will never forget the breadth and expansiveness of the beaches, which seemed to go on and on endlessly, and where the allies fought and died so courageously.

a home for solitary bees

What a happy day it is to see solitary bees using our beehouse. We don't get so many solitary bees where we live -- sad to say -- so when one begins nest-building, it generates a LOT of excitement and awe.

It's so fun to watch them "hole up" their nest with bits of earth, working fastidiously until the job's complete. It can take a day+ depending on the size of the hole.

Thijs loves building things, so thought we'd try our hand at building beehouses! With a piece of wood, some goggles, ear protection, and a drill, we were all set.

Drilled different sized holes, each about 2.5 cm long, into this bit of wood, but the question remained: would the bees LIKE it?

and the answer is ..... YES! Within a week, a bee had chosen one little hole and filled it completely with earth, giving us great confidence that YES, WE CAN (all of us!) make a home for nature:) Why not give it a try!