Hello Smithers!

Hello Smithers, I am your wandering child reporting from across the globe, in fact from 7500 kms away. This small world in which you have raised me is perhaps not so small!
I am wondering what kind of weather you are giving my family and friends. Just so you know, temperatures here have been reaching 22 degrees in the past week. Life is not too shabby! Are you showing your spring colors and smells yet? Alas, although we are only 9 hours ahead the Netherlands has delivered spring in every shade of green and fresh clean air. In fact, summer is reaching its long golden fingers across the threshold of the calendar, coloring the lawns with daisies, tulips and daffodails.
I thoroughly miss your English creative writing classes :)
Here is the proof that it is possible on April 1st to be laying on the beach! Maybe you should take a couple notes...

Just heading off to the beach yesterday. I had forgotten my camera in my bag, so I don't have any pictures of our afternoon unfortunately! You may have to look at Val's blog for them!

After spending a few hours on the beach with Rob, Val and I we decided maybe we better get home and study. 'Study' turned into sitting on the cool bricks in the alley near our house chatting for another couple hours! That evening Val and I went back and went jogging barefoot along the beach.  

My beautiful adventuresome travel companion! Who else would be able to get me changed out of PJs at 10:30 pm to go for a jog up the ski hill? (another evening well spent early this week!)

Psalm 104:         

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

This afternoon a friend from Moscow and I set off for Delft. It was an afternoon that should probably be recorded in history... we did not get lost once! We followed the quiet country road for about 20 kms, weaving around windmills and over canals, admiring the spring's baby horses, sheep cows and ducks. We also climbed the church tower (for the third time, it just never gets old! ... plus it's free...)

 

I then showed her the Delft Blue museum. This is a painting of the present King William.

Ottawa (on the right)! The story of this plate is the princess Margriet who was born in the Ottawa hospital in WW2. The hospital room was later generously declared as Dutch territory in order that Margriet could be a true Dutch citizen :)

A painting of a man making Delft Blue wares

Presented on the opening of KLM (the major air line of the Netherlands that we fly on)!

Wooden shoes!

What a beautiful morning to wake up to! The only down side... it means the birds start their chirping at about 6 am, which is really hard to sleep through! But if it means the sun is shining, one really can't complain!

 

Next week we have a trip to Prague planned, and after that I am working on planning a hiking trip to the Switzerland Alps! Yes Smithers, you have been called 'Little Switzerland' and you still flow strong in my blood! You may not have 22 degree weather on April 1st but I really look forward to seeing you again in just a couple more weeks!