Tag: Nature

Canoeing in the Weerribben Fall 2022

November 13, 2022

We have spent so much time in this beautiful location canoeing that it might seem that it is our favorite place to canoe within The Netherlands. This last trip was the first long one in our new canoe and the last one (at the time we didn’t know it) in our VW Caddy/camper. Now, looking back it seems bitter sweet.

As most of our regular readers know we haven’t been out canoeing much in the last two, wait, three?, years. Life events change things and we changed with them and canoed when we could, realized this year the beautiful “Cedar” needed a new home and with diesel prices soaring and our high road taxes on the larger vehicle, I guess 2022 was a year of lifestyle changes for us.

Since I have written so much about the Weerribben in the past I will just highlight our trip in pictures and video. Enjoy your weekend wherever you are in the World!🛶

The fall colors were just starting to showcase.
Early morning paddle into the Weerribben National Park. The only other paddlers were these ducks.
The wind was still and the paddle quite, seemed that all was perfect in the universe.
Having a bit of fun, sporting my Trailspace.com top 25 reviewer 2021 hat. Thank you to anyone who helped my reviews gain points for this honor. It has been a real morale booster for me being selected in the top 25 reviewers these last two years.
The reflection
What a beautiful morning!
Any paddler that takes photographs understands, it isn’t easy, but a still, no wind day, is picture perfect and almost effortless.
Fall is one of my favorite times to paddle but the weather can change quickly. The wind blows the trees lose leaves and the paddles are then resting.
Then the wind starts to settle and we are back on the water.
Another early morning still wind paddle.
The wind picks up and we just ride without paddling.
The Hubby always has a firm handle on directing the canoe. To think back now that he first started by watching YouTube videos and us doing circles in a nearby lake still makes me chuckle, but he has become very skilled and I am proud to have him as my paddle partner.
End to a week long canoe vacation. Bittersweet.
Our last (we didn’t know then) trip with the VW Caddy. We will miss all the room it had for our gear.

That concludes this recap from our Weerribben canoe vacation. Change is good and we have more adventures coming.

*** If you paddle (canoe or kayak) we would love to hear about your favorite fall paddle location. Please share your location in the comments section.

© The Cedar Journal, 2022, all rights reserved.

Autumn…Hummmm…

November 2, 2022

Lazy, busy, or just feeling a bit out of sorts, I just haven’t been posting much. But, that hasn’t stopped the Hummm… from happening and I do have a few “Fall” or “Autumn” Hummm to share. Let’s get started.

The Hubby is now experiencing Hummm…sightings even when I am not with him. I guess I have been with him for so long now that my weirdness has rubbed off on him. Good thing he got a picture of this…

We are seeing more of these small type vehicles on the road since fuel has gone crazy but this one almost look like someone is living in it. Hummm… the disabled sticker? Ok…
Hummm… I rather like this 4 wheel vehicle. I was calculating all the plants I could haul in this one!

The following hummm… I found at our local cemetery. Nothing cheers me up after hearing the horrible things in the World or places them in perspective like a visit with the resting. Although… hummm…

This grave was just sitting next to the composter at the graveyard. Hummm… but that wasn’t enough…
Upon a closer look it was actually two graves!😳 Did these people not pay the grave tax? What will happen to the headstones? What sorta of recycling program does this cemetery have? Hummm… so many questions and I only got deadly silence in return.

We spent a great deal of time this month on the Dutch roadways. These are great opportunities to connect to the greater World. Identifying license plates from all over Europe makes for a fun way to pass the time. As we were getting bored the universe senses it and placed the following in our view.

“OMG! Is that Johnny Cash?” I quickly pulled the phone out to capture this Hummm…

We determined that it must have been a roadshow performer that featured Johnny Cash songs.

Our vacation always brings a relaxing time and Hummm… seems to open from the Heavens to drop down to be observed by us.

Wildlife seemed to be a theme.

Hummm… A wolf track? No way! Let’s check…
Hummm… size, large. Direction, straight across path, search internet for tracks. Yup! Wolf!
Hummm… This bird wants to read the paper?
Nope, EAT the paper!

This guy didn’t stop there, he flew onto the Hubby’s plate and ate his bread!

We also witnessed (not caught by our cameras) other small songbirds eating my red canoe cushion knee pad! Hummm… are these creatures not getting enough insects or seeds to eat?

“Hummm…this looks interesting.” Said Hubby. “Wait, I think it is a possible Hummm…” camera, picture…open…
Looks like a note…
Wow! We are as excited to find it as the young person who wrote it! But wait… there is more…
The backside is signed and had a P.S. instructions. After we were done we returned it and replaced it so that the universe could provide this beautiful entertainment for another unexpecting hiker.
Hummm… what is this? A door in a tree. Let’s look inside.
A family of gnomes! Cool!
Hummm… he was so cute I thought we needed to watch him eating the last of our lunch!
While visiting Urk. I caught this old symbol on a house. Hummm… what does all the additional stuff mean? Hubby explained it represented Faith, Hope, and Love.

When we all need an anchor in our lives it always helps to shake of the chaos and hug a tree!

Hummm… there she goes again, hugging some big tree!

Now that the Hummm…file is empty for now. What will November bring?

© The Cedar Journal, 2022, all rights reserved.

A Mushroom Vacation

October 27, 2022

Thank goodness that we experienced a natural mushroom vacation and not one that has been threatened for weeks by the terrorist state of Russia!

I didn’t need to go on vacation to study the types of mushrooms that can pop out of decomposing materials, my straw garden has produced many types in the last 10 weeks of gardening.

*** Disclaimer- I am not a mushroom expert and do not collect mushrooms to eat! Never eat mushrooms from the wild unless you have been trained in what is eatable.***

A sort of fungi that grows out of my straw bale garden.
For whatever reason this straw bale has a variety of different mushrooms.

But this canoe vacation took us took us to two different Dutch National Parks (De Weerribben and Dwingelderveld) it was interesting to find so many different mushroom varieties.

The temperatures have been unbelievable warm for late October. Ranging from 15-20 C! Making it very nice for our canoe paddles and for our hiking in the forests.

A nice collection of yellow mushrooms.
Closer inspection
A fungus on a dead birch tree.
These look like a perfect a Halloween prop.
These are like small umbrellas
This type we found around a standing stump.
These looked like alien life forms coming out of the ground
The morning mist helped give these mushrooms a glossy look.
These are huge! I used my hand for perspective.
This one was peeking out of the leaf forest mulch.
Mushroom lifecycle.
This sort was hard to spot in the leaf litter and had the most delicate stem.

We really enjoyed our mushroom sightings. I was so taken by all the different kinds that I purchased a identification book at the park visitor center.

Taking time to slow down and really see what is in the forest was a nice vacation activity.

© The Cedar Journal, 2022, all rights reserved.🍄