Spring is here at last!

When hubby and son went away together on Sunday morning for their motorcycle tour, I was wondering what I should do. I had a lot of laundry which needed ironing, so I set off to do that, listening to Björk’s CD “Debut”.

I had finished a lot after one hour, but I thought, I must be stone crazy: it’s wonderful outside, blue skies, nice temperatures, actually I’ve got some time on my hand but I’m staying inside, just sort of... functioning.
So, I put on my hiking shoes and went to the woods.

And then, at last, I discovered, that the lushly light green puffy thingies on some trees are actually acorn blossoms. (Can you see the ladybeetle in the photo?)

The wind was wonderfully cool, just like a sea breeze.

I simply had to touch an oak tree and feel its bark.
I saw a crow stalking over a meadow, rummaging about to find some food.

Just at the edge of the forest, I heard a nightingale in broad daylight. I went on my tiptoes because I wanted to have a look at her. When I was so sure I would be able to see her (because I knew where she sat, singing), a group of people came strolling along. When they had passed, the bird was gone.

A little bit further down the way, someone had parked a bicycle. An old man was searching through the nettles on the wayside. I asked him what he was searching for, and he showed me the posy he was carrying: woodruff. He said he wanted to make a punch (called “Maibowle”), the taste would be so different from the ready-bottled stuff. His kids and grandchildren would be coming to visit him...

(I simply LOVE it when the beeches spread their pleated leaves...)

I heard a cuckoo, very near. Tap your purse! (They say this brings some money into it.
Normally, I’m not superstitious, but you never know... ;-) )

I saw woodruff, violets, wild strawberries in bloom and jung beeches standing together.




I saw an edible snail, whose shell was quite bleached.



A few steps along the path, a Marsh Tit followed my steps.

When I left the woods, I saw a hare running through the fields. It became quicker (of course!), when some people strolled along with a bulldog.

It was quite warm by then.

Walking up a hill, I thought I heard another nightingale, although I was not sure. I tried to have a peek at the bird that was singing so loud and wonderful, and it took quite some time until I finally managed. That was not a nightingale. A rather insignificantly coloured bird, light brown-grey, with a small pointed beak. A darker streak along the wing’s edge and, I think, along the eye. The tail was a shade of reddish. It sang very melodious, but that specific nightingale’s sound was lacking. But between the melodies, it was somehow creaking gently to itself. And I had the impression that it imitated other birds, too. Gotta find out what bird it was...

(It seems that I was mistaken: it must have been a nightingale...
Hear the sound here.)

I saw a carriage from afar.

Shortly after that, I sensed an intensive smell. Intensive, but not really that pleasant. There was a meadow with cherry trees nearby, which were covered with blossoms over and over...

Before I came back to the residential area, I saw big tufts of dandelions in full bloom.



Can you imagine how relaxed and delighted I came back from that hike?
Sure you can :-)

Oh no, not that!

OK.
As if we weren't busy enough at work after our 2-day visit to Brussels (I didn't have the time to write about yet) and our families over Easter, AND the washing, AND preparations for my theatre group's performance of "12th Night" at the weekend,

*takes a deeeeeeep breath in*

we just encounter a lovely little pipe burst.
We saw the wallpapers getting wet in the stairwell to the 2nd floor, just opposite that side of the bathroom were the shower is located. No moisture in the morning, but quite some ad midday.
Phone calls with the insurance company, my hubby and a company that detects leakages and repairs as well as they do the tiling. And better yet, they're located just a few kilometres from our home.
They promised to come in yesterday at 1600, and arrived short before 1700. Well.
Removed one tile to look under the shower tub. Wet. Then they put pressure on the pipe ducting and afterwards, applied a "tracer gas", which, in combination with a detecting gadget, should normally find the leakage quickly. At least, I remember another pipe burst when that really worked all right.
Not yesterday. By 2100 (when I was at a rehearsal, again, leaving hubby to guard the workers for a change), the workers were gone, but hadn't found the exact place. At least they had a notion (ha, ha), that it was not under the shower tub neither under the bath tub, but in between, just behind the toilet, and that it was the cold water pipe leading there. Gah.

So today, we had to shower in the bath tub, lying or cowering or making a mess, as the shower cubicle was still detached and lying in the study, and the bath tub is below the roof inclination and there's no separation like that one in the shower cubicle...

That *** (censored) pipe burst provides me with an extra day off, that I had hoped to spend with things I really like, not with standing around helpless while the plumbers ruin my bathroom trying to repair the pipe...

*sigh*

Hope you had a happy Easter!

Hi guys!
The broken eggshells indicate: Easter's over.
So, I hope you had a happy holiday.

Ours was quite rainy, so the search for eggs took place in the living room. Actually, Jan seems to grow too old for that (he's 10). He already knows the typical hiding places (behind flower pots etc.) and noone can tell him that an Easter bunny hides the eggs anymore. Well...

It's quite damp and cold outside, Spring only began a week or two ago, hesitantly. We have been waiting for warmer weather for such a long time. I guess everybody will be moaning when the warm days arrive at last, because then the change will be very rough. So, we wrap ourselves in padded jackets and enjoy what Spring has brought so far: flowers and fresh green leaves. Nature's in the starting blocks and waiting to go whenever there'll be just a few warmer days (we're not expecting too much, but how about temperatures exceeding 10 °C, pleeeeaze?).

It would be much nicer to jog away those chocolate egg calories when it's warm outside...
No more praline eggs for me, thank you!

Black holes

When we met,
you found me in a black hole.
You pulled me out,
you held my hand.

How would I know
that you would let go,
and let me slip
yet into another black hole.

But now I know
that I can drag myself
beyond that event horizon.
I’m almost out.


***

And maybe this is not a black hole at all.
They say that you might be able to leave a black hole through a wormhole, thus being transported to another place in space and time.
And, maybe, this refers to human relationships as well...

-

By the way:
“Black Holes, Wormholes, and Time Machines” is a book by Jim Al-Khalili, which is magnificently written, it’s depicting the matter clearly and is even quite funny at times.