UKATANI

Old red beech in a church yard Young red beech in our backyard paddock Some of these old trees are more than 300 yrs old Cafe proprietor showing us a nice bike route around his village from his cafe Best apple pie and cream in the area. Taters. The taters are up ....special variety they grow in this soil. Every crop growing fast......I have  ever seen so many different potatoes.

The locals are very proud of their own 'Achterhoek flag' TIT BITS The back story.. https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlag_van_de_Achterhoek Tit bits. .. the flag rules https://turningdutch.wordpress.com/2016/07/29/flying-the-dutch-flag/

DHL is the major carrier in NL. There are no more government post offices. All contracted out to local supermarkets and all deliveries, including mail  are contacted to DHL.  They use a variety of transport including electric cargo pedal bikes for the final Kms. The cargo bikes are based on the recumbent bike frame Amsterdam Local

Every Saturday, 25-30 stalls My budget for the week for fruit and veges is €25..... Of course we have to eat the fried fish bits and the raw herring off the stalls and try all the samples of cheeses, olives, sausages, wursts, fruits, breads and nuts that the vendors lay on. They also have local entertainment....folk dancing, buskers playing for coins, etc...

Got to have a portable outside shower, mate Had to up the output for these colder conditions ....LPG fired, battery ignition,  12 litres a minute at full water pressure/40° C   . (could boil shrimp and crabs, or crawfish with that, eh, Ripper?)....can move it anywhere, right now for testing it is hanging on the barn wall.

One of the neighbours has a few, they wander.  Right now pretty noisy, it's mating season. All the native birds are busy building nests and feeding young. Think several blackbirds have nested in our tile roof.....Lot's of peeping going on. Potting up, literally.  At the local Saturday market, on the town square, Lichtenvoode Folk dancing, traditional clothing, accordion music. Probably 30, or more stalls.....fruit/veges/cheese/bread/nuts/fish/drop/chicken/pork/clothing/plants/flowers..... Hanging flower baskets are everywhere... Large choir, providing entertainment.

So many beautiful plants......we are just getting started with ours....I don't know the names, or are familiar with many of the plants here....only know the common ones from my childhood and in the states.