Another wonderful morning in the forest. I hope I’ll find time soon – between work and the rain – to take some pictures again!
Tag: netherlands
Goodbye to the forest
It’s time to say goodbye to this beautiful forest where we have lived the past two months. Tomorrow we will be moving to another temporary home, this time within Hermen’s new congregation. It’s a good spot as well, so I’m looking forward to discovering the photographic opportunities there!
Dutch safari
We had heard about the deer rut in the Hoge Veluwe National Park, so we decided to check it out yesterday. Waiting for the gate to the park to open, it hit me: this is a safari! We drove our car slowly through the park, full of anticipation. The map indicates a few hotspots for deer, which were already filling up. There must have been a hundred other people in the park, setting up their tripods, waiting for the deer to arrive where they should be according to the map.
From where we stood, I could see a small group of deer resting on a grassy field. There was a strong wind blowing from behind us. I was worried that the deer would smell all these people waiting for them and wouldn’t come out. But, a little while later, Hermen came running, saying that he had spotted a deer a hundred meters down the road.
It was amazing! It seemed like the worst (or best) part of the rut was already over. The male deer had already collected their groups of females and were not that interested in fighting each other – at least not while we were there.
Such proud animals, with their heads held high! And such antlers must weigh quite something! Back in our original spot, the group of deer that were resting had also woken up and came close to the road. Great, these animals that follow the maps! We’re very happy to have had this chance to go on safari in the Netherlands.
Autumn equinox
A celebration of the sun on this autumn equinox, the day in which the sun crosses the equator and day and night are roughly equally long. This morning, the sun had to fight the fog first, which led to these beautiful rays of light filtering through the trees.
Cold morning walk
Although the leaves are still green, it is clear that the seasons are shifting. In the mornings, a fine fog cloaks the farther away trees. Only once the sun is strong enough, this mist dissipates. The look of the forest is colder than a few weeks ago. Winter is coming!
Celebrating the King
Today in the Netherlands it is Kingsday. Dutch people all over the world celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s 50th birthday.
The lion is called the ‘king of the jungle’. A bit of a strange label, since lions live on the African savanna and not in the jungle. But I can imagine what makes the lion king-like: his mane circles his head like a crown, and his pose is absolutely majestic.
That’s not to say that a lion is never afraid or threatened. Just before this photograph was taken, two lions – locally known as Ginger (the albino) and Garlic – were resting in a very relaxed manner. Then two elephants approached.
The lions were immediately alert, and moved away when the elephants came closer. Like any earthly king, the lion is not almighty…
