Our snowy world this Christmas time

Holland on the horizon


Kids doing what kids do in the snow in Westdorpe


Our Wandering Snail friends' boat, ice and snow bound in Lokeren Belgium.

The Marion Aagje makes it to Rotterdam

Just a very quick post to bring you these pictures of Mo and Craig's little tjalk in its new home. There's been a story worth a saga about trying to get it in to the historic harbours here, and the ending is still unsure, but meanwhile, they have found a berth over the water from us. In fact, now I've seen it I think it's great!

Welcome to Rotterdam Marion Aagje. This is the area the little barge came from and the waterways it served. It is back home where it belongs.

Blogging down a bit

Life has become a bit hectic of late, and I'm up to my ears in marking assignments for the uni courses I'm doing at the moment. This is making it difficult for me to maintain all my blogging activities, so I've made a choice.

Sadly, it means that this blog will be a tad quiet over the next few weeks, but I promise I will be back. I am, however, trying to keep my new story blog going with at least one post a week. I need some outlet after all!

I'm not really a big Facebooker...I just drop in, scroll down the home page, leave a few comments here and there, give certain things the thumbs up and throw in a mood statement now and then and that's it. To be honest, I've always preferred my blog, but FB is the place to find people on a regular basis these days, so I go with the flow.

Still, all things pass, and that includes the bad stuff, so I will be back here before too long..I'll keep you posted.....

Just one of those weeks

This week's been a tad gruelling.

On Wednesday I taught for 8 straight hours; on Thursday it was 13 hours without a break; on Friday I dragged myself out of bed to prepare for a long afternoon session, which finished at 5. After arriving home Friday evening, Mo called me in distress. The gangplank had fallen off the Vereeniging and was hanging straight down in the water. No access to ship possible. Three hours later (or thereabouts) we had it fixed again.

But then walking along the quay, a young gentleman approached me and said "Excuse me, but are you VallyP?"

Well, suddenly the evening improved. It was none other than the famous Invader Stu, whose blog I have been reading and loving for a few years now. As he is best known by his cartoon appearance, I won't spoil the mystery and describe him - that is not unless he fails to deliver the book the girlfriend (who shall also remain nameless), and I were urging him to write before they finally disappeared into the mists at midnight last.

I have, however, threatened to reveal his identity and appearance by gradual stages if he doesn't compile a volume of his brilliant blog stories and cartoons. May I suggest you take a look at his site and let me know if you agree?..perhaps the force of greater numbers will also persuade him - that is if the fear of having the real Stu published for all the world to see doesn't do it first!

Seriously though, it was a great pleasure to meet another great blog friend and his very charming and lovely lady. We invited them into the Luxor, which was in a state of chaos as a result of the hectic week I'd had and the panic stations following the gangplank disaster, but they took it in their stride, and I'm hoping they'll be back for a proper evening of good food and plentiful South African red before too long.