How time flies

It hardly seems possible, but it's exactly two years ago that I opened up my computer one morning and saw the photo above on our Dutch version of ebay. Of course, I knew instantly this little dog was the one for me. I mean who could resist that wee face? Not me, especially as I'd been looking for an adult American cocker spaniel for several months and this was the first advertisement I'd seen for one. She was a year old and utterly gorgeous.

It almost didn't happen, though. Despite responding immediately, the advertiser, a lady called Jude, emailed me to say someone else had already reserved little Zoe, but she left me with the promise that if things didn't work out, she'd contact me. A few anxious days later, Jude sent me a message asking if I still wanted her. The other people had backed out for some reason and Zoe still needed a home. Well, there was no question and no hesitation this time, so on February the 1st, 2023, Koos and I set off to collect her. 

The rest has been well documented here on this blog, as I'm sure those who come here regularly will know – I can see the eye rolls and weary smiles from here :). We are now, unbelievably two years down the line with Zoe a fully settled 3-year-old resident of our parish and one small bundle of gorgeous, sweet fluff.

The photos below are early ones taken during her first month with us. She was quite thin, and although you can't see them, she had bald patches on her neck, legs and her bottom too. She also had an ulcer in one eye. She's still troubled by allergies that make her scratch terribly, but the bald patches have gone, her eye has healed and she is much, I repeat much, hairier than she was. 

After being spayed, her coat became very thick and curly. I must say I quite regret the loss of her lovely, smooth, silky hair, but it was very thin and she's so much healthier now.

The first day and everything was new. You can see the
questioning look in her eyes

Exhaustion after the long drive back

Visiting her next door auntie

The first days after being spayed.  She still
has one of her smart onesies, but this one
did not survive the puppy next door

Since then, Zoe has grown in confidence and has experienced all sorts of new adventures. Her favourite place is the local woods where she can dash about, leaping over twigs and branches, with her pal Lucy. She also loves being on board Vereeniging and had a wonderful time this last summer when we went faring with her for the first time. She's been to France by road and Belgium by boat, as well as numerous other places in between.

We've had a few health dramas with abscesses in her throat (this may be related to her allergies), and there's always medication needed for ear infections and those same allergies. She's had one of those sharp grass heads stuck in her paw, which had to be removed, and we go through spells when I always seem to be at the vet. Then, there's the grooming, which needs to be done frequently, if not often (sorry), and which she predictably hates. Never cooperative, she sulks after every trimming session, so it's an ongoing challenge. But would I change a bit of it? No.

When she's snuggled up next to us; when she's prancing about along the back of the sofa like a cat; when she's doing her howling wolf impressions, she makes us love her and laugh at her in equal measure.  
 

Zoe is a character with a capital C, a ray of sunshine when the days are dull, our common little cockney spaniel and we wouldn't be without her for a moment. These last photos are some of the more recent ones (which I may well have posted already) as well as a drawing I did of her a couple of weeks ago. 

Next week, I'll do a post about the various things that have happened this month, so if dogs are not your thing, allemaal, be reassured I'll be back with the normal items on the menu soon. It was just that I couldn't let this two-year anniversary pass without a post. Koos and I may not have grandchildren, but we have our very own, very special grandpup 😊

Winter: the relativity of being cold

I don't think it's any secret to followers of this blog that I'm not a winter fan. The cold, dark days in these northern climes are an annual challenge and it's the time of year when I miss South Africa the most.

Winter on the Highveld (the area where Johannesburg and Pretoria are located) was as good as it could be for me. Although the nights were often very cold when I lived there, the daytime temperatures were usually between 17 and 22 degrees Centigrade. I loved being able to walk in warm winter sunshine with only a jersey or light jacket on. Rain was a rare event, if at all, and the length of the day wasn't as different from the summer as it is here. With dawn arriving before sunrise and dusk falling after sunset, the amount of daylight meant I always went to work and came home in the light, which made a huge difference to how I felt about the day, especially when the skies were so clear. 

The only downside was the intensely dry air, which made the grass crackle and our skin like parchment.  We would habitually get electric sparks from brushing our hair or touching metal surfaces, and even from each other. It gave the concept of 'feeling a spark' with someone a new and literal meaning.

Things may have changed in recent years with weather becoming more intense everywhere, but South African winters suited me well, and, of course, during our winter, it's summer there so I've been looking enviously at their wonderfully warm summer temperatures: rarely too hot (this week in the mid to upper 20s), rain in the afternoons, and then repeat. So yes, I miss my old home very much, weather wise. 

Typical Highveld scenery in the winter

Naturally, I don't miss the crime aspect of living in the country's 'baddest' city. Although I was used to it and learned to live with it at the time (and indeed, in the early 90s it was at its worst ever recorded according to Wikipedia), I would probably be more nervous these days given that I've been living in the relative safety of the Netherlands for so long. But it's all academic now. The prospect of my spending more than a couple of weeks in South Africa is unlikely, and a holiday is about the most I could hope for.

But what's this all about? I'm sure you're wondering why I'm reminiscing with more than a bit of nostalgia about Johannesburg. Well, that holiday is one of my aims this year and I'm shopping around to look for affordable flights in the autumn. Since the pandemic, the cost of flights has risen dramatically so I've started my search already in the hopes I can find a way of getting there.

As for the winter here, I am aware we've been lucky so far. The photos and posts I've been seeing from friends and family in the UK and the US tell me we've been favoured. Even though it's been extremely cold here over the last week, we've had no snow other than one morning last week when Koos and I went to Rotterdam to meet our friend, Stephen Powell, who lives in Portugal. He had to come here for a meeting and we were thrilled to be able to get together with him in the Oude Haven, where we had coffee, then lunch, followed by a walk around the harbour. Sadly, it was a bit too cold to do more, but it really was great to see him again. 

I regret now that we didn't take any photos of our get-together, but I still have one from the last time we met Stephen in Huelva, Andalucia, back in January, 2023. 

Meeting Stephen in Huelva, Jan 2023

Now I come to think of it, we always seem to meet up in January: the first time we met him was in January 2020 at a bus stop in Estoi, north of Faro. We've corresponded and remained in contact ever since. I hope I'm not talking out of turn by saying Stephen is a wonderful travel writer. As a former Reuters' journalist, his books about his journeys through the Caucasus and Portugal are fascinating, as he digs into stories with a skill and depth most of us don't have. I'm very much looking forward to his next book about a recent three-month trip to Mozambique although I'll have to be patient for a while yet as it's still a work-in-progress. Here's a link to his two published books on Amazon if you're interested:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stephen-Powell/author/B081B4JRB5

But going back to the snow the morning we went, the fall was quite heavy but fortunately short-lived or we might have been stuck. Even so, we had to take a slow and careful drive to the bus station where we could hand over responsibility for our safety to the professionals on our journey to Rotterdam. 

I should say that I do appreciate cold is relative and how we experience it is different for everyone. I've hated it since I was a child in London, and the winter of 1962 is imprinted on my memory as the time when I first registered how miserable it made me. If I were a Canadian, I'd probably consider what we have here to be very mild. In fact, for most Dutch people it seems to be perfectly normal too. Just the other day, I was walking Zoe when I saw a neighbour in his garden wearing shorts. It was -2C. I was wrapped up in thick coat, scarf, beanie and gloves, with snow boots on my feet. Even Zoe had her jersey on. There's no accounting, is there? He is obviously made of sterner stuff.

Here's a photo I took a few days ago when it was bitter but beautiful. The blue skies and sunshine with sub zero temperatures are infinitely preferable to today's grey mist and damp. That particular day reminded me very much of a Jo'burg winter morning. Right now, though? With a blanket on my knees, two jerseys and a dog by my side, I'm looking forward to spring. Not too long to go now...

Have a good weekend, allemaal, and I'll be back with more news soon.

PS As a footnote, I just want to say my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Los Angeles and its environs who have lost their homes and everything they own. I cannot imagine what they must be going through.

New Year and the first January storm

In the Netherlands, it's acceptable to say 'Beste Wensen' (Best Wishes) to greet someone you haven't seen since December up until January the 6th, but many people I encounter continue doing so when they see you for the first time in the new year. So, as I haven't been here since the end of last year, I feel entitled to say Beste Wensen to everyone reading this blog. Two days late, I know, but I hope you'll forgive me.

It's been a very busy first week of the year, I must admit. The first day of January was pretty miserable so we stayed put at home, but we always like to go to the coast as soon as possible. It's become something of a tradition and even though the 2nd was very cold, it was bright enough to warrant getting in the car and heading for the estuary.

We didn't spend all too long marching along the sea dyke; it really was bitter with a northerly wind blowing, but the sky was lovely. I particularly like this photo I took of the land from the dyke. The trees always remind me of guards, standing to attention. 

Out to sea, the sky was quite dramatic with the clouds racing over. We somehow ended up in the wrong place and not the beach where the dogs like to run, but I like what they call 'verdronken land' (literally, drowned land) too. During high tide, much of the growth is covered or infiltrated by the the seawater. We were there when the tide was out, and the verdronken parts looks quite densely covered and firm. However, I wouldn't risk walking on it. At best it would be very squishy and I don't even like to think of what the worst case might be.

That small golden blob in the photo below is Zoe, who thoroughly enjoyed scampering along the dyke. There are often sheep  there, so the smells were heaven to a small dog of extremely olfactory tendencies.

The following days were spent catching up with chores and taking down all the decorations. We'd had a lovely Christmas and a quiet New Year, but since we were doing some sorting out and de-cluttering, we thought we'd declutter the tree and the lights as well and put them away for next year. The only reminder left is the lovely collection of cards, which I'll keep for a while.

By this last weekend, the wind was picking up in preparation for our first 'hoolie' of the year. I don't know if it warranted a name but by Monday, it was gusting very hard and my poor daughter lost the cladding off the side of her vestibule. It was just ripped off by the wind, so yesterday, we tacked some tarpaulin over the gaping hole to protect it from rain until she can get some wooden planking to replace the plastic 'tongue and groove' that had come off.

That said, we had another lovely walk with a spectacular sky.

And our canal was pretty impressive as well. In the photo below, you can see the waves and whitecaps on the water, just as if it was a fast-running river. I don't think I've ever seen it so rough. Luckily, my Vereeniging and the Hennie H weren't affected. It's such a relief to have them close by, even when we're not on board. Unfortunately, Vereeniging's mooring situation makes it too difficult and too dangerous to get on board, when there's a big storm so we have to be sensible and not take risks. At least we can check on both boats easily, though.

Lastly, I'm not one for making NY resolutions. That's asking for trouble as I can rarely keep them, but I have resumed writing the sequel to my novel, The Skipper's Child, and I hope I can manage to finish it before the summer. I've also decided to do some drawing and aim to do just a small sketch every day, if I can. How long I can keep it up I don't know, because next week I start giving an eight-week course for twenty students, which will involve a lot of feedback and marking, but I'll do my best. There's also my daily Duo Lingo to do, as well as the inevitable list of DIY projects I need and want to complete. I must write a list, though, as otherwise I'll forget the lot and end up doing other things entirely!

One thing I definitely resolve to do, though, is keep up with my blog!

So, at the very least 2025 isn't going to be boring, is it? What are you all planning? I'd love to hear your aims or dreams for the year, allemaal. 

Here's a photo of Zoe just to finish off with, for Rebecca of course!