Rona Dijkhuis

It's been an exciting Queen's Day here in the Netherlands, as Queen Beatrix has stepped down from the throne and her son William Alexander has become king.  While many Dutch are partying in the city center, we decided to sneak away to the caravan.  First though, Obelix got a free snack out of the Surinamean neighbor who threw out some thin bread in the alley.

On our way out, one of the neighbors in Kopswolde had starting putting bikes out for sale.  He had just started bringing them out. Normally he has 5 or 6 lined up.

The streets are filled with flags.  Almost every house has one out.  I've yet to buy one for our own house, but it's on my list.

We got to see a pheasant in the fields.  In the background is an American windmill which has been restored by the Kikoman Soy Sauce factory in Sappemeer.

One disappointment this year out at the caravan is that our elderly neighbors have put their caravan up for sale. Last year the gentleman fell and was on the ground for about an hour as a paramedic talked with him.  I suspect his health has gotten worse.

The caravan directly next to us has been empty and for sale for two years now.  I saw it on Marktplaats.nl for sale for 4K.  It's a nice one, but I rather like it empty.

Reinder's bike needs repair (yet again) so he used my Bridgestone.  I've replaced the back wheel on it with the large disk brake system.  The old wheel is being borrowed on his Koga Miyata until we get another 7/8 speed rear wheel for him that's Shimano compatible.  Here he is bringing home an empty gas cylinder for the cook stove and a white bag filled with A3 paper. We did manage to get quite a bit drawn over the weekend, which is keeping me busy with inking and coloring.

Obelix on the way home was in every ditch he could find.  Good thing I have a 3 wheeler for him or else I'd be tipped over a million times.  Every ditch is a distraction, especially if they happen to have ducks or moles in them.

This last few months I've been wanting a bigger graphics tablet. One with some space so I can really see what I'm doing.  I had bid on a Cintiq 21, but the seller dropped it before shipment and the deal was canceled.  Luckily I had not yet paid for it.  A few days later I saw a Bosto Kingtee for sale second-hand and bought it instead, saving myself quite a few pretty pennies.  I'm happy to say, it's working out quite well!