Monday, April 2, 2012

Biking Along an Ever-Changing Landscape

A look back blog & repost from 10th of January 2011,  originally published @ My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands

Rereading this blog always makes me smile because it reminds me how rewarding personal blogging/journaling is, most specially at times of life's transition. It can makes you focus on what's most important in your life, and when you look back, it reminds you how far you've come. :)

  


Back on the saddle today after a very long pause due to the weather conditions, and recurring ailment.  

It was a joy to take the first image this year, which  I am archiving for our 's Graveland album, of my bike on the Smidsbrug.  

taken on Smidsbrug at 8:45 am


I plan to slowly build up an archive of images of different places, in different villages of Wijdemeren, through different seasons; I am aware it is an ambitious project, that is why I am doing baby steps towards it.  At the moment, we have a simple point and shoot camera from Panasonic DMC - FX30 (Lumix), and we are saving for a better camera.  All in the future, no hurry.

For the meantime it is all about  making sure the girls are in school on time, and that we are back home safely at the end of the day
 . 

taken at 4:08 pm in 's Graveland



 

There was frost when we set off to school at 8 am today, but luckily the roads were not slippery.  Tomorrow we have to be up much earlier, and leave for school before 7:45 am because P will be leaving early for work, too, which means the littlest will need to be prepared to come along for the school ride, and preparation takes much longer!



Back to routines!

What makes all these routines worthwhile for me is what seems like an ever-changing feel to the landscape we see everyday as we bike along them.  



How the different light of the day affects how green the grass is; what herds of animals are grazing on the fields; what flocks of birds are flying over the sky.  For me it feels like the places are the same canvas but the details of the landscape, which I always see as a  painting before me is ever dynamic.

almost at the entrance of Ankeveen, taken at 9:22 am


almost at the entrance of Ankeveen, taken at 4:27 pm

Photo P.S. to this blog... (11th of April, 2012)

I added the images below, which were taken on the same route above because the eldest, J is on them.  It's only now, that it occured to me that she was not present in the blog I reposted from My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands, here in The Lightness of Being on the Bike!

She quiet often request not to be photographed, or occasionally tell me clearly not to feature here in my blogs. :) But with these images (from 7th of February, 2011; the images above were taken - 10th of January, 2011), I did not only receive her permission  take her picture, but she also was generous enough to allow me to share them. 
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29 comments:

  1. Gosh, those pics are mind-blowing!!

    --Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

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  2. Your photos are great! I love that you cycle your girls to school. Seeing your elder daughter on her little pink bike, and the smaller one in the carrier reminds me of my friend who carried her daughter till she was 5, then she got a little bike to pull behind, then Flo got her own little pink bike! Am looking forward to your posts in the A-Z Challenge.

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    1. Thanks, Alison!

      I enjoy this stage of our lives so much. Even if it can be exhausting. I try to remind myself that soon the littlest will be like her older sisters - very independant and no longer need my supervision while biking to school.

      Sadly, I have not been successful wiht my A-Z Challenge this year. Perhaps next year!

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  3. Feels so good to see all those happy faces and cool places there at Netherlands, a place so far away from ours (Philippines). Yes, those images are awesome! So lovely! Stay happy and blessed! Cheers!

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    1. Thanks, Ric! :)

      We share the joy of childhood of our girls, as we try to give them what we hope to be a memorable childhood. :)

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  4. What glorious and panoramic site! Your Lumix captured it all! Great to see smiling children's faces on bikes as well!

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    1. Thanks, Joy!

      Yes, our Lumix has been a true and consistent companion.

      Our girls are our favourite models. :)

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  5. I'm amazed at the pics. I also love biking with scenic backgrounds. Happy Biking.

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    1. Thanks, Franc!

      I love biking and the scenic backgrounds is cimply the cherry on top!:)

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  6. I love your 3rd photo the most! Would love to visit and bike there too! LOL!

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    1. We feel very happy to live where we do, and very grateful that we are only a bike away from beautiful places to visit, and along the way enjoy so much of nature. :)

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  7. That's a nice place to go biking, looks like a safe place too!
    I enjoyed looking at photos, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Yes, it's not only nice place but safe place as well. :)

      Netherlands have wide bike paths that gives newbie biker more confidence.

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  8. The place looks really gorgeous! :)

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    1. Thanks, Kathy!

      We love it here, and feel very grateful that we are surrounded by beautiful nature. :)

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  9. super love your bike! i'm not kidding...i'm into biking also(actually had a biking yesterday too). i love 'coz it's so classic!love it, love it! i hope i could find one like that here in the Philippines.

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  10. nice photos. the place looks calming. :)

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    1. Thanks, MsAirra!

      Yes, it's exactly how I feel when I bike around here: calmed. :)

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  11. I'd be delighted to go biking with family as long as the view is like that. Here, you'd get sick coz the air you'll breath is polluted.

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    1. Sad, isn't it? :(

      Luckily, there are many parts of the Philippines where I've heard one can go and enjoy a bike ride. But yes, it's a pity that you have to plan a long trip to enjoy a bike ride.

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  12. I'm not sure if its true but Bicycles are the primary mode of transportation there right?

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  13. amazing photos dear!! the kids looks lovely!! i love cycling as well!! xx

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  14. I love the landscape...sarap mamasyal pag ganyan ang lugar.

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    1. It's a joy to see this ever-changing landscape, Karen! :)

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  15. The place seems to be in a tranquil mood and
    as I look at the photos with those youngsters
    having all dressed up for a cold season...
    how I wish, my kids will experience such as well.

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Marri and sharing moments of our life here in the Netherlands.

      I often share, that living life in Europe has been a childhood dream I grew up visualising. What we envision becomes a reality, I strongly believe.

      Don't stop dreaming until it becomes a reality. :)

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