Amsterdam's many faces ... Part 1

Well, we made it to Amsterdam it seems just in time to avoid the snowstorm that hit us on the East coast!  Halloween with snow ... just seems wrong!

Anyway, here we are and as I have mentioned, my internet access is very limited.  The hotels over here charge $25 euro a day!  Think how many bottles of wine I could buy instead.  So, my visits to you will be very limited this week but promise to catch up on my return.  In the meantime, I'd love to show you the Amsterdam I've come to know.  It's a beautiful city, youthful, vibrant and unpretentious ... which suits me just fine.

Here's a view from our room .. nothing exciting but I do love watching the action below.

Of course, you knew there would be bikes.  Right?  Everywhere there are bikes ...

and bridges ...

and canals ...

and bikers ...

and more bikers with children ...

and rowers ...

and night life ...

 that seems to go on all night.

Of course, no post by me would be complete without some sort of critter in it.  This kitty simply ignored us as it waited for its human to let him in. 

And this fellow seemed to be quite content in his window of bowties.

I'll wrap up this post with this little guy as he waited in his basket while his human was shopping in a small grocery store near our hotel.  Again, he had no time for me. 

Thanks for dropping in and taking a peak at Amsterdam.  It is really a cool city.

Stay tuned for more!

Later friends,

Packing for Amsterdam

I can't believe that October is coming to a close and November is right around the corner.  It seems the older I get, the faster the days and months fly by.  

And speaking of flying...

Today, I'll finish packing our bags and The Professor and I will be catching a plane over to Amsterdam.  

The Professor will be doing professorial type of things while I wander and explore.  This is a photo from last November when we were there.  We stay in Leidseplein, which is a popular shopping area.  But I'm not much of a shopper.  I'm more of a people watcher or finding free wi-fi! 

In the evenings, The Professor and I will usually stroll a bit after our dinner.  It's a delightful and easy city to walk around in but you must always stay VERY alert either for street trams or the bicyclists.  They come at you from all directions!

: : :

I may be a bit slow making my visits since I won't have access to the internet 24/7. 

~ugh~

But I'll be taking lots of pictures and hope

to give you a peak at this

beautiful city.

Have a safe and peaceful weekend friends!

A trend setter, perhaps

A beak is a beak is a beak .....

 

U N T I L ...

... you happen upon 

this beauty!

: : :

The Professor and I were having lunch one day on the pier down in Anna Maria
when this lovely one

came flying in ever so graceful.  

Do you suppose she is starting a new Egret trend ... like those folks who 
do the big circles in their earlobes?

 

~ sharing at ~

This or That Thursday

Sands of time ...

 i hear the soft

padding of your 

footstep

upon

the

sands of time

you

draw near

silently

expectantly

full of innocent

wonder

full

of life

yet to be 

 : : :

As promised, pleasant image and words today!

And,

I thank all of you for such thoughtful and heartfelt comments yesterday.

 Wish there was a way to bottle up all that passion 

and sprinkle it on thoughtless people.

Until tomorrow, my friends,

No picnic at the beach ...

So, dear friends, have you heard about the millions of tons of debris from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March that is out in the Pacific and headed for the West Coast.

A swirling mass of marine litter!  Sounds like it could be up to three years before California starts seeing some of it.  Apparently much of it will be plastic, a continued threat to our marine life.  But according to experts, the amount of tsunami debris still pales in comparison to the litter that is dumped into oceans on a regular basis.

It saddens me to think of the ways we abuse this beautiful planet.

When we were in Florida recently, we evidenced the impact of litter from thoughtless people.

See these beautiful terns.  They are majestic, aren't they?

Look close at this little guy.  He has either swallowed a hook or part of it is caught in his wing.  He kept struggling with the wire that looped from his mouth to his wing.

The Professor and I were the only ones on the beach for sunset and we tried ever so hard to catch him but he kept walking out of our reach or attempted short bursts of flight.  We eventually gave up and left him alone.  He was soon left behind when all the other hundreds of birds flew away as dusk sunk deeper.  Eventually, he was out of our sight.  But not out of our minds.

: : :

(This next series of photos is PG 13 ...

just in case you have a little one sitting beside ya!)

: : :

A few days later, we happened upon this seagull.

When I first saw him, he was intent on picking something up. 

As I drew nearer, I could see what he so proudly was claiming!  A condom!

Oh, my goodness! Do you suppose he is practicing safe sex???

I tried to run him down and collect his prize, but he was having none of it.

As funny as it was to see him with his catch, the sad part is that either he or some other bird is going to consume it, which will eventually lead to their death.

Just so wrong.

And don't even get me started on drilling in the Gulf!!!

Okay, I better sign off now before I begin swearing. All that floating debris out there got me worked up!

: : :

Let's part on something more pleasant ....

Like this view!

Promise to be back tomorrow and be more pleasant.

Until then, dear friends,

~ sharing with ~

World Bird Wednesday

Plumpity plump ...

Pope Cardinal:  Hey House Lady, have you taken a look at some of my feathered friends lately?  I think they're overeating.  They're looking a bit plump, if you ask me.

Jack Sparrow:  Hey, who you calling plump?

Fabio Finch:  Yeh, anyway ... and who asked you?

Harry Woodpecker:  You need to mind your own business, Cardinal.

Fred Finch:  Besides, not all of us have your genes, Cardinal!  So keep your trap shut!

Johnny Sparrow:  Yeh, shutup Cardinal or the House Lady will stop filling the feeders regularly!

Tommy Titmouse:  You wouldn't do that would you House Lady?

 Me:  Well, all of you are looking a bit plump.  But maybe that's cause winter is coming and you need a bit of fat on those little bones.

Pope Cardinal:  I'm telling you, House Lady ... all they do all day long is sit on those feeders and munch away.  NO exercise, no bug hunting, just eatin' nuts and seeds.   Just sayin' .....

Me:  I'll take it under advisement, Cardinal.  Now, if you will excuse me, I think I'll just put this ice cream back.  No need for all of us to plump up through the winter!

: : :

Hope your week gets off to a plumping good start, my friends.

Until tomorrow,

~ sharing with ~

Tammy's Photography Shot/Behind the Camera