Out And About in Belgium

Today was another wonderful day of Belgium exploration. I must admit, it started off a little rough. We literally drove in circles all over a nearby town, looking for a windmill that I am starting to think is one of those urban legends. We did run across this interesting sight, though. Parked in front of someone's house, it's all that remains of one serious Carnival parade. (I think I might have had a bad dream about this once.) This, my friends, is why you shouldn't mix alcohol and float design. The results are more than a little intimidating. To end on a more positive note, I made a return trip to one of my favorite windmills, the Keijersmolen. Not only is it a beautiful example of craftsmanship, it's open to the public for exploration. That's right, you can wander around the entire thing at your leisure. The Keijersmolen was built in 1869 by Joannes Keijer, and it's been in the Keijer's family ever since. Don't you just love tradition? It's currently owned and operated by Theo Keijers. He's been running the place since he took over in 1962. He doesn't speak any English, but he's very sweet. He welcomed us to his lighthouse and let us roam around, taking pictures of just about every inch of the place. He lives in a house beside the windmill, and was content to leave us to our tourist ways. If you've never been in a mill, you need to check one out. It really is fascinating how everything fits together. It was time for lunch, so we had to leave our lovely windmill. Imagine our surprise when we saw this just off the road. At first glance, we actually thought that they were moose, because they were so big. As soon as we stopped to check them out, they got very skittish and bounded off into the woods. So we loaded back up and took off once again in search of food. We found the perfect cafe, too. It's called De Toerist. See what I mean about perfect? It had interesting decorations, delicious food, and a relaxed atmosphere... everything that we needed after our earlier adventures. It was a perfect day. Hope yours was just as fabulous.

Walking In The Woods...

I went for a walk on this bike path the other day and happened upon this beautiful house in the woods. I just had to take Russ back with me this morning to check it out. I think you'll see why in just a minute. How is this for a country home? Nice! It's hard to see in this picture, but just on the other side of that fence is an in ground swimming pool. Farm living is tough here. I love the thatched roof, too. Belgians like to keep these little deer around. I've heard that they raise them for food, not unlike cattle in the US. I think some people just like them as pets. There is a little buck in the middle, surrounded by his ladies. That isn't the reason I wanted Russ to see this place, though. Let's look in the other field behind the house. Hmmmmm. What is that out there? Wait...could it be.....

That's right. It's the big daddy of bucks. He was huge! He kept checking us out to make sure we weren't getting too close. I wonder if I should go get Maynard. I bet he'd love to have another buck to play with...

Maynard the Deer

Listen, my children, and you will hear
The interesting story of Maynard, the deer. Maynard flew in from the U.S. of A.,
And insisted the garage was the place he must stay.



We coaxed and we pleaded, and he finally came out,

Into the yard where he frolicked about.

Maynard suddenly stopped and pricked up an ear.

What was that sound? Just what did he hear?

Oh, no, my dear Maynard! You are were right to be wary!

A hunter is here and he looks very scary!

He drew back his bow and took steady aim.

Maynard was sure he did not like this game!

"Oh, woe is me," Maynard said with a sob.

"The last thing I want is to be a deer shish-ka-bob!"

The hunter felt sorry for Maynard, and so

He took out the arrows and then let the deer go.

Poor little Maynard was allowed to roam free.

He now has a limp, and a scar on one knee.

I heard him exclaim as he rounded the bend,

"You have not seen the last of me! This is SO not the end!"

Saturday in Bocholt

There are lots of canals in Belgium. On each side of the canal is a lovely bike bath. It's a great way to see the countryside and get a little exercise as well. We cheated. We drove here. I do have the best of intentions, though, and plan on biking along the canal soon after we move into our house. I have a great incentive. Not too far past this bridge is another bridge. It's red. On the other side of the red bridge is a big boat that houses a cafe. That cafe has excellent cappuccino and ice cream. See? Incentive. You just have to have a goal in mind, and then exercise becomes a lot more fun!These are the deer that live down the street from us. If you would like one, they are for sale. I would love a baby deer, but Ashley and Tink would take great offense at being replaced with a deer. Please, adopt a deer and save it from the dinner table. How can you resist the cute little faces? I'm sure that they will ship much better than the chocolate did.

Oh, Deer!

All around the area, you see these little deer in pens behind houses. I'm not sure if they serve as pets, or the main course on someones dinner table. They are very nice creatures, and not much bigger than a large dog. Anyway, it's an interesting picture that I thought I'd share. We had a very busy weekend, between the 4th of July party on Saturday and the food and drink festival in Peer on Sunday. I would have had pictures of those to share, but I have a teenager. When I pull the camera out now, she groans "Mother! You look like a tourist!" (Add rolling eyes and disgusted expression.) I thought I was being very considerate when I switched to the smaller camera that I can hide in my purse... as opposed to my big Rebel that normally dangles around my neck. Apparently not. In any event, the food and drink festival was really interesting. It's very similar to the Monday market. Different vendors set up their booths on Market Street and give out free samples of their products. If you like it, they have plenty for sale. We bought some goat cheese spread from a local dairy. Brandon and I love it. It's great on toast or crackers. We also picked up some yummy blueberry jam. The best purchase of the day had to be the fresh waffles, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, and light whipped cream piped all over the top. Is your mouth watering yet? Yes, it was that good! Add the music, perfect weather and small town atmosphere, and you have a wonderful afternoon.