EXPOSITION

The exposition at Résidence Zijpendaal has opened. From mid august 2010 until mid February 2011 visitors are welcome. Don’t hesitate to contact us to make an appointment. See for more information: www.amazinglandscapes.net/expo.

Slowworm and Frog

Slowworm

This morning a reptile and amphibian passed our path. First, at the edge of the purple coloured heather, a slowworm tried to cross a bicycle path. At first we didn’t recognize it. It just looked like another fallen branch on the ground. But then it swirled and we realized that it was a slowworm. The skin of this snakelike creature feels soft and has different brown colours. From hazel at the top to dark brown on its belly. We gently took it a short distance of, away from the dangerous path.



We went on to a pond surrounded by trees, a forest gem. In front of this place of water a frog took of and stopped at the side of the boardwalk to look at us. Giant eyes and legs that are build for long distance jumping. A shiny skin and an broad mouth. This amphibious creature didn’t like our presence for long and soon it took of into the scrubs.


On the water of the pond some ducks where foraging. A great side and quietly we walked around the pond on a boardwalk which prevents visitors from wet feet in rainy seasons. It’s a beautiful place full of life and in the early morning very tranquil.

ENCOUNTER

out of focus - a doe and a deer

On a path with a sinuous course, like a river bed through the heather. It ‘s level is low and both sides are covered in heather which is starting to bloom in great colours of purple. On this path, or rather at the edge of it where heather makes place for a oak forest, a doe and a deer looked at me this morning. They where quit surprised of my appearance but in a rather tranquil and dignified way they took of into the undergrowth. Out of side of the unwanted visitor. A beautiful moment already gone before you can take an image. What ‘s left is a memory and a out of focus picture…

SCENT

Morning sunrise at the edge of the forest

This morning, about 07.00 a.m., I started a tour through the woods. In spite of the well known forests the different scents where surprising.

For a start the little bit sourish scent of a forest mainly of larch trees. In the distance the back end of a rowdear disappeared into the undergrowth.

Secondly the scent of the dry, sweet air of a mowed grain field with lightly grey clouds and rags of fog above. A few hundred meters away even a light summers rain is falling down witch will indoubtfully reach me within the next few minutes.
In the third place the scent of moist earth where giant hard-wood trees grow, in this case beech trees. The hard-wood forest ends at the border of a wasted farmland. At least several decades of cattle graze here, all of them with the head in the same direction. At the edge of the field some birch trees are visible. In top of them at least fifty finches are foraging. Then the rain is starting to fall, softly. But when the trees embrase me the raindrops arehardly noticable.
A few meters further some horses are blocking the path, there spicy (fourth) scent is hardly to miss. In the end a buzzard is disappearing between the trees without any visible effort. It was a lovely morning full of impressions that makes life interesting.