Small-scale disaster

Day 1. Ready to go...

First rainfall

Getting dryer, and happier, again :)

The dunes, with our bikes somewhere along the path

Remains of WWII

Day 2. 07.00 am

11.00 am

A characteristic still life

The train brough us back home, in Leiden, within an hour...

No more uncertainty. Finally.

Date: 07 August 2008

"I regret to inform you that the Academic Committee has decided against admitting yout to the MSc Programme Forest and Nature Conservation, which is scheduled to start in September 2008.
We thank you for your application and wish you success in the future."


Date: 21 August 2008

"According to the Academic Committee you do not qualify for direct admission to this MSc-programme because there are deficiencies in your previous education. In first instance you will have to complete a linkage programme to 'repair' those deficiencies.
I am looking forward to meeting you and wish you every success at Wageningen University."

Last Canadian weeks

Yep. Canada is a memory again. Home for two weeks already (24 hrs late, because I missed my plane, because the busride took over 30 hours, instead of 22), and here a my last pictures for you.

At grandma's.

Lake Huron.

Hope this corn is harvested by now...

My buddy Sam.

On my last night at the Sparlings, a neighbour popped up to ask if I would like to join him for a little flight. Dumb question... We just took off from a hayfield, and the view was beautiful. I felt like I could fly like this forever!

Ontario, and the coast of Lake Huron in the back.

Jaspar Jersey's!

And that's her!

The next day, on Sunday, Tammy dropped me off at the Garrett household, where it all started way back, early 2006 :) It was a short stay (had to leave on Friday), but Good, and I had a fantastic time. This is Leanne in grandma's pool, holding Ashlyn and baby Eden, while Gabriel is floating on his own.

No cooling down in the pool for Dwight, he had to do ALL the work :)

Gabriel's bike, parked at the house, with some of the cows in the back.

Leanne's vegetable garden.

And the kids.

Last contractions

Holy... More trouble, again. Hopefully these will be the final contractions of my little adventure...

Apparently I used my seat on a flight from Toronto to Atlanta (planned for the end of next week), already, way back in April, coming back from Boston to NYC. Good thing I know I had been rebooked or something like that... Found this out when I was trying to lengthen my stay in Canada for a little bit.
Now I'm happy I was supposed to be flying over Atlanta, don't even want to know what would have happened without a transfer. Probably had to book a brandnew ticket. And happy to find out now, and not next week at Toronto Airport.

This way, the only result is that I will be seeing more states in America. Twenty two hours and twenty minutes in the bus... Or 890 miles. Or 1432 kilometers. Bus transfers in Detroit, Michigan and Nashville, Tennessee. What a joke. It's almost Texas down there. Guess I could go and drink some Corona's in Mexico...

A very happy birthday

This morning, there was not a single square bale in this barn.

Today, I enjoyed my birthday, very much. After morning chores, Jim, grandpa, Johnny and me 'did hay', out in the fields. Clear blue sky. Turkey vultures circling around high up. Close to 30 degrees. Eating sand while riding on the empty or full hay wagons, to/from field or barn. Lunch at grandma's, with the humming birds enjoying their feeder outside. More tossing square bales around. And more. And more. Best drinks of water ever. After that, a beer, or two, and Sam's company, during milking. Pork chops for supper. Ice cream in Seaforth, just minutes before they close at 22.00, for desert. A hot shower. A report to you all.


Show in Stratford.

They actually spray paint on cow feet... (Plus Melissa's boots, and my Converse)

Drove about 700 clicks to visit Jake and Annie VanderMeulen in their new home, for a couple of days.

My bed, there. Mhmmm.

Grandpa, driving the John Deere, with the baler, and Jim, picking them up.

Between milking, and also at night, the ladies enjoy some fresh air, exercise, flies and sun.

Good night!

Parr Line, Varna, Ontario.

Lazy ladies.

The first sqare bales.

Grandpa, in full swing.

The oats.

Good thing, about the rain, is that the corn grows nicely.

Three minutes old.

Couple of hours later.

Cutting hay.

Lake Huron.

Nobody tried, but I'll tell you anyway. It's corn flour, from the feed cart.

Interview.

Life at Jaspar

It's already two weeks ago, since I arrived (safe and sound) at the train station in London, where Tammy was waiting to drive me to Jaspar Jerseys. Guess time flies when you're having fun...

And everything is at least as good as I remember, including the chips to top the burgers, and all. Only two years further down the road, and a different season.

There's 33 cows being milked at the moment, and we should be doing hay ever since I came, but it keeps raining too often. And too much. Still I'm never bored between morning and night chores. Extra jobs at the farm, European Championship, run/bike to Lake Huron, my own 'stuff', work in the garden, drive somewhere for some thing (like ice cream, J.J.'s ballhockey game, calf starter and lime stone, groceries, a party), it all keeps me busy.

There's seven white kittens...


Can you believe it? They named one of the cows after me...


:)


Jep. That calf of yours just came falling down from the sky. Uhu...


Jim on his way to milk some cows.


Rambo getting some dirt out of the way.


Dreamy girl.

Guess.

Found them again... :)

Tammy's garden.

Melissa with her 4H-heiffer, and Sam with his ball.

Katie with her 4H-calf, and the farm.