Ants on the bus

This photo was taken in Norway, but it does contain ants...

On one of the many foreign trips I have done driving my coach, I went to Italy with an agrarian themed trip. Visiting a radish farm, a mozzarella farm and a pecorino farm were the farming ends of the journey, but there were also the more touristy things. And one day, my coach rolled in to Rome. 

I drove up to the hotel and as soon as everybody was off, a porter in a clapped out car (that's how I remember it), told me to follow him to where I could park the coach. I followed him left. I followed him right. I followed him for miles and miles and I was starting to get worried. And the worry didn't ease when he drove unto a court filled with really clapped out cars and a rickety gate. Please park and I will take you back to the hotel.

Not this car, although I do love it

So, I parked, got my stuff together and got in that clapped out car. We then drove back to the hotel (oh yes) and the next morning he drove me back to the parking court yard to collect my coach. This went on for several days. But all good things must come to an end however and on the last morning, he drove me to the parking court yard. The night before I had been told to park it in a slightly different place than the other days and that had been an error.

Apparently I had parked one of the wheels right on top of an ants nest. Ants being ants, they then decided to get up that wheel, just in case there was something edible at the top. Not finding anything edible there, they proceeded up the axel, further and further in to the coach...

By the time we arrived in Florence (several hours' drive), a fair few people had taken a look and reported on an abundance of ants in the toilet area. The passengers would have a few hours of sight-seeing in Florence, I would have a few hours of hunting down ant traps. Fortunately there were some smaller shops even in the center of the city that sold those things.

However, the large number of ants would soon deal with the two ant traps I had gotten. And as we hit the road again after lunch to do some sight-seeing in Siena, I contemplated my options. Of which there were precious few. So far, the ants had kept themselves to one area mainly, but there were already a few daredevils that had ventured further afield. 

After arriving in a large car and coach park in Siena, there was only one real option open: clean the toilet area from top to bottom. With what though? Yes, there was water and I did have some cleaning stuff, but this needed a bit more bite and force. And then I spotted it: the hose pipe used to wash coaches. I was going to have to flush them out! 

I started the coach and drove a couple of meters further forward, so the hose could come straight through the back door. I got the hose, I opened the door and let rip! The ants never stood a chance, as one by one they went down the plughole and onto the tarmac of that Siena car park. Once they were all gone, I gave the toilet another good going over, this time using some kind of cleaning agent as well. 

When we left Siena that day, there was an occasional 'I've got another one' from the back of the coach, but really? They were toast...

Sheep

Somebody I can rely upon to know a lot about well, a lot really is Yamini. She is a great fount of knowledge and if she doesn't know, she is quick to find the answer elsewhere. So, it was no wonder that she gave me the breed of the sheep shown in Monday's post. 

The Jacob breed

However, for once her answer was not right. Which wasn't her fault really as I had shown only the lambs of the breed and not the adults. And the adults that were in the photo were disguised by trees and grass and it was impossible to see them properly. 

The Racka breed

At the top you can see the photo I posted on Monday. The second photo (from Wikipedia) is the breed she told me they were. However, in the third photo (mine) you can see the adults look quite different. For a start the wool is much longer in the Racka and where the Jacob have up to four horns that are ribbed and curved, the Racka have only two that are twisted and straight. 

To read more: Racka breed and Jacob breed. 

More cuteness

I thought I would show you some more cuteness. Otherwise known as baby animals. These were a type of sheep that I had never seen before. They had twisting horns and long wool (the lambs had curls) and you could see them start already on the lambs' heads as well. But those sheep were very very skittish. Definitely not people sheep.

The next photo was taken on the same day. I had my big lens on, but still couldn't really get close enough for a really great shot. But you know what these are: goslings and a lot of them. There were actually two families there: one with five and the other with about 12/13 goslings. When they heard me walking past (never mind the cars and bikes), they moved away, even though I was still quite far away.

Another day and more aaah moments to be had. This was a coot family and where the geese are both responsible for their offspring, coots not so much (like ducks). I did spot the mother feeding one of the three cooties, but of course failed to get photographic evidence of it. What I did like though, was the fact that the white part in the adult coot, is actually red in the baby coot.  

I think however my favourite aaah moment came from a bit earlier that day. As I was walking through a park in town, there was a small fenced in clearing with grazing animals. Some sheep, but mainly goats. And apart from adult goats there were plenty of kids as well. This one was the smallest and very much intent on grazing, barely looking up from the grass. 

I hope you enjoyed the cuteness...

Love and hate

The other day I had found a quite nice walk only about a fifteen minutes' drive from where I live. The weather was gorgeous with sunshine and temperatures that were just perfect: around 15/16 degrees C. I put on my new hiking boots and off I went with my camera. 

Halfway through the walk, I saw a small herd of cattle, but not cattle you would normally see here in the Netherlands. Because they had horns and big ones at that. They looked quite pointy and sharp and dangerous. 

But apart from the pointy, sharp and dangerous, I also saw this small calf. It was in the distance, so I wasn't able to get the best photos, but I thought it was so cute. 

He ventured away from mum when all of a sudden it took a big run and then said hello to a play mate. It was just the cutest (remember the small pony baby from last week, on a par with that). 

I continued on my walk.

Something I do like to photograph are birds of prey. Especially in flight. So, when I saw this one, I started snapping. And I realised, it wasn't just in flight, it was also in fight!

Because I don't think it had been very nice. Trying to harass a smaller bird perhaps, or a nesting bird. Whatever it had done, it now had a several angry birds on its tail. Snapping at him, trying to get it as far away from them. The bird of prey was definitely the loser!

Tweetie birds

Miss Oswin is usually found downstairs in the morning. Food you know is a big pull. However, there is another one as well and sometimes she will stay downstairs for a long time, sitting on the floor and trying to catch a bird or two (for some reason she never sits on the window sill for that).

So, here are two birds that were found in our garden over the past few weeks. One is of a jay and the other of a great tit. 

Artis

I showed you some photos yesterday of several different animals. Not animals I would encounter in every day life (apart from the gold fish, which would be quite possible). And in fact, I did see them all in the zoo.

No, not that long ago...

It was a zoo I had only been to once and that was so long ago (I was a small child I believe), that I couldn't really remember anything. The zoo is called Artis and is located in Amsterdam. Not a city I want to drive a coach in, but that was exactly what happened last Friday.

Stone coral

I had looked up how to get there and I did. Just don't ask how, because I don't think the route given to me was the route taken by me! It kept sending me to small streets adjacent to canals where driving a car is bad enough, let alone a massive coach! But, as I said: I got there and parked and everybody got off. While I prepared to wait until they came back.

Well, wait? I was going to visit the zoo myself, no way was I sitting on that coach for several hours! Now, Artis is located in Amsterdam as I said. Not in the center itself, but close enough. And it is surrounded on all sides by houses, so it is not that big a zoo. But it was quite a nice zoo to spend a couple of hours. 

There was a large aquarium housing smaller and larger fish, but also fossils and the like. Very interesting. There were birds of all plumage. There were some camels (no photos), monkeys, lions, elephants and several other animals. As I said: perfect to spend a couple of hours and there were plenty of people with toddlers doing just that. 

There were also some bronzes about and there were two that really stood out for me: one of an animal keeper and one of a giraffe. The latter was one that I wouldn't mind having myself, as it was just a fun sculpture.

When all the children and the teachers had returned to the coach, we left and took a different route back. Not quite sure how or where that went, but we made it to the motorway and back to the school. 

Of critters and things

We call them 'skull monkeys' in the Netherlands
The English name is squirrel monkey

My sister and I had decided that while she was here, we would do something fun. And there was plenty of choice as well. Amsterdam or nature or a zoo or something else altogether. In the end we picked a zoo. The Wildlands Zoo in Emmen. 

Prairiedog

The zoo used to be in the center of town, but as they couldn't expand anymore, they moved to just outside the center. At times it was hard to see animals, because they would be asleep in the sunshine, under the trees, behind some rocks, in the water, in the trees or wherever they were. Other times we were able to get really close up and take some quite nice photos. I think so anyway.

Hippoppotma Hippopotpot Hippo

There were three distinct areas in the zoo: an area dedicated to water/cold with penguins, sea lions, polar bears. An area dedicated to jungle with monkeys, birds, butterflies, fish and Asian elephants. And the third area was dedicated to the plains with lions, wildebeest, giraffes, zebras, prairie dogs, wallabies and some others. 

FOUND HIM!

We walked around and I think our favourite was the jungle bit. The squirrel monkeys were 'loose' and you were able to follow them through the trees and bushes and on occasion get really close to them. Butterflies are always fun. 

Baboon mum and child

There were several rides as well. The first one left us decidedly underwhelmed: much work needed to make it halfway decent I felt. The second ride was a boat ride through a jungly bit which was good fun. Several species of monkeys, birds and the Asian elephants were visible. All indoors, so nobody could escape of course!

The camels basking in the sun of the derailed train

In the Serenga area we went on a safari ride. It took about five minutes, but it was good fun. The last ride we did was a rollercoaster. Even Brom screamed, but whether that was because I held him too tight or whether he was scared?

A turtle? Or is it a tortoise?
In Dutch they are both called 'Shield Toad'

We had great fun on our day out in the zoo. It was not like we remembered the old zoo to be, but on reflection, several areas looked a lot more natural. Giving animals more room and trying to mimic their natural habitat in any way is always good.  

King of the jungle having a lazy day

Caption contest (for eternal glory)

I thought I would show you two more inhabitants of the Orchid Farm. But I know you can tell the story so much better than I can! Give it a go!!

Orchids

Yesterday I showed you a little teaser of where my mother and I went on Saturday. As my father was away for the weekend, we had the use of the car and we decided to go to the Orchid Farm. It started off years ago as a farm where they farmed orchids, but then they decided to sell them, then show them, they added a butterfly garden and more and more was added. 

The first part we got to see was the orchid bit, where orchids were everywhere, in pots, in tree trunks, clinging to tree bark. The most beautiful ones. With tiny flowers or with the bigger flowers. There was water flowing and in that water were goldfish and turtles aplenty. 

But, going through one gate, we got to a similar part with monkeys. Well, one type of tiny monkey, the white-lipped tamarin. And they had the run of the place as well! Plenty of flowers, small banana trees, flowing water. I bet there aren't that many zoos with such an environment. They weren't bothered by the humans passing through and taking photos either. They just did their own thing.

We continued on our way. Admiring orchids and other (house) plants along the way, we got to the rainbow lorikeet enclosure and what a noisy bunch they were! Because we could feed them (with approved juice), they weren't afraid of people at all, happily sitting on hands and fingers to drink or on heads and shoulders. 

We finally arrived at the butterfly zone. Plenty of beautiful butterflies, albeit very difficult to 'catch'. On occasion one of them would sit still, but they would invariably have their wings closed. *Sigh* Then my mum 'caught' not one, but two. Both had just emerged from their cocoons and were still a bit drowsy I guess.

One landed on my mother's shoulder, the other on her knee. But as we were wanting a bite to eat, she had to get rid of them. I gently put my finger underneath one and it stepped on no problem. I moved it to a nearby bush where it sat. The second one was already a bit more 'with it', as it grabbed my finger quite well and as I moved to put it onto the same bush, it flew off.

As we entered the food area we were both amazed: flowers dangling from the ceiling everywhere. I called it a floating garden on Facebook, but I should have said hanging or hovering garden really. It was quite fantastic to eat my sandwich underneath. The only downside being that in a small pot on the table was a PLASTIC flower! Honestly? With all those gorgeous blooms in the whole place, they put plastic flowers on the table!

Anyway, after lunch we had to get our coats, because the last bit we were going to see were the lemurs. There weren't that many of them, and the only one we saw outside had moved inside by the time we got close. 

There were however also a fair few ducks and flamingos. And some alpaca and two of the cutest mini donkeys. To take home, but I remembered what my mum said last week, so they both remained.

After this lovely day we visited my old home-town where not much had changed over the last six years. We drove home and then in the evening we went and got pancakes. The perfect ending to the perfect day!

Plenty of carvings throughout of animals or just faces. 

Orchids

Lost and (hopefully) found

Yesterday I had to work. Nothing new in that. I do that on occasion. I had to pick up a group to take to a racecourse. Now, when I hear racecourse, I think cars or motorbikes, but here in Northern Ireland it means horses (or possibly dogs). 

Anyway, it was horse racing we were going to see and I wondered whether I would get any look in. Usually I don't, but this time I got the chance to see as I was parked within the course. I took photos, I filmed it and after three races I was a bit bored and headed back to my coach to read. 

Instead of reading though, I decided to phone a friend and me and Yamini spoke for nearly 45 minutes. It was lovely hearing a friendly voice and as we usually e-mail, this was a bit of a novelty for the both of us. 

After that I got back to my reading until it was about 10, at which point I drove to where I would pick my group up, because nature called. I took the keys to the coach, I took my phone and went to answer. 

I got back to the coach and after about five minutes I realised something was missing. My phone!!!! I had left it in the toilet. Well, not in it itself of course, but you know! I ran back, looked inside, but the only thing I saw was a handbag. I asked the bar staff and the bouncers, but no phone had been handed in. 

I went back to the coach, looked in my bag, just in case and I tried phoning my phone with somebody else's phone, but it went straight to voicemail (it will do that after 10pm, just so you know). I ran back to the bar again, asking again, and then leaving my email address just in case.

As I got home last night though, I realised about the voicemail thingy and also realised, I might have more luck during the day time. This morning, I located my Norwegian phone, rang my number and somebody answered! He had to go back to that bar anyway and was willing to drop my phone off. And then I got an email as well, saying they might have located my phone!

Now I just have to go and get it again, so I can get all the other horse racing photos!

Goodbye Lindy

In September of 2011 I traveled to Canada to see first hand what my emigration country of choice actually looked like. During my first week in Alberta, I met up with a blog friend of mine, called Kay. We had met a couple of times before when she and her husband had been in the Netherlands, but this time I was on their turf.

Kay had invited me to stay with her and her dog in a hotel. I believe it was the first or one of the first times her dog had stayed in a hotel, but she loved every minute and behaved beautifully. On one day we traveled to Jasper and on the other day together, we saw the Badlands, which I loved. And Lindy (the dog) was there all the time.

Lindy was a rescue dog. Nobody knew exactly what her age was, but she was not a pup by any means. And during the last few years that showed. She started having some medical problems and then during the last week or so, she went off her food. Kay and her husband had to make the incredibly difficult decision to let Lindy go. 

My trip to Canada was a memorable one. And Lindy was part of that memory. All my love go to Kay and her husband.