Quess....Stair to where?

Visit :Friday And on Tuesday:

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Stair to where?

Quess!

StairUP ... To where ?

To There,

Who knows Where,

This stair goes?

QUESS!

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Creative Greetings from JoAnn's D Eyes,

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Happy day, week and weekend,

Thank you for your comments

2010-30-04: Queensday in Holland

visit them too click here / on Tues day visit:

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Holland celebrating QUEENSDAY!

Above: The Dutch Flag ,

Above Townhouse in Holland with Dutch flag

Of course we are hoping for a BLUE sky,
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Holland is every year celebrating Queensday on April 30th

This year Queen Beatrix was visiting Zeeland in the South of Holland.
Look for the activities where the queen is visiting on April 30th ,and follow the walking-route here http://www.koninginnestad.nl at Middelburg/Holland

The Dutch ORANGE ROYAL FAMILY,

Above: Left to right,grandchild of Queen, The Queen of Holland Queen Beatrix, Daughter in Law (máximá) with her daughter,The Oldest son of Queen Beatrix , he will be soon the King of Holland: Prince Willem van Oranje

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Quess what we are Dutch people are going to do?

Of course we are all Celebrating Queensday: by wearing Orange clothes and caps, we drink Orange coloured drinks, organise braderies and other happy festivities/music and more. Mostly all Dutch citizens are free from their work , its a national Holiday.Happy Queensday!
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Wishing you a good day week or weekend

Thank you for your comments

Witte sneeuw + Vrolijk Kerstfeest...White snow & Merry Christmas/Buon Natale/Feliz Navidad

This blog is on Holiday with CHRISTMAS
Comments are Very welcome

Last year I joined the above THEME-websites> My World- ABC Wednesday and Skywarch....

I'm wishing all participants and organisation/teams, a very Happy Celebration-month, a Merry Christmas and a Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad!!

Yes its maybe a white Christmas!!!

This morning a snowy garden, snowy roads and more.....
oops the roads are also a mass, but who cares?

Trees under snow, so beautiful like art.....

In front of our house , snow , snow , snow......

Left; Our garden this morning! Right: The birds house under snow....

"JoAnn´s- D- Eyes" is wishing you all

Fijne Kerstdagen, Merry Christmas,Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad

Thank you for your comments

My Birthday-bracelet... Holland: Tulips & Windmill....

My Skywatch My world

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What is more Dutch than a Windmill and Tulips?

Above: Tulips and windmill in Red-Blue and Blue...

Left: before "as it is"- Right: The same picture seen after Photoshopping.

Maybe as a Birthday-present?.....

I wish, I wish....A present.... like the above (example) a SILVER (Pandora) Trollbeads bracelet. I do have had now 1 bracelet , yes but not yet , I have this many silver "bedels", but maybe, maybe ... who knows , this weekend its my birthday and I hope that I get some more of my own bedles? ... Lets hope so....!! I''ll let you know in my next post:)

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Wishing You a good week/weekend!!

Thank you for your comments

Light-tower & Skies/Luchten in Vlieland/Holland

abc join click on logo wednesday/ click on logo to join friday
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Lighthouse and Skies ( dutch:Luchten)

Above-under: Lighthouse on the island Vlieland/Holland by sunny daylight,

We went for a short trip to the island Vlieland in Holland,

here a small photo-impression from the lighthouse,

which is typical for an island near the sea.

Above: The weather is changing from sunny to rainy,

with an upcoming cloudy sky...

above: The same Lighthouse in Vlieland,

Now with at the background a darker rainy sky ,

filled with rainwater, its also almost evening here.

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Happy creative weekwishes,

& Greetings from JoAnn,

Thank you for your comments

Back-Blogging + My "Animal-Neighbours" are back too...

click on logo to signup:> Happy skywatch

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Welcome Back on JoAnn's D Eyes "Dutch" Blog!

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I am Back from a small creative blogbreak,

I cannot help it but "I always carry my camera's with me",

Therefore I wanted to share this great view with you: Dear Blogreaders.

How are you doing?

We are enjoying the fog and , but we like the sun too,

Above: Hallo! My favorite friendly Nextdoor :) neighbours are back again!

"Hello! how are you doing? Long time not seeing you", is what they seemed to think...

Above: Look how sweet: Mommy-cow with her child, still on a foggy day, the colours are the same as the weather: dark a bit boring and exiting all together . We have 24 cows : mommy's and daddy-cows and their calfs , all living in the field in front of our house...The baby cows (calfs) still have to get used to all kinds of weather, and in Hollnd its always changing from wet to dry weather, you never can tell before how the weather will be the next day or hour.

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Its a foggy morning in the early summer....

Imagine how that is, a view on the field

while its almost evening,

the heavy rains from last week are trying to drying,

Its still too wet,

where could the water go?

Right! Back up to the sky,

The foggy air is flying away

back into the sky...
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Next Day weekend :

The weather is changed in a SUNNY weather in Holland

Above: The weekend its sunny again in HOLLAND,

all colours are changing in bright and shiny happy (green) colours,

the cows are going for a fun-walk, enjoying the sun....

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For faithfull blogreaders of this blog:

The Festival of Photography -OFF , is still going-on and will ending soon (June 14th) , soon.... after this weekend , I will start on Monday with packing-up all my photo's , it will be a few days work to get them from all (6) locations. I am curious, because I will see what visiters wrote in my guestbook, I am wondering what they think of my "Reflections"exhibition. Anyhow it was a great exhibition, and I am proud to be an exhibitor.

Look at my website to see the totall exhibition: www.joannwalraven.com

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Happy & creative week/weekend wishes !

Thank you so much for your comments.

SWF. WINTER ....SKY-Skating in Holland

Visit more click on the logo

You san join us- and signup this evening at 20.30 pm, or watch other sky´s

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Its Finally WINTER in HOLLAND

Above left- This morning our frontdoor lane, we could hardly see the road, because of the fog
Above right -Its sure winter in HOLLAND with beautiful sunny, brights, blue sky´s,

some trees did not loose their leaves

This morning... In Front of my door you see this view...

Above Left- cars are driving slowly to their work in the early morning rushhour

Above Right-The emphy field because the cows are in the cold winter indoors.

It was this morning foggy & the snow was melting, watch it!

Its very very slippery on the road ....

Also today a typical Dutch view,

Above left: with a Dutch windmill and a boat in frozen water, he will not go far today...

Above right: The sun is shining on the yellow grass....

The frozen water is like a morror...

A person is standing there, shall I go for a skatetour or not..

Yes! Its possible! After 12 years we can skate on ice...!!

And even more than that, the ICE is 15 cm so good enough for a Marathon...

Legs are going..........

and the SKY reflected in ICE

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Historical LOW TEMPERATURE

in the South of Holland went down with 21/25 degrees celsius UNDER zero! That is spectacularly LOW! The temperature has not been this low for 12 years...More than 6000 people are expected to skate an ICE marathon today, to practise for this weekend´s SKATE-marathon- , we also call a `special know Dutch tour` the 11 town skate tour. While skating you are passing 11 towns-villages. Holland is welknown by its many canals wich is connecting the town by water. The fanatic skaters have been waiting so long for this absolutely great in icefuntour, the skaters are leaving early in the morning 7 am and they are sjating all day long, and they are hoping to reach the finish! We are wishing them GOOD LUCK.
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I´ll better stick on the Frozen canals nearby my village , maybe I will skate half an hour ,than I´ll go back home for a hot chocolatemilk or a warm soup with a toast. And a good warmingup for an open wood fire. That sounds much better to me....

How about you?

Are you an fanatic skater?

When did you skate for the last time?

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS

HAPPY WEEKEND

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(c) WAVING from Inside the Hospital /

"click on above images to enlarge""

NOTE-FRIDAY from JoAnn- SORRY, for not refreshed my blog as often as normally esspecially last week -days, there are some important family matters. My mother is hospitallised and she is having an open heartsurgery tomorrow/FRIDAY(Aorta) we have been busy with visiting and arranging things for her, we are all the time thinking of her, its a very exiting time for all of the familymembers. I hope you will excuse me for not visiting your blogs as often as I do normally, the coming time. Thanks for your understanding.

Update SUNDAY-MONDAY:

For the people interested in my mom's recovery, the heartsurgery went well, after 2 days of intensive care, she moved to the normal hospitalrooms, lets all hope for a speedy recovery, THANKYOU for your support and interest, your support was heartwarming and unforgettable.

S-for Sinterklaas , by JoAnn's D-Eyes/ Holland

I join and Who wants to join " ABC WEDNESDAY " click on the LOGO HERE: or maybe you like to enjoy watching the ANTHOLOGY blog click here
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S .....Waiting for SINTERKLAAS....

ABC My S for today is for SINTERKLAAS

Above: Waiting for the Arrival of Sinterklaas, in the Harbor of Naarden...

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Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November (usually on Saturday) by steamboat from Spain, Invariably, this event is broadcast live on national television in the Netherlands and Belgium. After this arrival all towns with a dock have their own intocht van Sinterklaas (arrival of Sinterklaas). Local arrivals usually takes place on Sunday, the day after he arrives in the Netherlands or Belgium. In places a boat cannot reach, Sinterklaas arrives by train, bus, horse or even carriage.

Above: The Burgomaster of Naarden is welcoming Sinterklaas with a speech.

Above: Sinterklaas on the Podium with the Burgomaster of Naarden

above: Sinterklaas walking in his white horse through the streets of Naarden.
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Meaning of Dutch Sinterklaas

The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas (280-342), patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas was a Greek bishop of Myra in present-day Turkey and became the patron saint of children based on various legends that include resurrecting children from death and saving them from prostitution. Sinterklaas has a long white beard, wears a red bishop's dress and red mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top. Sinterklaas carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been naughty or nice in the past year.The temper of Sinterklaas also differs in the some regions of the Netherlands and Belgium. In the Netherlands Sinterklaas is usually a nice, forgiving person. In Belgium, on the other hand, Sinterklaas is less forgiving (like he used to be in the Netherlands). He can be quite severe and takes naughty children back to Spain when they were not nice. "Saint-Nicolas" rides
a white horse.

SINTERKLAAS His Zwarte Piet (black Pete's) helpers, throw candy's and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas also visits schools, hospitals and shopping centres.

Above and under: Music Petes, were playing fantastic music in the parade...

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Above:More music "Zwarte Piet/black Petes"*

Meaning of "Zwarte Piet"

Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful outfits, modelled after 16th century Spanish clothing. These helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) in Dutch . During the Middle Ages, Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas' eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in 'the devil'figure. This racialisation is reflected in the reworking of the characters' mythos. From about 1850, Pete was said to be an imported African servant of Saint Nicholas.[citation needed] Today however, a more politically correct explanation is given: Pete's face is said to be "black from soot" (as Pete has to climb down chimneys to deliver his gifts).
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Above Left: An Old stryle car (from the musical GREASE ) Above Right:A "Grease-style " dressed girl in the parade..All very welldone even the (small) children-dancers were all dressed up "Grease -style"and they danced very well on "Grease" Music!
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Above and under : Hundreds of Schoolchildren from NAARDEN, were nervous weeks ahead because they join the parade for the Sinterklaas evening...
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Above:.....On SINTERKLAAS 's arrival-evening he is paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing and dancing children in Naarden.....
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True or not?

Children are also told that in the worst case they would be put in the gunny sack in which Black Pete carries the presents, and be taken back to Spain, where Sinterklaas is said to spend the rest of the year. This practice, however, has been condemned by Sinterklaas in his more recent television appearances as something of the past. Typical of that time was also the fact that the saint would have the names of every child written down in either his "golden book" (if a child had been good), or his "black book" (if a child had been bad) - very much like
Odin's ravens reporting everything in the world to him. The standard joke would be that initially Sinterklaas would not be able to find the name in the "golden book", trying to scare the children. With modern views on child psychology, these practises have been abandoned as well. (source wikipedia)

Above: left Sinterklaas - Middle statue Sinterclaes- Right: Black Pete.

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Bye Sinterklaas and Black Pete, seeing you back next year! We were having a wonderfull evening last weekend with the arrival of Sinterklaas! We were there with family and their smaal children in the age of 6-8 "just looking at their excited faces" that was what it made this evening very succesfull.

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Thank you 'so much for your comments.