Rain

Rain today. Just the kind of day that makes you want to stay in, have some hot chocolate, read a book on the couch and all that. Then again, I might still decide to go out for a bit later on. Walking in the rain can be good. I went walking yesterday, in a national park near the coast. The great thing about that area is the great variety of landscapes. You start out in a wooded area, then you move on to the heather, then on to the sand dunes and then there is the beach.

Yesterday was a grey day, quite a strong wind, but not cold, and it was dry. Walking into the woods meant feeling and seeing autumn all around you. Moss and fungi on the trees and on the ground, all the leaves there, just a few left on the trees. Then the winter birds all there again, many finches, goldcrests, different tits, robins, wrens and the fieldfares back again. We walked from one group to the next, different sounds and sights. You start out under cover, among the trees, where it remains fairly dark for a while, but then you move out into the open, and you can see all the different colours and shades. The orange of the sea buckthorne, all the different greens and browns of the shrubs and the trees. At the beach I got to see my favourites, the sanderlings, in amongst the gulls.

It is hard to find real quiet out there, though. For a long time you can still hear the sound of cars, then there are the planes heading for Schiphol Airport, and when you walk to the north you can hear the horns of the ships heading for and from the port of IJmuiden. You need to stand still and concentrate if you want to hear the birds properly. But there are all the different smells to enjoy, the feeling of cold on your skin, and you can taste the odd berry.

And why is it that sandwiches always taste much better outside. It feels so great to sit down somewhere where there is a nice view, eat a few sandwiches and drink a little tea. It must be the fresh air.