May 16, 2026

Saturday. Nikor (some damp patches in isolated places; possibility of showers). On the cool side, partly cloudy, breezy out of the west. Westside of the Vecht out of town, to Op Buuren, Zuilensebrug, Maarssenbroek. Detour in Vleuten through fantasyland. Haarrijnse plas, Rijneveldsebospad, past Haarzuilens. Yarrow and yellow flowers seemingly everywhere. Still some just-born lambs here and there. Nature path to Laag Nieuwkoop and Hollandse Kade. Just one bike there, all the way to the Houtdijkerpad. Right, to Woerden, then left to Cattenbroekerdijk. Yellow-clad group approaching from the right (Linschoten), then behind. Montfoort, Achthoven, and Zuid IJsseldijk (eventually, the group to the right, headed for IJsselstein). Meerlopad and bridge to Nedereindseweg, Merwedekanaal, and Møs. In the paper analysis of the Beijing summit. The American president so wants to be friends with the powerful Chinese dictator that, apparently, he discussed possible U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with his Chinese colleague. That's unprecedented in the history of U.S.-PRC relations, but for this U.S. president it hardly surprising. In Europe, there's the EU and even NATO (with or without Washington), in East Asia, traditional U.S. allies better organize something too. 

May 14, 2026

 Thursday. Left around 2:30. Nikor, but it was dry everywhere, just a little damp pavement under the trees in Driebergen. Cool, mostly cloudy skies, moderate winds out of the north. Around the Jaarbeurs to Merwedekanaal, Oog in Al, and ARK. East side of ARK to Plofsluis, then the other side to Elpad and Kaaiweg. A holiday, although on the canal enough barges for a regular work day. Young families out for a little bike ride. From Schalkwijk through the fields back to the ARK. Quiet stretch to Goyerbrug. Nachtdijk into the wind to Watertorenweg and Zuwe. No farm vehicles, but plenty of ryegrass. Toward Driebergen, past the Hondspol, a few cows in a small field with high grass and buttercups. Arnhemse Bovenweg to Zeist, and back to the city. 

May 10, 2026

 Sunday. Left a little after ten. Blacksmith. Partly cloudy. A fairly stiff wind out of the north made it feel a little cool, but the day could still pass for a Dutch summer day. Blauwkapel, Groenekan, Maartensdijk, Hollandse Rading. Why wouldn't people be out on a fine morning such as this. Past the airfield and the angry signs at the former Loosdrecht municipal building. Kerkelanden and across a quiet Hilversums Kanaal. Emmaweg, Kerklaan, and Kortenhoefsedijk. Folks in the water at the Wijde Blick beach, standing in a circle. Zuwe to Vreeland. Spoorlaan to Kerklaan, then across the ARK to the Angstelkade, a road where hardly anybody goes. More tailwind along the ARK to Lage Weide. Gele brug back into town. 

May 9, 2026

Saturday. Left at ten. Blacksmith. Cloudless skies, gradually becoming partly cloudy. Mild, with moderate easterly winds. Marsdijk, Achterdijk, Werkhoven. Perennial ryegrass and little else, other than giant farm vehicles everywhere. Hollendewagenweg to Caspergouw. Scooter the last bit to Dwarsdijk. Kapellenweg, across a quiet ARK. Lekdijk fairly quiet, although the motorcycles are definitely back. River calm and beautiful. Few if any boats. Sluispad to Jutphaas (another scooter), and back into the city to Møs. Pictures later of the Russian president at the victory parade. He does, indeed, look old and frail now, worn down. How could he not be. It doesn't make him less dangerous to the outside world, or his own people, although to some in his orbit (nobody thinks things are going well) he may look more vulnerable. 

May 7, 2026

Thursday. Left around 10:15. Blacksmith. Start of the app-less era, because when the tools become so important as to determine success or failure, things have gone out of proportion. Blue skies with some white clouds in the distance, slowly coming in from the south. Light winds out of the northeast. Fairly mild. Getting underway, school kids tossing an empty can onto the street--early dissonant. Yellow bridge to Alendorp and Rivierpad. Full-on spring, with grasses and wildflowers thriving, mowing underway, fat lambs and only a few little ones. A grebe nesting at Gerverscop. Lots of birdsong from Scheendijk to Veenkade and beyond. Trekking cyclists, and the other kinds. A stop at Møs [it's just a matter of keeping the "o" pressed down to get the options] and the paper. In the news growing evidence that the Russian regime, particularly its president, is losing its grip. Apparently Russians are withdrawing large amounts of cash. This comes on top of the extreme security measures surrounding the annual World War II victory parade, and the earlier news on how security around the president himself has been tightened. The man's options seem to be down to various desperate measures, which by no means are imaginary: the threatened massive strike on downtown Kyiv, for example. But there are other targets in Ukraine, and the Russian military has options not yet used, even short of nuclear weapons. And the western neighbors are right to worry about some provocation, or worse, in their direction--it's a real question if NATO is ready, militarily or politically. Who can get into the Russian president's head to know how he views his predicament? We're getting closer to finding out what happens when a nuclear-armed regime gets in a desperate position. It's the kind of thing you never want to experience, and perhaps it can still be avoided. But who does one address in Moscow to indicate that there may be a way forward after this war concludes and Ukraine preserves its independence? And exactly who might "one" be to Russia's West? The current regime in Washington? Even if it wanted to find a way out acceptable for Kyiv, where is its credibility? Alternatively, "Europe" once again does not seem ready to speak credibly and with a single voice. By process of elimination, it seems Ukraine itself would be most suited. Not only is it gaining the upper hand in the war, as a close relative to the Russians it would potentially have the most impact if it was able to convey that, provided its independence is respected fully and some way is found for Russia to make amends for what it has inflicted on Ukraine and its people, peaceful coexistence should be possible. What would also need to happen, and no outsider can influence, is a Russia no longer seeing itself as an empire but instead reformed to an extent where self-determination or autonomy for peoples outside or even within its borders no longer can be construed as a threat to Russia itself. So we're back, and much closer, to where the exit always was to be found: a new leadership in Moscow, a new outlook on itself and the world in Russia at large. The Soviet Union miraculously ended peacefully and with a whimper; whether we'll get lucky twice in a row is not guaranteed by any means.

April 27, 2026

 Monday. Left around 10:15. Blacksmith. Cool under a thin cloud cover, with light winds out of the northeast. A national holiday, so around the towns and their festivities. Berenkuil to the crossing before Zeist. Bos en Duin and around Den Dolder to the trail along the train tracks. Very quiet everywhere. Across the tracks and into the woods (more quiet), then Wieksloterweg and the concrete trail back to the main train tracks running toward Amersfoort. Before Amersfoort left into the woods, coming out at the Korte Duinen. Lots of logs piled up; it's not nature, it's a managed landscape. More people there. Right toward Amersfoort, then left toward the Hilhorstweg. Thick grass and some wildflowers alongside, together with the suddenly wide views. Tempting there just to go and go. Instead a left and across the Eng. Then left toward Wieksloterweg to avoid a fair on the Julianalaan. Wieksloterweg, Embranchementsweg, Maartensdijk (nothing), and the trail through the fields with the Dom up ahead. Along the last section of the trail, the willows have been cut down all the way to the ground. They'll probably be back before summer's end. 

April 25, 2026

Left around 10:30. Cool but sunny, light winds out of the north. Spring now everywhere. Goose chicks in a field at Wayen, a hare alongside the Langeweg, green everywhere, and only a few blossoms left. Sluispad and Schipperspad and the world of the big barges (oil and gas especially). On the way to the Jutphase brug, the whole world appeared to be riding a bike. Before the bridge the trail alongside the ARK with sirens chasing climate protesters. Gele brug into town. Two major wars, and a number of smaller but no less deadly ones. For now and superficially observed, life in this city goes on undisturbed.