November 9, 2025

 Sunday. Left at 9:50. Nikor, but it turned out to be dry everywhere. Cool, with light southwesterly winds, clearing skies. The low light beginning to do its magic throughout the day now. Vechten to Achterdijk. Fields very green in the sun, and some wildflower patches hanging on. Werkhoven and Leemkolkweg with a group. Watertorenweg toward Dwarsdijk, then Kapelleweg. Goyerbrug to Lekdijk. A crew at work on a Sunday morning to raise a wing on a new wind generator, watched by a small crew of elderly men. The river quiet, Culemborg in a light haze. Brown reeds below the levee contrasting with the grass. Everything still. Little motorized traffic. Beatrixsluis to Schipperspad. Big, working ships by the shore, and smaller barges, apparently also still in use. The difference between the mid-20th century and the 21st exemplified; human versus overwhelming dimensions. Merwedekanaal full of rowers, city full of runners. Mos. In the Saturday paper a report on the growing use by Russia of glide bombs directed at Ukrainian targets. (I'm reading Putin's comments from 2000 on the war in Chechnya, and today is no different: opponents have no legitimacy--"bandits"--and they will be made to submit, no matter the cost). These glide bombs are almost impossible to counter and extremely damaging. Ukraine has become good at dealing with the kind of damage caused by Russian terror bombing, but the country's friends can do more to assist. The best way to counter the use of these bombs is to hit their production facilities inside Russia. Let's just hope that soon, we'll get reports about a successful strike or two.