February 11, 2026

Wednesday. Left around 9:45. Nikor. It hadn't stopped raining after all: very thin drizzle for the first 45 minutes. Fairly mild, virtually no wind. Gray all around, barely a kilometer visibility. Gele brug to Lint, right and around to Smalle Themaat, Vleuten, and Haarrijnsepad. Very few people out. Haarzuilens to Laag Nieuwkoop en Gerverscop. A gray peace all around. The daffodils again in Harmelen, but otherwise no sign anywhere of impending spring. It's not impending; it still feels as if it's weeks away. Zandweg back to the city and Mos. The Ukrainian president cited in the paper, saying that the peace talks are not yielding enough for his country--this alongside reports of Russian advances on two crucial towns in the Donbas, and more reports of how the lack of access to Starlink satellites is complicating Russia's military activities. Assuming Ukraine retains Starlink access, the three reports combined could point to another surprise move soon by Ukraine, one on the model of the airfield raid on Russia's strategic bomber fleet last year. It would be welcome amid Russia's constant terror attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets although it's unlikely suddenly to change the Kremlin's calculations. Welcome also would be some news about renewed European weapons shipments to Kyiv, both defensive and offensive.