March 12, 2026

 Thursday. Left at 9:50. Blacksmith. Cool, with stiff breezes out of the south. Sunny, but with some stretched-out white and gray clouds around. Pavement still damp in places from yesterday's rain. Leidseweg chilly in the shade. De Meern brug to Zandweg. Over to the Rijksstraatweg halfway down toward Harmelen. Apparently we're getting new asphalt where the pink kind now ends. On the Zandweg, one yard with rose bushes in what seemed full bloom, one red bush in particular. It seemed out of place, or time. Still the detour through Harmelen, then back along the Oude Rijn toward Woerden. Pink blossoms now, next to white, more forsythia in various stages of blooming, more buds on more bushes and trees. At Woerden right toward Kamerik and Kanis, then right toward Teckop. Wide views, first toward Zegveld and Meije, later Hollandse Kade and Kockengen. Wagendijk to Kortrijk, all pretty quiet. ARK to Maarssen, then Straatweg back into town. The wars go on. It's depressing to consider that after Moscow, four years ago, Washington now also has plunged ahead driven mostly by wishful thinking or some other kind of delusion.