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.