Two more rocks still need painting and the rest are at various stages of varnishing! Once done, they will get a final coat of sealer and be ready to hide around the children’s playground.

Raymond's parents have a large corkscrew hazelnut tree (kronkelhazelaar) in their garden and collected this season's hazelnuts. Raymond cracked them open today and I roasted them and made a hazelnut cake for everyone!

Autumn crocus are in full bloom in our garden. These are not a true crocus but a member of the Colchicaceae family. They are lethally toxic, but lovely just the same. #GardeningFeed

We waited a few months before these were ready, and today Raymond picked them all! These are Ugni Molinae, more commonly known as Chilean guava berries. Such a fantastic and unique flavour! Guava, strawberry, myrtle, a hue of green pepper, it's very difficult to describe. #GardeningFeed

Raymond trying to get a better view of the Schermermolens (Schermer windmills) on our walk this morning.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work. Friday evening. The corner building used to be the music Conservatorium, it is now a hotel, and my old office from way back, four doors down.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work. Friday evening.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way to work this morning. Friday!

Amsterdam through the tram window. Yesterday morning on my way to work. Rain.

Last night in the Jordaan, Amsterdam. On our way home.

Yesterday evening aan de Amsterdamse grachten. Looking towards the Westerkerk church.

Morning office scenes. My cup changes colour with heat so I alsways know when my coffee is hot.

The other evening Raymond cooked us a delicious risotto with vegetables and parasol mushrooms he foraged in the local forest. We had leftovers, so I turned it all into mozzarella-stuffed arancini for dinner tonight!

Painting rocks. How it started… how it’s going. Making progress this weekend! Next will be more details, and when it’s done some varnish.

My favourite work colleagues at the office today: Luna and George!

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work. Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal past Magna Plaza towards Centraal Station.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work. Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work. Leidseplein.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work. Cornelis Schuytstraat.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home tonight. Approaching Amstelveenseweg.

Huge rainbow from the office window this morning.

Our saffron crocus plants should start making an appearance in a few weeks. Raymond has stuck a strip of copper tape around each of the garden beds to test against snails and slugs. Apparently they do not like to cross the copper. Huge if true, I shall report back on this. #GardeningFeed

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work tonight. Going past Dam Square.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home from work. Approaching Leidseplein.

Amsterdam through the tram window. On my way home tonight.

There was a stand by Ukrainian women and their handicrafts at the 'Tegendraads uit de Bocht' yearly craft fair on the river bank in Wormerveer today. I bought a bracelet from one of the young ladies. Raymond also wanted to be in the photo.

Spotted at 'Tegendraads uit de Bocht', a yearly craft fair on the river bank in Wormerveer, this lady is wearing a traditional outfit from the Zaan region. She made everything herself.

Tegendraads uit de Bocht is a yearly craft fair on the river bank in Wormerveer. This year included a fantasy fashion show with self-designed dresses and outfits!

One of the Dutchest Dutch things you will eat on a plate: Kibbeling! We stopped at Jelle’s Visparadijs IJmuiden for a quick lunch. Far off the beaten track in an industrial part of the harbour among the fisheries. Bourdain-style. If you know you know.

Rescue dog Noodle supervising purchases at the Proeftuin farm shed this morning! We filled our crate with fresh produce.

We picked up some potatoes and onions at the Beemster Valery farm this morning, and their hobby garden is looking beautiful too!

This contraption was circling above us while we walked this morning in the Schermer region by the fields. It was some kind of sonar thing taking images of underground water, or water levels, not sure anymore, but it looked strange and interesting at the same time.

Morning sun across one of the oldest Dutch landscapes in the Schermer region. This piece of land is farmed and kept as it has been done for centuries, using traditional methods.

Rescue dog Noodle loves nothing more than to hide beneath a blanket, especially on the sofa.

Wilhelminasluis (the Wilhelmina Lock) in Zaandam. The large boats are full of cocoa beans on their way up-river to the processing plants. Most of the chocolate you have ever eaten started here by the river Zaan.

Little house, somewhere in Zaandam.

If you zoom in to the middle window upstairs you can see our friend Rocky hard at work! Our neighbours from the next street own this Amsterdam establishment and Rocky and rescue dog Noodle are great friends. This is Rocky's day job - people watching and making sure everyone at the bar is behaving!

This excellent piece of art by Irish street artist FGB (Francois Got Buffed) was Raymond's birthday gift to me! I picked it out at Nicholas Groente & Fruit in Amsterdam tonight. It's going to be put up on our kitchen wall.

Seen in the wild, tonight at Amsterdam Centraal while waiting for the train home.

Raymond picked me up from work and took me out on a birthday date to Nicholas Groente & Fruit, one of our favourite Amsterdam street art dealers and sandwich makers all in one! Brian made us our favourite sandwiches and Raymond let me pick a new piece of art as a birthday gift!

Birthday treats for everyone at my office this morning, because I turned 54! I baked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, blueberry lemon cake, and chocolate fudge brownies.

There may be some jalapeños after-all this season! Not sure if they will ripen as the summer winds down, but two of our plants that survived the slug and snail onslaught have produced some jalapeños. #GardeningFeed

Beautiful mushrooms at Arboretum Oostereng, and huge chestnut trees at Landgoed Schovenhorst this afternoon.

Walking back to the car after lunch at Landgoed Schovenhorst this afternoon.

Raymond playing the forest xylophone at Arboretum Oostereng this afternoon.

On our way home stopped at one of our favourite gardens, the Arboretum Oostereng. Raymond was photographing frogs, rescue dog Noodle was supervising the shoot, and then they found their new tree throne!

Rescue dog Noodle in front of our wood dealer Frank Pouwer in Doorwerth. They sell historic, reclaimed wood.

Woody! He is the house cat at Frank Pouwer, our wood dealer. He roams freely, but often likes to take place on the counter and supervises proceedings between naps.

Raymond and rescue dog Noodle at Frank Pouwer, picking out some 18th century oak from Reims, France. Raymond is making more shelving for us at home.

Rescue dog Noodle in front of our wood dealer Frank Pouwer in Doorwerth. They sell historic, reclaimed wood.