AND THEN AGAIN A MARVELLOUS DAY

a bit cold in the morning I have to admit, but around coffee time (eleven o'clock) the sun shone brightly and we both were busy in the garden. I knew for some time that there was that spot on the steep slope, where I had left in the autumn laurel branches and brambles, so why not collect them now? But stepping down I noticed that there were tulip green leaves coming up and I thought better clean a bit around those bulbs too,
Piet Hein in the meantime did his digging job, came upon an enormous stone and wondered if the tibe would be beneath it or probably at the left of it (at the right from where I stood looking).
After lunch we left the scene and drove to Meinbrexen, our little paradise.
We decided to walk around the big northern gravel-pit. I had spotted the cormorants staying closely together at the other side from where we walked first, and only when we had almost finished our round, they all  flew  safely into the water and then suddenly up in the sky, looking for a safer place. We had been taking pictures but my last shots were of the cormorants in the sky.  And one of these I want to show here.

My haiku:

Why is paradise
Not everywhere even as '
A child I wondered

And the proverb:

To stand (be, &c.) upon one's pantofles.

(= to be on one's dignity)

1578  in G. Harvey, Letter bk.