Another pretty sunrise .. one of the few we had this week because we've woken up to a lot of rain as well.
But on those clearer days the warm light just comes softly from below and creeps slowly onto the fields we look out over ..

                                    

                                        

.. ending up setting the trees on the other side of the pond in an orange glow ...                                                                                           

                                   

But as I said, not too many of those mornings lately.
Look at this forecast:




Monday and Tuesday especially we're going to have more than 4 inches in those two days alone and the rest of the week doesn't look a whole lot better!
Flood warnings are out for many counties around us. 
Fortunately we're sitting high enough above the river to not have to worry but the towns on either side of us have their main streets in the flood-zone.

By the time I'm writing this the dutch feast of 'Sinterklaas' has already come and gone. 
A little googling had me smile about these funny pictures:

Sinterklaas (St. Nicolas) of course traditionally rides a white horse but in a country as The Netherlands he's often seen on a bicycle as well! (True!)

I vaguely remembered a picture I had of myself when I was still very young and our house was visited by two 'zwarte Pieten' ('black Peets' aka the Sint's helpers) on the feast of 'Sinterklaasavond' and I found it in my old photo album ...

                                                  

I was 2.5 years old there and one of those Pieten was my aunt. Of course I didn't recognize her .. ah, to be that young and innocent again ...

I did, as I do each year, bake some speculaas, the traditional spiced shortcrust biscuits eaten around this time.
 
 

Some traditions I will never let go off, especially when they involve food!

And besides the outside lights, the Christmas tree is up as well:

                               

Garlands on the frames around the slide-outs and a (fake) poinsettia in the lampshade ... everything looks cozy and festive once again!

                     

Here's a few fun photo-puzzles ... find the bird!

                                     

No? OK, Let's get a little closer:

                                     

Still not? OK, I'll blow him up:

                                     

A heron in a tree, now that's not something you see every day!

How about this deer?



No? She's really there, just slightly left from the middle .. see?

There were two more .. standing absolutely stock-still, so I wouldn't spot them, but somehow my eyes caught them while I walked by on the path ..

  

Talking about 'blending in'. Nature .. she keeps amazing me .. almost on a daily base.

Of course there was another 'daily bread' ... that I now bake about every other week. 

It's hard to remember how I struggled in the beginning to bake a decent loaf.
I've found out that the secret definitely is in the starter. 
If you have a nice, active starter baking a good sourdough bread is as easy as pie .. or bread in this case!