Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Lejo dj

Lejo: Accordion

Winemaking Part II

Adding the Yeast

Mixing the sugar into a slurry

Wine Making

The pulp and measuring the SG to see how much sugar we need to add ...

Saturday comes around again ...

Yeh, so another week has flown by and the usual Saturday morning stuff is on the cards. Mike is working again! Sue is blogging again! Frodo is demanding we play with him again! Skyped it with both sets of parents this morning! Forrest ... fast asleep! Dishwasher running! Eggs for breakfast! RAINING! Brilliant day to go and buy Halo 3. In fact I have it on good authority Greg was in the Halo 3 store this morning and rang Mike to see if he wanted it. (side note: Something about the Pope and his religious denomination!).

Well actually we did do something a little different this morning ... enter photos of grape stomping!!!

An Autumn Day

Today was an Autumn day alrighty - strueth! I am sitting here at our dinning room table and looking out at the forest and there is a patch of red poking it's way through trying to get noticed(you need to spot it at 10 o'oclock - if you click on the photo it comes up larger and you can spot it). It is quite amazing really the colours of Autumn here, and this one is kind of hiding away amoungst the greenery and telling us that the fall is here. Now I know why these northern hemisphere folks call it the fall. It really is quite different here with all the falling leaves. Probably as many evergreens we have in NZ, here we have those shedding their leaves ....(side note - oh my gawd my language is changing! If I speak Kiwi they often do not understand so I think how the Americans might say it - and that ususally works.) It is pretty miserable weather, but the colours are so lovely I just had to share it with you.

The tenor part of the Ballingstraat Quartet

The sopranos are Frodo an Forrest.

The Hounds

This week Nicky and Neil have decided to make us jealous and have gone off to the sunny Bahamas for week. Good on them actually, we have the pleasure of looking after their hounds.
Enter Patsy & Eddie ...

...and a lazy Sunday

We did have a lazy day, but we did manage to start another wine today. A collegue of Mike's, Joost, has all these grapes that he did not know what to do with. He was sure they were for making wine, but not sure what variety they are. They are very small, the size of blueberrys. They are blue black, with tight bunches. In fact that the resulting liquid is very purple. We are sure it will make a great wine. will let you know how it goes... Here is a foto of Frodo helping - NOT!

Frodo and Forrest had great delight in chasing and eating the little frozen berries that escaped.

Well we thought we had had a lazy day, but looking back Mike did managed to mow the lawns as well, flu and all. I told him I had done it before (once I think when I was about 18 years old!), but I was sure I could figure it out agian. He soldiered on anyway and the lawns are ready for another two weeks. Hopefully it will slow down soon...

A Sunny Saturday

Gosh the time flies, doesn’t it? Already it is Saturday morning and I must say it is a beautiful one, sunny but cool. It is the equinox so it is all downhill from here for us and uphill for the NZeders. In case you were wondering the actual equinox is on the 23rd at 09:51. Mike just caught a bout of the flu so he is pretty miserable and stayed in bed this morning. Me I am off to see Jan, our guitar tutor, this morning. Other than that it is just crash time this weekend. The temperature has dropped so we put the heating on and it is now nice and warm when we come down in the morning.

A wirlwind of a weekend

So you probably thought we had forgotten the blog for now. Noooooo, we were just radically busy. We had a mate from New Zealand come to stay last Thursday and he just left this morning. He is also a guitarist so we spent heaps of time playing guitar, sampling the Belgian beers and European wines, searching for good music on youtube and we managed to sqeeze in a trip to Brugge to experience Motzart’s opera The Magic Flute. The opera was staged in open air at the Stadhuis, which was built in the 1300’s. It was very cool. It was a whirlwind weekend, but a goody.

Here you can see the Stadhuis as it looked all lit up for the opera.

Slaap kops

This is what these little fullas get up to post 7pm when we get home. A sure sign that they have been running round like mad dogs during the day. Yesterday we came home to bite marks out of the edge of the dog house roof - we thought that maybe they were rehearsing for the next season of Hansel and Gretel. Anyway a bit of pepper fixed that!

I Don't Like Mondays

Actually, normally I do, but still not feeling the best today. Finally back at work again and mountains of urgent stuff. Now, at home, typing with one hand as the other is cradeling Mr Frodo. Very clingy, he is when we have been away all day. Mr Husband is still working ... almost 7pm! Oh to have a new job and stuff is playing on your mind until you get it sorted! At least that gives me time to update the blog. Kalf Snitzel, Mushrooms and Sparrow Gras for dinner, hardstijker yum!!! off to sort it now.

That 70's Show

Here is the good looking half of Team Duvel in earlier years, making a guest appearance on "That 70's Show". Obviously we were destined for the cycling at an early age.

Photo courtesy of http://greystoned.blogspot.com/ Thanks Dad...

Lady Lipstick

Remember the 250 km trip for mountain bikes? Well this is what my new baby will look like, we should be able to pick her up end of September.

Well if NZ was dog friendly?????

According to stuff today This photo left SPCA boss Bob Kerridge speechless - he loves the dog owner's devotion for their pet, by giving the animal a jacket and bed, but Queen St is not the best place to leave it.

Well if New Zealand was more dog friendly he/she would not have had to leave pooky out in the street!!!!

James Last - Biscaya

s Saturday night we are going to see James Last in Brussels. Enjoy this one ... we'll let you know how the concert goes.

Another Friday Rolls Around ...

Well, it's been a while. Sue got sick and Mike went off to sunny England for a couple of days. While Mike was away on Thursday night we had another "frog episode". Picture this ... woman alone feeling quite sorry for herself, watching junk on TV, hoping the doglets can entertain themselves for a while outside to burn off some energy (enter ... wimpering noises heard just audibly over the TV) ... woman goes to investigate and there is F & F "playing with" (trying to kill and eat!) an Amphibian on the move. Both doglets foaming at the mouth this time. ..gross, messy, flung all over the house, while trying to clean it off. At least we had this experience once before so knew it was not fatal. Mighty stressfull though!!!!!

Freni and Pavarotti sing

And this one is just because we love it!

Pavarotti - Nessun Dorma

No blog would be complete today without a tribute to this guy.

The ball

Mike thought that it might be nice to buy a special present for the boys, so enter the dual colour tennis ball ... that lasted half a day. They absolutely anihilated it !!!! Here is the outcome.

Frodo & Forrests Habits

We thought you might enjoy this one. We came across it while we were doing our financial planning today.

In June this year our very neighbourly neighbour, Neil, took us to the England Brazil football game in the new Wembley stadium. We were stoked, not to put too finer point on it, so we decided to spend the weekend in London and went to see Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre the next night. So Nicky offered to dog-sit our little ones. She wanted to make sure she did the right thing, so asked for instructions, and this is what she got!

Sleeping
The boys sleep in separate beds……..Forrest has the larger Frodo in the smaller. They normally wake up at 7:30 on the dot but this may change due to a new environment……! If they start to peep just growl their names “Frodo Forrest” and they will go back to sleep.

Note: Forrest/Frodo sometimes dreams, he lets out little barks, cries and twitches all over……this is normal Yorkie behavior.

The Business
First thing in the morning both straight outside……..! Number 1s and 2s. Note: if they do not play ball, after they have eaten, they must go outside! Around 3pm they will go again or Frodo will go on a walk but Forrest will normally wait till he’s back home……nice boy (just like Oma)!

Eating
We feed the boys after they have been out in the morning and at around 7pm. No real set time, when ever…..they will be very restless if you forget……! Three portions of food in each bowl. Please feed apart from each other by a few meters cause if they fight this is the time! Warning…. Frodo the inhaler will drop his food in under 60 seconds ... cough, splutter and will want Forrest’s. This is normal Yorkie Frodo behavior.

If Forrest is not eating and you are worried then put hot water in his food and when it cools feed him………guarantee he will eat the lot! I do this in the morning for them as something different but it’s not necessary.

Note: If you feed them treats during the course of the day they may not eat their dinner…….! Don’t be alarmed if this occurs unlike Hounds they will not over eat because it’s there……!

Walking
Forrest walks on the let Frodo on the right. Forrest red lead Frodo blue. You do not have to walk them each day they get lots of exercise around the house……..! but they like walks like any other dog. Note: the word ‘walk’ causes huge amount of adrenaline and excitement, use this word at own risk! doubleyew ay el kay works when you want to keep the adrenaline from kicking in. (note this does not work for Beauzy in NZ anymore as he learned to spell!!!!)

General
Take no crap from them if they are playing up. Normal Yorkie behavior if you need to punish them, which may occur, then put them under cold water. It does not hurt them but they know then. I’m sure you will not need to but something may occur with your two being there as well! Fighting for us is ‘major sin number 1’ punishment by water…….!

Toys: Orange Lion/Monkey favorite toy - his name is Ape (pronounced arpee)
Warning……after 7pm this toy may need to be hidden as Frodo likes to shag and get excited with it……..! Usually funny and entertaining but Frodo puts his heart into it and it can take a long time before he will settle down if you know what I mean!
Second warning….. once toy removed Frodo will find next best thing! He will only settle at night if there are no toys to play with!
Third warning……..throw and fetch, favourite game, causes human frustration after some time. Play at own risk as boys (Frodo) will not stop!

Not much more habits that need mentioning Have fun and enjoy their personalities.

PS: No beer, wine or any alcohol at all……….we can not afford rehab for them!

The Buying of the Bikes

Well today, as you know we drove to the land of the Germans. ‘T was an interesting day and not quite what we expected. For us Kiwis it was way cool to be in three countries in one day, as we had to drive through Holland to get to where we were going. 250km later we arrives (slight Gollum slip) at this place called Biketown – more like Bike Heaven it should have been called. Mike walked in and expressed his delight – like Wo… this place is way cool! Greg was like a the 5 year old boy who just spied the humongous man-hand-size lollipop with all the colours of the rainbow in the lolly shop.

Sue saw the red bike – entitled Tribal Lipstick and said – THAT’S ME!!!!

Kris said – ME TOO!!!!!!!!

It took us quite a while to work out the “system”, but once we did, we finally had some service. So who is in need of a bike? … me I said, me too says Mike, actually we are after four bikes (enter the other half of team Duvel)… Four bikes???? (wide round saucer eyes and raised eyebrows)… Yes please (looks of glee on all five faces).

Several thousand euros later and rescuing by a mate of Greg, saw us at the home of said mate 20 km away sipping aperitifs, with gourmet smells coming from the kitchen and toasting “The Buying of the Bikes”. Enormous thanks to Holger and his family for a wonderful après shopping experience.

Two and a half hours later, return we do to our Doglets, thoroughly spoilt by Aunty Nicky and Uncle Neil today. On the way back we thought – where do all the Dutchies caravans go in the winter? Is there like a caravan land somewhere where they store them, ‘cause we never see them in their driveways and seriously folks most of them don’t have driveways. In fact they don’t have a huge amount of room in that country! So can anyone tell us?

Up again at 5am

All this week I have been unable to sleep after 5am, so this time, as it was Saturday morning I decided to just get up and let my beauties sleep. After an hour or so of surfing I found a well respected news source and it tickled my fancy, especially the related stories ... have a look at THEONION