Two good sangha friends have reached their 60th year of life. This is the culmination of the ‘age of Wisdom’ and the start of the ‘seeing of the mountain to ascend’.

You both will have to ask somebody wiser than me what that means….

It’s the Year of The Pig, or boar, in the Chinese calendar. This small bell is from Japan, delivered in person this year by Iain and his wife who where here on July 4th. Back in May Canada Post put out a stamp, as is their custom, to commemorate the turning of the Chinese year. Too bad I wasn’t in Canada this year to pick up the souvenir sheet, as is my custom, to send to an elderly woman in Scotland who loves these stamps.

From the photograph and in several of the links you can see some tell tale tusks indicating the pig can also be a wild pig, known as a Wild Boar. Wild boar have a particular significance coming from the long walk I took with Tom and the Chief Priest of the temple where I was staying last week. We had walked through deep woodland for what seemed like hours and very possibly we were lost. I’d noticed that the ground was churned up somewhat to the side of the path and I’d tried to make sense of it. The chilling news? Wild Boar activity. Thankfully we were close to the end of the walk. Apparently Wild Boar can be found in British woodlands. I’ll be happy not to meet them.

While in The Netherlands last week a group of us drove to the north east of the country to visit a couple of Sangha friends. They live very close to the German boarder in the region of Westerwolde. On our way home we visited Bourtange.

The fortifications were initially built during the Eighty Years’ War when William of Orange wanted to control the only road between Germany and the city of Groningen which was controlled by the Spaniards. This road followed a sandy ridge (tange) through the marshes.

I was particularly taken with the mandala like configuration of the fort. It’s a pleasant place to visit, a quite village atmosphere, tasteful shopping, tranquil walks along the top of the moats. Unfortunately my photographs from this visit are locked into my camera with no way of downloading them until I find the appropriate cable. This is a great pity as I captured a windmill there, the only one I saw during my entire stay! You can see it here along with several other pictures of the site.

The building which housed the ammunition for the cannons caught my attention. Apparently the walls are a metre thick however the roof is not completely attached to the walls. This was done in anticipation of ‘accidents’. If the building were to blow up the force would blast off the roof and the walls remain intact thus saving the village from being destroyed.

Considering what has been happening in the U.K. recently and the resulting need for greater vigilance when traveling internationally this fort kind of puts things in perspective. The need to defend ones patch has been going on for centuries, the tactics and weaponry have changed however.

Fortification. Defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it.

This is a time to sit still, and raise no barriers.

Before linoleum

On the bank of the mighty Maas, near Venlo.

The beach of the mighty Maas.

Wildflower garden with art.

I’m in the very south of The Netherlands near Venlo, close to the border with Germany. I’m being hosted by a couple who live and have an art studio in the converted novice quarters of a Catholic monastery for monks and nuns in a village called Steyl. Since the computer I’m using is showing me Blogger in Dutch, the spell checker is correcting the English to Dutch and I’ve only just worked out what Desktop is in Dutch, I’ll not stop to write much.

Sorry, no postings while I am in The Netherlands.