kenderfrau: kenderfrau

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vrijdag 14 november 2025

La Douce France

Nothing beats a visit to the North Sea beach ★

Walking along the shore, looking at the waves, fresh air and lots of beach treasures.

Preferably in autumn, winter or springtime.

I try to avoid the much more crowded summer holiday season and higher temperatures.

A quiet spot, not too many people around, away from tourist attractions is ideal.

Accompanied by some close friends, just the kenderman or all alone at the beach.

Whatever the weather, instant hapiness assured!

A link earlier kenderfrau beach posts is here

donderdag 24 juli 2025

All Flowers in Time

"All flowers in time bend towards the sun

I know you say that there's no-one for you

But here is one, here is one, here is one"

A beautiful song from 1995:

All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun

by Jeff Buckley and Elisabeth Fraser

maandag 30 juni 2025

Bathing Bark

After pollarding some trees, there was fresh material available to experiment.

Not the best time of year for harvesting bark.

Mid-spring (May) is ideal, when the sap has risen and new leaves are well opened.

But the period for willow (Salix alba) is much wider, from April to August.

It takes some strength and effort but then you'll end up with a nice piece of bark.

Inspiration

Perhaps you remember my Neolithic beach find from 2021.

A Doggerland 'spits', you can read about it here.

There was an opportunity to join the Resurfacing Doggerland project.

The project lend the spits and I agreed to remove a small piece of material.

After 19 months, ZooMS and C14 research, the spits returned home.

(as soon as I can, I'll share the results of the outcome)

When we went to Leiden in January to pick it up,

I was intrigued by these objects....

The fur one inspired by a mummy; the Arrow Quiver of Iceman Ötzi

Back to DIY:

You can fold the bark and make yourself a 'bag' or 'quiver' (smile)

Have a can with rain water available to keep the branch and bark wet.

Your material will dry quickly as soon as you start peeling the bark.

If you're not sure what to do with it yet....

You can buy some extra time by preventing it to dry

.... the harvested bark is underwater now.

The largest piece is rolled with the outer bark on the inside and secured with wooden pegs.

You can dry the bark to store it for arts-and-crafts projects later. Soak it well before use.

I also tried to harvest a piece of bark from the goat willow

(aka great sallow, pussy willow, boswilg, Salix caprea)

It was really difficult, labour-intensive and not motivating at all.

There wasn't enough sap, it has been a very dry year so far.

Next spring I'll give it another go.

My previous post about bark harvesting: Barkin Time

maandag 9 juni 2025

Tree Treasure

Last winter I found a black and soaked branch collar (takkraag) in the woods.

After letting it dry slowly, to prevent cracks, it's on the wall now.

I just love it. To surround yourself with beauty can be easy.

It doesn't have to be expensive or 'arty-farty' at all.

donderdag 5 juni 2025

Ocean

- We have one ocean, we have one world -

If you can go to the cinema to see Ocean by David Attenborough... do it!

The film, the underwater shooting, is phenomenal and the message is clear.

As humans we're disturbing the balance and the damage is incalculable.

But there is hope!

We have to change our thinking and protect a bigger area of the ocean.

We are lucky, the restorative capacity of the ocean is incredible.

The 2025 UN Ocean conference will be held in Nice, France, from 9 - 13 June 2025 🍀

dinsdag 27 mei 2025

Bats Rock

Sometimes Bats are associated with evil events.

Or people are scared for whatever reason.

Perhaps they think a bat might get tangled up in your hair... NOT!

So don't be scared and appreciate them.

They're catching insects ands bugs.

Like humans bats are mammals.

They're the only mammals that can fly.

Bats are nocturnal animals and sleep during the day.

Perhaps that's one of the reason to think they're creepy.

The Dracula story might add to that (smile).

Bats are wonderful, useful and vulnerable creatures.

Threatened by natural enemies, disappearing habitats and ignorant or violent people.

Local (Limburg's) Bat expert Ghis Palmans, here unlocking a winter stay of the bats,

is training and coaching the kenderman and the youngest volunteer of the local team

to identify and count bats in the wintertime, during hibernation.

It's difficult to find new volunteers willing to put in some effort.

Bats are 'cool'. The more you get to know about them the cooler they get.

Given time you can become a valued and dedicated volunteer or even an expert.

Perhaps you are interested to help out? Then contact your local nature organisation.

Tips:

Don't disturb them, keep you're distance, don't touch them.

Even during hibernation bats can be very sensitive to:

light don't use bright (flash)light
sound don't talk when they are near, just whisper
smell you're breath or deodorant can wake them

Please leave them alone.

Let them be and respect their need for a quiet and undisturbed environment.

Just enjoy the short encounter!

Would you like some to find more information, links and video's:

In English: Bat

In Dutch: Vleermuizen in Vlaanderen en Vleermuizen

Link to my earlier post: BaT Habits

(PS the photos from bats were taken for education purposes only)

donderdag 22 mei 2025

Plant Nursery Time

We visited nursery Bastin with my parents-in-law, more than 25 years ago.

Later we visited regularly, once or twice a year.

Due to covid it stopped and now, after 5 years, we returned.

Oh oh, three trays filled already...

While the kenderman was searching for plants, I had a stroll around the nursery...

and was almost immediately accompanied by a new friend...

(it's two strangers on the photo above, not us)

My adorable new friend...

... waiting for me while I was taking photo's ♥︎

Only after our 'fruitful' visit we read:

"... wij hebben alles al" we don't need anything more, we have it all

We should have seen this text earlier! (smile)

Introspection

Haha, a challenge to do some self-reflection! I tell myself (big smile)

- Verbeter de wereld, begin bij jezelf -

An old Dutch saying, something like:

Improve the world, start with yourself / Changing the world starts with you

- All ehr ghy een ander wilt schandael up welven,

Keert den spiegel eens umb, end besiet u selven -

by graphic artist Nicolaas Braeu 1608-1666

link: Rijksmuseum collectie

- Be the change you want to see in the world -

Arleen Lorrance in 1974

- All the tendencies present in the outer world are found in the world of our body.

If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.

As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him -

Mahatma Ghandi / Mohandas Kramchand Ghandi in 1913

zaterdag 17 mei 2025

Golden Roof

The thatched roof was in a bad state and beyond repair.

Although we do like a worn look, something had to be done.

Years of moss growth and reed plundering by birds has had an effect

and the danger of leakage was lurking.

It's hard to believe a thatched roof is fully waterproof without some kind of underlayment.

We like thatched roofs, a traditional build of the area we live in.

In the early days a roof covering with hay, branches and heather sods.

Then much cheaper than roof tiles. Nowadays it's the other way around.

First of all ..... demolition of the old roof.

And then, finally, the craftwork could start...

The traditional craftmanship is outstanding!

Some sheeting at the end of the day... just in case...

A reed delivery in the evening.... it seems like a lot...

What a beautiful sight! I could have watched this all day....

It's obvious I didn't. You don't want to 'breathe down someones neck'.

I like the crest of reed stems...

It reminds me of traditional Flemish, Japanese or Scandinavian roof tops.

Check out artists like: Dirk Baksteen and Tanaka Ryohei

Earlier post: Dirk Baksteen exhibition

But let's not get distracted ☺︎

The work is done and we're good for 30 years to come... hopefully.

If only you could see and smell it!

We have a brand new 'golden' roof and the smell inside is delicious.

Now the roof is watertight, we could use some rain.

It hasn't been raining for quite some time now...

zondag 4 mei 2025

Masters of the Sky

For me the best time of year has arrived...

The common swifts are returning.

Their arrival brings summer to me.

Little lifts me as much as this mysterious bird ♥︎

My heart jumps when I hear their sound.

Their speed is phenomanal.

It reminds me of a poem by Robert Frost:

The Master Speed

No speed of wind or water rushing by

But you have speed far greater.

You can climb back up a stream of radiance to the sky,

and back through history the stream of time.

And you were given this swiftness, not for haste

nor chiefly that you may go where you will,

but in the rush of everything to waste,

that you may have the power of standing still--

off any still or moving thing you say.

Two such as you with such a master speed

From one another once you agreed

that life is only life forevermore

together wing to wing and oar to oar.

woensdag 27 november 2024

PAN 2024 - Kenderfrau Picks

We visited PAN Amsterdam again.

Traditionally I start with Frides Lameris' antiques tiles.

Next is the 'wonderkamer', 'wunderkammer' with a collection of curiosities

a wall mounted console made from a 'tonderzwam' (tree fungus)

And my favourite object: an extremely rare Kiribati warrior's armour.

Central Pacific Ocean, Micronesia, Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)

Dating from the 19th century or earlier.

Provenance: Collection Jean Roudillon (1924-2020),

a Frech expert in the tribal arts from Africa, Oceania and the Americas

made from materials like porcupinefish skin, shark teeth and coconut fibers

..... the craftmanship and quality is excellent

This object should go to a museum collection, not to a private collection.

One of the senior students at Rongorongo training college, Beru, wearing Kiribati armor, before 1925

(Photo: George Hubert Eastman, © Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge)

Historically, the I-Kiribati (the people of the Republic of Kiribati) produced extraordinary objects such as suits of armor made from coconut fiber. The armor provided protection from the dangerous shark’s-teeth-edged swords, spears, and daggers carried by island warriors. Each suit is made up of a set of overalls and sleeves made from coconut fiber, with a coconut fiber cuirass (arbor that covers the front and back of the torso) worn over the top. The distinctive cuirasses have high backboards to protect from attack from behind, and were often worn with thick belts made from woven coconut fiber or dried ray skin to protect the vital organs. The cuirasses are usually decorated, either with human hair, feathers or shells.

Warriors sometimes wore hand armour also made from coconut fiber, inlaid with shark's teeth along the knuckles. The warriors would also wear fearsome-looking helmets made of porcupine fish skin, which dried hard in the sun and provided another layer of protection for the head.

These helmets would usually have been worn over an coconut fiber or woven

pandanus (palm-like plant with ling frond-like leaves used for weaving) leaf cap.

It is not known where and when this type of armor was developed in the island, but is has come to stand as uniquely Kiribati, with its influence also spreading to the nearby islands of Nauru and Tuvalu.

(check out the information source: khanacademy for more examples)