The end of an era

I am briefly reopening this blog to report the death of my father at the end of August 2022. He reached the grand age of 88, but had suffered rapidly declining health throughout this year. Due to the restrictions occasioned by Covid, I had not been able to visit since 2019, but did see him for the final time five days before he passed away. 

Between 2008 and 2019, I would always stay in my father's house when I came to visit; usually over Christmas and New Year. There were other visits through the year as well. Sometimes, I'd travel to see other relatives in the country, or join my dad for little holidays in his favourite holiday island, Vlieland. He managed, with assistance, to visit that little place again in July. Staying in his house was a reminder of my mother, who predeceased him in 2008. 

Now that my father has passed away, it really is the end of an era. He had lived in the same house for over 50 years, and it held many memories. Both he and my mother were keen gardeners in their day, but the front and back gardens were an arid wasteland due to a summer drought. There is now little if anything to go back to in the little village, apart from the grave where they now both rest. 

This is the Shell Gallery signing off.

Closure

When this post is published, I shall be closing the Shell Gallery blog. It used to run in tandem with the Atlantic Lines blog, which will be closed at the same time (with a parallel post). My years of going back and forth between Scotland and Holland, the way I have done for the past ten years, are over.

It is 10 years and five months since I opened the Shell Gallery, following the death of my mother. With a degree of sadness, I am closing it this morning.

A new blog is now on-line on: https://cobbled-road.blogspot.com/

Skating - 3 March 2018

March 4th - 31st, 2018

Woeste Hoeve - memorial for 117 executed
Cerviduct, Terlet

Bridge, Westervoort
Inspecting the nestbox
Robin
Airforce museum, Deelen
Stork
Crocus
Zypenberg

April 1st - 14th, 2018

River Rhine, Westervoort
Migrating toads
Fire watch tower
Lower a man cannot sink (Teerose II)
View from the Elsberg
River Rhine between Driel and Praets
River ferry, Driel / Oosterbeek
Havikerwaard, Ellecom
Friendly puss
IJsselkop, Westervoort
Flying tree
Bridge, Doesburg

April 15 - May 2, 2018

Railwaystation, Velp
Bicycle factory, Dieren
Flags out for King's Day, 27 April
Giesbeek
Doesburg
Olburgen
River ferry, Rheden
Canal, Dieren
Eerbeek
Deelerwoud
Duiven

Ten years

Ten years ago today, my mother passed away. This blog is dedicated to her memory, as stated in the sidebar. I miss her every day, but would not have wanted her to have suffered any longer than she had to. This week, we shall visit her grave, leave some white roses there and reflect on the passing of the years. She shall remain there, in the sun-splashed corner of the village cemetery in the woods. We shall go on, because that's what she would have wanted us to do.