I got a wonderful kick start to spring and summer during my recent journey to the Netherlands and Belgium. Tulips and spring plants were in bloom everywhere, adorning streets, cafes, shops, and homes.

The highlight of my trip was a visit to the Keukenhof (translation: kitchen house) Gardens, justifiably famous for their abundant tulip displays. Carpets of tulips, grape hyacinths, and fritillaria lined the pathways; it was hard to stop taking photos! With such an incredible abundance of tulips, I wonder if the local rabbits have an obesity problem? I know the rabbits around my home think it’s an “all you can eat” salad bar!

Holland is also famous for windmills (and chocolate, cheese, chocolate, beer; did I mention

chocolate?). I was amazed as I viewed the many windmills in Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These windmills are used to assist in controlling floods rather than milling grain. There are now 19 on the site, all still active. It’s possible to reside and operate one following training; there is a very long waiting list for the training and occupancy. The operators will activate the windmills for a required number of rotations each year. Outside of that, they must obtain permission from the local water board to run the sails. 

What a wonderful, colorful, and enlightening trip!

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Stroll photographer Ken Grille spent a whole month this spring out in California doing his thing, photographing all the beauty along the way. Toward the beginning of his trip, he spent time in Pismo Beach, in the southern portion of San Luis Obispo County, along the Central Coast area of the Golden State.

"Pismo Beach was just so beautiful beyond words. Everywhere we walked, every beach we visited had the most gorgeous scenery. So many places with ocean views and colorful fauna in the foreground, with wildflowers everywhere this time of the year, as well. This is one of many photos I took to capture the magical beauty that we experienced in California."