Quiet day reading, walking, and admiring Dutch royalty

I just finished a book that I've had on my nightstand for six full months: The Mapmakers (2nd edition), by John Noble Wilford. It took me so long to read the book that Wilford actually died while I was reading it. (Why do I have the urge to pick up Hillbilly Elegy now?)

I ploughed through the last 60 pages or so on the couch with Cassie this afternoon, who appreciated all the scritches as much as she's appreciated getting a full hour of walkies almost every day this week. In fact, we're about to head out again, despite the -5°C chill. The sun is still out, and will be for another hour, so why not get some steps?

Before we go, I just wanted to flag a story that popped up in a social feed today. Earlier this year, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands enlisted in the Dutch army "because 'our security can no longer be taken for granted,' the Royal House of the Netherlands said in a news release on Wednesday." Good on her. Her daughter, Princess Catharina-Amalia, finished her general military training last month. While the 23-year-old princess has been promoted to corporal (korporaal, OR-3), her mother will be commissioned lieutenant colonel (luitenant-kolonel, OF-4) in the reserves when she's done.

It's interesting how European leaders just do things because it's the right thing to do while American ones get their doctors to find bone spurs to avoid the same things.