Week 8

Week 8

Building Works (Not much else happening, really)

A new roof! Could have been thatch or tiles but I rather liked the idea of corrugated iron - a much more familiar building material in Australia than here. In fact, over the 20 plus years of living here, I don't think I have ever seen a house with it. Our own old hay shed at the back has it and I think I have seen only a handful of other (out) buildings with it. Strangely, the most common question so far has been "what about the noise"?. (ie. of the rain, presumably). I'm pretty sure it won't bother me - even if I could hear it!

Our fake poles made waterproof. Traditionally, the four corner poles support the basic construction of a hay shed - with a "floating" roof in some cases. A wooden "condom", for want of a better word, will slide over the top, to give the same appearance as the fake pole underneath the roof line.

And the end result.....

Who knows what you might find.....?

The rainwater down pipes have to be connected to this. While we're at it, I'll be trying to connect a few other things that should have been connected 20 (or more? ) years ago... I'm definitely getting too old for this !!. Some of the old pipes were made of asbestos (see later).

And the end result...

2024 Asbestos Legislation

As I understand it (always a proviso with me), there is legislation declaring that by 2024 "asbestos is illegal if it is still in use" - or words to that effect. All of the farms around here and presumably throughout the Netherlands have huge roof areas of asbestos. Apparently, farmers will get some assistance (along with all their other subsidies) to replace it. Ours is an ex-farm and therefore doesn't rate the same assistance. One estimate for the whole of the country is in the order of €20 Billion with subsidies "for the private sector"(us) at €295Million this year.  A few people I have spoken to, have said that they "simply don't (or won't ) have the money so "what are "they" (the authorities) going to do"? A bit more worrisome in our case, as the removal of the "Certificate of Occupancy" would be the end of the matter, business-wise.

Automobile, the Cash Cow (apologies in advance for the heavy reading)

A while ago, I bemoaned the very existence of the Special Private Automobile Tax (BPM). In fact, I've been bemoaning it for more than 20 years, more in terms of "why do people just shrug their shoulders and accept it"? Cost of car + 45% and THEN BTW (GST, VAT) on TOP of that! (at 21.5% and the only country in the EU that has it. 

I've been reading up on it a bit and it now seems a bit different.

The EU told the Netherlands that they had to remove it in order to be in line with the rest of the EU (Again, my limited understanding).

If you are liable for the payment of bpm the level of the bpm amount is:

for a passenger car determined by the CO2 emission of the passenger car in grams per kilometre. 

For a delivery van, campervan and motorcycle determined by the net list price.

Just quickly, for a petrol car with emissions of 140 gms/kilometre, the BPM is €6728 (remember before GST is calculated).
But that's not all....

The Diesel Surcharge

The Government site gives an example based on a diesel car with emissions of 200gms/km ie, more than the example for petrol, above.

So, in this case the Diesel Surcharge is €11,495 ON TOP of the amount calculated for a petrol car with the same emmissions!!

So there it is; around €19000 extra before GST is calculated.

But, it's all in a good cause, right? reducing pollution....?

Now, in the aftermath of the Volkswagen scandal, someone here has taken what I can only describe as an "enlightened" view of this imposition. (BTW, that's why the Volkswagen thing is so important here, because of the tax revenue that the Government has missed out on).

Again, in my own words and with my own probably limited understanding of it, the new argument goes like this. IF the Government is truly committed to reducing pollution then wouldn't it make sense to make cars more affordable for "normal" people and so have everyone driving vehicles which produce less pollution? Hand in hand with this could be increased road taxes (yes, there is that as well!!) for vehicles over say, three years old.

Manure, another quirky tax thing

Owning a Milk Quota was always a big deal, particularly around here, the home of the Frisian Cow, after all. Dairy Farmers could only produce according to their Quota; such is the way of producing milk. With totally NO research whatsover, I can only relate what has happened in Janny's family. One of the brothers had a fairly large Quota which he sold (for a considerable amount of money) in order to become a Chicken Farmer. They now produce more than 30,000 eggs per day! 

For the past 31 years, the European Union has had quotas, or limits, on how much milk farmers can produce.

The rules were put in place so farmers wouldn't make too much but would also get a fair price.

But now those quotas have been lifted so with no limits farmers are being allowed to produce as much milk as they want.

At this point I did do a little research but couldn't find what I was looking for - and that is that, in the Netherlands at least, there is (what amounts to) a tax on how much manure can be disposed of. We're actually storing some for a nephew; it helps that we can be on his list.

I obviously need to do some more work on this, but my first thought was, yeah, that'd be right..."if they don't get you one way (paying for the Quota) they'll get you another  (paying for the manure)".

On Ben...

Much better to finish on a brighter note.... it looks like Ben is planning to go to Hong Kong for some of his further studies. He has found it extremely difficult to get back in to study mode after his work experience and living in Amsterdam. Understandable, I guess.....

Week 7

Week 7

Photo of the Week

Same place, same time.... the sun is slowly creeping northwards...to the left....

Building Works

Floor heating

Our "normal" heating has always been a central heating system pumping water through pipes and radiators throughout the whole house. The boiler unit also provides hot water on demand - this type of installation is known as a Combi-ketel (kettle). In our case, we have 7 such installations, one for each apartment and 2 in the large accommodation area - one for the living area and one for the bedrooms. They all need to be kept running for most of the year (hence our huge gas bills!). One year we had an electrical fault overnight AND Minus 20 degree temperatures and so a couple of pipes froze and burst. Of course, this type of heating was new to me when I first came here, but over the years I have learnt how to keep them in operation, adding water, bleeding radiators and even adding to the system with DIY stuff.

Normal system - pipes and radiators - usually placed under windows. (a warm place for the cat!).

In the new apartment, we have gone for the new "in-floor" heating system which is almost certainly much more efficient. It is attached via a manifold to a Combi-Ketel, referred to above. 

Photo shows hot and cold water pipes and the yellow gas pipe. The white plastic hose is fixed with wire to the mesh and a layer of concrete (special mix?) is poured over the lot. In our case there will be multiple circuits that can be regulated independently. ie. so the bedroom can be turned off, for example.

This top layer is a dry mix concrete (sand/cement) with just a little water and small fibres for binding. It is mixed and pumped through a rigid plastic hose. 

Country Women's Association Cooking Club

I think I have mentioned this before......? every couple of months a Cooking Club come to use our big kitchen out the back. Part of the arrangement is that we get fed as well! Last night we had...

Rucola Salad with figs and Goat Cheese

Goulash Soup

Brussel Sprouts Stampot (Casserole with Mashed Potatoes)

Pears and Ice Cream with an Almond Sauce (It looked so good it was gone before I remembered to take a photo!).

From the newspaper...

Cost of Smoking in The Netherlands

Estimated to be €43.2 Billion!

Someone has made a model where the costs can be calculated in monetary terms for ease of comparison and also to fully recognise just what it does cost.

The study includes chronic sickness (the cost to the Health Care System), poorer quality of life, and even the cost of the pauses during a working day (this part is estimated to be €12.1 Billion).

It is argued that smokers do less in their spare time and therefore spend less and they are inevitably less productive due to poor health.

The model gives 3 scenarios for calculating the costs. The least critical still comes out at €21.2 Billion and the middle of the road version at €33 Billion.

Footnote; In 1993, when I first came here, I couldn't believe how many people were "still smoking", having been part of the Anti-Smoking Campaigns in Melbourne. It is only in very recent years that it has been banned in pubs and restaurants; and still the anti-smoking efforts come nowhere near what I saw way back then in Australia. Oh well, some people still take their dogs in to restaurants over here..... still can't get used to that one..... so, it's just different, I guess.

Week 6

Building Works

Some windows in and the plaster walls on the inside. And rain, rain and more rain.... We have to walk and drive "the long way around" until we get a new driveway and paths sorted out. I get to walk even more kilometres in a day, but I think it is wearing a bit thin for everyone else.

Beech Marten trap...

I still have to figure out how I'm going to get it into the roof space..

Open at both ends, with food in the middle..

Sprung,  both ends closed...

From the Care Farm

Busy weekend. On Friday I found myself cooking in 3 different kitchens... Lasagne in the big kitchen for 6 kids and 2 leaders. Macaroni in the day workers area for our Wilderness Client (see below) and our own kitchen for Ben and I.... one of those "all in a day's work" things.

Our Wilderness Client. (He quite often sleeps in the forest and knows quite a lot about it, including which mushrooms to eat!). I guess the "system" acknowledges that this is his lot in life and supports him as part of the society he was born to. I don't think he could ever hold down a meaningful job.

One of our long-term clients, he  came back this week. He has a court order requiring him to take his medicine but always feels so good that he ends up thinking he doesn't need it any more. . of course it inevitably ends badly. He was locked up over Christmas and had his dog impounded. He is again "feeling" better and came back to us as a safe haven. We do our best as a small part of the "system" but it is sad to see his decline over the years. 

Janny had to be one of the "leaders" for Friday night. One of the boys wanted to go home and would not be persuaded otherwise. Janny rang his Mum who said "NO - you just have to strong arm him in to bed.....". So, Janny did that, literally, accompanied by much screaming and funny looks from the other kids. Next morning he was as good as gold and just laughed it off saying that "sometimes I get like that". He's about 8 and normally quite good; he also loves coming here. Again, "all in a day's work"......

Refugees. 

The local govt. Organizer rang to say that the Council. ie. The councilors themselves, approved in principle that the refugees could come to us. We need to get a temporary change to our certificate of occupancy reflecting permanent residency. We also asked for some relief from the cost of maintaining our no longer "required" smoke detector system. Always a problem when you feel you are being "ripped off". We have an "In principle" agreement from the fire service... If we can find someone to do it cheaper. Basically, it requires about 2 hours to do a physical test of each detector and then about 6 hours writing exactly what they wrote last year... Tick boxes, anyone? About 1400 euros, if you don't mind.

Building, boating and other stuff

I'm including a picture of the boat here.... just to help me with my focus... (from 2015 with Ivan and Louise)

We have to finish the building works by May (aka Boating Season), which still sounds far off.... but kitchens, tiling, painting, paving and moving are all going to take time and a few of them will be happening in the same time period. ie. I can't get a head start on any of it, until the builders have finished. Anyway, I have had to postpone my 2 weeks work on the boat... the best laid plans... etc. It occurs to me that it may well be a good thing that I don't yet have to sort out the refugee's accommodation, but then again, they might spring that on me in the middle of a painting and tiling week.. ha! 

Odd Spot

We came here almost 23 years ago and in all that time I have NOT been able to find anything remotely like Chocolate Ripple Biscuits - so I could make a Chocolate Ripple Cake! So, a big thanks to whoever in my family thought to include a packet in my goodies parcel with Anneke!

Week 5

Week 5

Old Age Pensioner..... it's official

It seems that I have earned the right to a Dutch pension. They raised the retirement age to 67 but with a transition period that resulted in me having to wait only 4 months past my 65th birthday. Alas, it is not enough to enable me to stop work... I'll put it away as a nest egg for the boat....

Walking in January 168kms

Steenmarter (Stone or Beech Marten) in our roof..

(Not my photos). We have one of these in one of the rear apartments. They are "protected" so we can't poison it or otherwise kill it. Apparently, there are traps available but this is also not legal. They eat the coatings of electrical wiring in houses and cars; can make a lot of noise; they stink and sometimes leave their prey to rot in the roof; they damage insulation material; they eat some crops. Audi have run tests on their cars, just to see what happens and what they can do to prevent the damage.

From the newspaper 1 feb, 2016

Climate Change / Bird Collisions at Schiphol Airport

Last wednesday, a 747 collided with a flock of birds and had to dump some of it's fuel and return to land "under guidance from the fire service" when the pilot reported a vibration in one of the 4 engines.
The number of such collisions doubled in 2015, compared with 2014. One reason given is simply that there are more birds than usual, presumably due to the warmer weather we had towards the end of 2015.
Some of the migratory birds actually stayed due to the warmer weather, but were confused, resulting in unpredictable behaviour around the airport. Over the years, many measures have been taken, including regular mowing of the grasslands, cutting the reeds shorter and growing vegetable crops unsuitable for nesting. "Bird Radar" and special mountings on planes are being developed.

Ben in Spain.....again

Zara

He had 5 days work this week, which meant he didn't go to school.

His Honours Program people put this up on Facebook, just to show what some of "their" people are doing. The last comment was "wonder where Ben will pop up next"?

This photo was from Milan....

http://www.zara.com/ic/en/man/outerwear-c799002.html

Have to search for Ben; he is in quite a few outfits.....

Building Works....

Cutting some of the thatch away..

Lots of insulation....

The building company is being "audited" next week, so they have had to tighten up safety measures at our place. A fence around the whole thing.... and any visitors have to wear a helmet....

IKEA

We have had quite few kitchens from Ikea, over the years; for the apartments "out the back". So, we are now looking for another one for in the new apartment. The quality is as good, if not better than the specialist kitchen suppliers and we think we can install it ourselves, even though this one is more important than the others.
As we arrived at Ikea, there was an evacuation in progress so we had to wait outside, in the cold. Luckily, it only took half an hour and turned out to be an exercise known only by a few of the staff.
...and everybody! got free coffee and cake for their trouble.