Week 19 A mixed bag

Ben

Somebody grabbed his photo and used it here....

(scroll down)

http://www.fashionbeans.com/2016/4-key-mens-hair-trends-for-springsummer-2016/

He had a work day at his Work Experience place (Blazhofski Productions) as a Production Assistant. One of the things he had to do was write down any "highlights" and the timing, so that they could be used for promoting the program later. The program is a Dutch version of "A Chef In My Ear" - where a top chef "talks" instructions via headphones to celebrities in order to cook a meal.

Ben applied for a "Holland Scholarship" for when he is in Hong Kong. He was shortlisted to the last 20 (out of 47 applicants).

Unfortunately, the interview for final selection could only be on a day when he had offers of work in New York and/or Madrid! It turned out being for Pull and Bear in Madrid, so the scholarship people offered to do a Skype Interview.

(New York sounded good - but the Skype interview would have been at a difficult time).

Health Care Costs

The Netherlands spends almost €100 Billion on health care per year: more than education, defense, scientific research, infrastructure, security and justice combined.

De Leijen

We went to a restaurant for Mother's Day Lunch - Ben's suggestion, but Mum still had to pay! We had seen the restaurant before but only from the the water and there was no way to get ashore. We have previously moored on one or more of the islands - it was then only about an hour from Drachten, but is now more like 4 hours from Heerenveen (by boat). It was a windy day and the windsurfers were out and about. (food wasn't that flash, though).

Pumpkins, 2016

Kitchen herbs for Rennie (Janny's Mum)

Zucchini and Pumpkin Seeds (didn't do this last year - epic fail)

The Pumpkin Patch

Glasshouse pumpkins...

Some days are busier than others.....

......usually because I take on more than I should. But, on Thursday we started shifting some of the "stuff" mentioned last week. It really is a merry-go-round of making room so that it can be filled up again. I get more than my fair share of complaints because I just hop in and "do it" my way instead of someone else's idea of how it should be done. 

.... so, stuff in boxes, shelving dismantled, shelving put up again, cupboards relocated...... and way too much stuff to fit in the new area - unless I make even more shelving!

And in between, the pumpkin patch readied (without getting bogged - as I did only a couple of days earlier). Mowing - Janny's Dad has his own mower and was also racing around (aged 82).

Brother-in-law Gerard buys and sells caravans (an "Internet Entrepreneur" as I once heard described on the BBC)., so his area was also tidied up to receive new caravans (trailers).

And, one of our clients came back after "sorting himself out" so he had to be welcomed back to the fold and kept busy. Luckily, he enjoyed it and is looking forward to it again - just had to make the start. His project is to build the shed out the back - to house all his own "stuff". Pretty handy bloke to have around, actually!

Janny had a couple of interviews for old and new clients - both will probably end up on Personal Budgets - which is better for us as there is no middle man raking their bit off or determining a lower tariff from behind a desk.

Oh, and the chook shed (aka Hendrik's workshed) needed a couple of new roofing sheets!

Opening of the Turfroute 14th May

The "peat colony" Gorredijk was established in 1631 with the digging of the Opsterlandse Compagnonsvaart. It became an important trading centre in the 18th century. The first major lock on the Turfroute is located here. Gorredijk is the prototype of a typical peat colony village. In the centre is the crossing of the canal and the major road, with houses and other buildings along both.

Near the lock is a statue of the "boatman's wife"; who had to tow the boat with help from a yoke on her upper body. This rig was known in Frisian as "beage" - hence the name of the statue "Yn e beage". (in the yoke?).

We've "done" the Turfroute so many times - even in the first boat with Ben (circa 2004). We actually enjoy the locks and bridges now, but it was a bit daunting the first time through.

This was challenging for the first time...

Felder's Boskje  ("our" spot in the Turfroute, near Wijnjewoude)

(Bos = wood . kje = diminutive form = "little woods" Planted by a man named Felder.)

Also near Wijnjewoude, there is a "tram bridge" dating from 1910 when there was a tram line from Gorredijk to Oosterwolde - dismantled in 1945.

I'm reading some of the history again and have discovered something new. There are two small villages Moskou and Petersburg. I always thought of a Russian connection but it seems that one of the foremen of the workers decided to live there when the digging work was finished. His name was Pieter Blaauw - hence the name Petersburg. When the place grew a bit, people on the other side of the water named their side Moskou.

At present there is an entry fee to the Turfroute (about €20). This is going to be scrapped and the upkeep will be subsidised by the Local Govt. for a further 5 years. Some of these smaller routes have their own "management" bodies, almost clubs, of volunteers and enthusiasts. Sometimes they don't see eye to eye so it is not always easy to get a common plan for the whole system. 

In 2015 there were only 1250 boats passing through, not enough to pay for the upkeep without subsidies or financial assistance. 

The depth (draft) is only 110cm and it is thought that more boats would come through if the depth is made to 130cm - this is planned for 2017 (but then again, the toilet block for Wijnjewoude was planned for 2014).