Week 27

 

Week 27

I'm late today as I have been side-tracked into planning for Cheryl coming here in August. With Janny's approval, I have a leave pass to whisk Cheryl away on the boat - so I've been planning a trip via some of our favorite places...

Day 1 Heerenveen to Blokzijl (about 6 hours)


...then a couple of options - Kampen and then to Groningen and across to Dokkum

...or Boornzwaag via Echtenerbrug and then on to Dokkum. Probably this one as Janny can more easily join us...

Sometimes the news just seems too close...

The Dutch Ministry of Defense has confirmed that, at the request of NATO, the Port of Rotterdam will provide space for ships with military equipment - in the event of a potential war with Russia.

From https://openrijk.nl/

Woman on boat points firearm during dispute

Gebied: Amsterdam

On Thursday afternoon, a dispute arises on the waters of the Nieuwe Meer, during which a woman on a boat draws a firearm.

At around 5:15 PM on July 10, 2025, a dispute arises on the waters of the Nieuwe Meer between passengers of two boats. On one of the boats, the woman draws a firearm and points it at the passengers of the other boat. Her husband is not pleased with her actions and takes the firearm away and stores it. The couple then sails away. Observant witnesses provide the police with the direction of travel and the description of the boat. With the help of various police units on water, waternet, and the helicopter in the air, the boat with the couple is traced.

The present officers initiate a BTGP procedure (Approach Technique Dangerous Persons), with the helicopter observing everything from the air. When the man and woman comply with the officers commands, they board. A dog handler with his dog also boards to maintain control over the two and their dogs.

The 58-year-old woman from Amsterdam is subsequently arrested for threats and the Weapons and Munitions Act. The 60-year-old man from Amsterdam is found to be operating the boat under the influence and is also arrested. The suspected firearm is found on the boat and, after investigation, turns out to be a toy gun. The two have been transferred to a detention center to be presented to the Assistant Public Prosecutor.


Word of the day is ‘swullocking’, from 19th-century East Anglian dialect: sultry, sweltering, and sudiferous (sweat-inducing). Good for a Climate Change conversation...

Around the farm

I gave myself a new project - painting the doors of the Day Activity/Youth Accommodation building. I need Tjeerd to help me lift the (very heavy) doors off, but I can keep going with the painting into the long evenings...

There's 7 doors in total - I soon realised that it would take too many weeks if I take them off one at a time - so the rear emergency exit doors are going to be done in place - only taking them off if they need repair. The drying time is the killer, and I only have one sheet to close the opening if I take the doors off.







The weeds in the paving are giving me a bit of grief. We're not allowed to use RoundUp anymore - so I'm trying salt - we have bags of salt to use against the ice during winter - just so that the walkways aren't too slippery. A trial section using salt seems to have worked - so I'll use it a bit more.



The forestry people have marked some trees in the forest opposite us...


The trees with the red dots are going to be removed...the blue stripes indicate the route that the machinery has to take for access...and they are going to plant new trees - a "local" variety rather than standard plantation trees.


Ben has moved on from New York - first to Chicago and now thankfully to Canada (Calgary).











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