Week 22 - 7000 Flies a Day

Week 22

I had slowly forced myself back to work in the apartment...

...when Janny came and said "I have a cunning plan"...

"We'll take the boat to Oldeberkoop this afternoon and then tomorrow to Heerenveen with Mem on board".

Sounds like a plan...it took me about 2 minutes to clean up and get ready!

So, at Oosterwolde we turned the boat around - it's 14 metres wide and the boat is 11 metres...and with the bowthruster, a piece of cake!

We dropped the 1.61 metres at Oosterwolde

and then another 2 metres at Lock III on the Tjonger canal

At lock II, the bowthruster battery was empty! - all I had were some ticks and no action. The wind was up a bit but Janny just called out to some sunbathing teenagers on the bank to grab the line, which they did...

I guess it all sorted itself out - with running the motor and the solar panels doing the charging. But a bit if a worry, nonetheless.

We made it into Oldeberkoop 3 hours after leaving Oosterwolde. (14 kms, 3 locks)

Ben picked Janny up and I stayed with the boat (somebody's gotta do it!)

At about 0900hrs on the wednesday, Ben brought Janny and Rennie back to the boat and we headed off for Heerenveen...

Fairly large works going on just before the turnoff to Heerenveen. Literally thousands of poles driven into the side, leaving a protected section behind - for the waterbirds. The bank had also been reconstructed for a few kilometres.

Lock # 1 (with a Lockkeeper's story, below)

Not bad for 87! They had to rug up a bit against the wind.

Short stop for lunch

The lockkeepers story...at Lock # 1

Anyway, at this lock, the building housing some of the workings of the lock, had been renovated. The renovation included some waterproof impregnation of the brickwork. An unexpected side-effect turned out to be that the swallows' nests wouldn't stick - so they had to put up artificial nests for them. Apparently, it is not the normal "farmer's swallow" at this place, but a different sort with a white patch.

The lockkeeper went on to say that the swallow numbers are down this year - it sounded like he was very enthusiastic and knowledgable about the swallows - he was telling Janny and Rennie all sorts of things - I could make out most of it but at one stage I blurted out "what did he say?" - yes, they each eat 7000 flies a day! I wonder who is counting...?

(I think it might be the "house swallow" which I found by looking through The Farmer's Swallow Journal # 8 Friesland 2018). 

They had been nesting in and around the lockkeepers house in previous years.

Oldeberkoop to Heerenveen (24 kms 1 lock, 4 bridges)

The bridge at Mildam

Rennie enjoyed the trip immensely - so much so that we are planning that she comes to Dokkum on the Drachten-Dokkum leg. Hopefully in the next few weeks before we get back to full operations.

Thursday

Again, I dragged myself back to work. We found an old pit under the floor of the apartment. I knew it was there but had not thought about it for more than 20 years. We emptied it - mostly water but also some manure probably dating from at least 30 years before. It used to be a winter barn for the cows - all the manure ran to a collection pit for later pumping out.

So, we sealed it with silicone in preparation for pouring a "levelling" floor over the top.

We have also started back with day clients, a couple of days a week - maintaining the 1.5 metres even whilst having our cuppa.

Ben Back in Amsterdam

Sunday

We had packed the trailer and van during the previous few days - up early on Sunday morning so that we could get the free parking in the middle of Amsterdam.

It's a pretty unbelievable place for a young man to live - this is probably his best one yet - maybe he can keep it for a while. just so Janny doesn't have to drive in Amsterdam with a trailer on!

A couple of Ben's mates turned up to help...