Local Windmill, Oosterland

Before anything else, THANK YOU for all the stars for yesterday's tulip!

'Oosterland' = 'Ow-ster-lant' ('Ow' as in 'I owe' and not as in 'cow').

Perhaps I'll give it a name = 'The Corner'...?  After all, it is standing at the corner of the Molenweg and the Steengrachtstraat  According to the database, the value has gone down due to the fact that too many trees in the area have been inhibiting the effects of the wind.  Some of these trees have already been cut down, but there's still room for improvement, literally.

Wanted to go tulip-hunting, for a change.  However, several little birds had told me that today would be especially meaningful and symbolic for all the windmills in the country, for three reasons.

1) Today marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Guild of Voluntary Millers!  Yes, there's a windmill 'academy' -- you do need an official certificate to run one of these things, and the function is recognized as proper employment.  However, it's not the best paying job, so many millers do more regular work.  Nevertheless, hundreds have graduated and are fully qualified to run a mill, even if only in their spare time, and it's good to have a guild to support you.  (Oh yes, guilds still exist almost the same way they did in Medieval times.)

2) A world record has just been established, although I do have to verify this, of the most number of windmills turning at exactly the same time = 807, including 29 windmills abroad, even as far as New Zealand!  Tom Kreuning, secretary of the guild, said that this was not difficult as this is the first time they tried to do this.  The miller told me that this year will serve as a dry run for future attempts.

This windmill joined the attempt, and the wind was so hard you could hear the continuous whoosh of the sails, and it was a challenge to shoot it.  The owner of the house directly opposite told me I could stand on his driveway and garden for better shots ('That is why you're here, after all, isn't it?), and we had a good chat about my photography project.  Every time I explain why I began it, people are intrigued.  I truly believe I'm the only one at the moment doing this, which makes me feel uncomfortable.

3) The guild wishes to raise awareness for the function of 'miller'.  It is an old 'ambacht' or 'craft' that has stood on the brink of dying out due to lack of millers.  I think they should increase a miller's wages so that it becomes more than 'just' a hobby, and also to attract younger volunteers.  Many millers are now passing on the craft to their sons, but of course not all of these sons are equally interested.

I seriously hope these mills will go on for centuries yet.  They still have the huge potential to avert all kinds of disasters.  Sounds like lame propaganda coming from me, but it would be sad if even only half of them were to go.

A most beautiful, sunny day!  On the way to Oosterland, I looked on both sides of the N59, but part of it is under repair (they'd better finish it before the summer break, when the roads to the beaches get clogged with vehicles), but there were almost no tulips along the length of it that I drove on, except for a wide field somewhere close to Bruinisse, but the flowers were barely out and clearly of the small variety.  I will try again tomorrow and I really can't wait too long.  Another week or two and they will be cut down so that more nutrients will go the bulbs.

Some housework, outlining for Chapter 11.  I hope temperatures rise next week.  A sunny day isn't necessarily a warm one, as we all know.