Windmill 'O-T', 't Zand

Not 'ET' but 'OT.  Named after the polder which it is supposed to drain, according to the grid as it had been laid out by 'the dredgers'.
't Zand is actually the abbreviation of 'het zand' or simply 'the sand'.
Why is it sometimes 'de' and sometimes 'het'?  For a non-native, it's a matter of learning the case, masculine or feminine, and every single noun has its own case.  'De' is for those with genders, meaning either masculine or feminine, and 'het' is for those without.  'Sand' is one of those neutral words.  It takes years to memorize and I'll often shout aloud to AW or colleagues or friends -- 'Guys!  I have this word!  'De' or 'het'?'  -- and they'll shout the answer back.  After a while, when you have used the language long enough, you get a feel for it.  Or not.  ;D))

It was not the original idea to go on the hunt today.  At 06.30, I was up.  First thing was to do the kitchen duties I did not do yesterday evening.  After that, a very quick breakfast and cup of tea, and then off at 07.30 to The Hague.  Traffic was starting to build up in spots, but I managed to push through fairly easily.  I was there a half hour before the embassy was scheduled to open.

By 09.00, I was looking for the doorbell, and it had been removed.  Bad sign, so I looked for instructions and found a bell with a call box.  Pressed that and thankfully someone answered.  After a brief explanation about my reasons for coming, I was allowed to enter.  The set-up inside has changed a lot since my last visit three years ago.  To shorten the story, the embassy no longer 'apostilles' documents.  Everything should be by appointment, and appointments are scheduled only from 15.00 to 17.00.  I said that I could not afford a delay, but there was nothing anyone could do.  I called the Viking and explained.  It was actually the same thing that the notary public had told me yesterday.  The Viking spoke to the representative who let me in, and again to me, saying that, unfortunately, fiscals in MNL do not always update themselves with the latest protocols.  The rep told me then, that if there was no other option, they would be willing to do it for me, but then I would have to follow procedure -- make an appointment.  The Viking would talk to 'his' fiscal on Monday.  I texted him that, actually, if I returned home 'this very minute', I could pass by the courthouse, get the whole pile apostilled, and then have ample time to drive over to DHL and send it off.  He told me we had better play it safe and just wait.  The last thing we need is for our cases to be refused due to technicalities.

Having found myself already in the north, it was therefore a simple decision to drive even further north and visit the windmill-rich area I had already driven through recently.  The weather was mostly grey, but the few blue patches gave me the most dreamy atmosphere I could imagine.  The little village of 't Zand is indeed a very sandy area.  I could not drive to the mill using the route I had chosen, but it could have been reachable by car, because I could see the miller's car.  I had to walk quite a bit to get to my chosen spot.  The miller and I greeted each other across the canal and he said I was welcome, but I would have had to go a round-about way to get to where he was, so I contented myself with shots across the water.  This is my favourite, but there's an extra which I particularly like.

Back home later in the afternoon, I read the wonderful email I had already fleetingly skimmed through before my early morning departure -- the most honourable court has granted our request to install an Administrator to handle the affairs of Jay, the fake company, and the entire estate.  Enter Doña!  When she will be sworn into the position is yet to be decided, but it won't be too long from now.  Actually, this is the part where I already 'won' way back in 2020, which Jay tried to sabotage by means of the very expensive bribe which he had paid the previous judge in 2021.  (COVID and corruption make a very bad combination.)  In fact, I was still parked near the embassy when Mimi and I had a short talk and she and I could not resist a wild-west 'yee-hah' in jubilation.  The moment Doña is sworn in, some very, very interesting possibilities will follow.  Of course, we will not yet jump up and down in celebration.  First things first, but my weekend can't get any better than this.  For now.

Seeing as my days at work are numbered (cue:  lively funeral music), I thought I'd book a little day trip across the border to a place I've never yet been.  You'll see in time where this will be.  In two weeks.

Again, thank you all for the honour of the past two days.  It's been quite a ride.  Tomorrow, weather conditions permitting, I might hit the road again.