Windmill Number 1, Aarlanderveen

'Aarlanderveen' = 'Arlander-veyn' (and not '-vien')

A rather straightforward name!
The name of the polder is the Westside Polder in Aarlanderveen.
Three windmills in a row but far apart from each other are needed to maintain this polder because the water has to go down three levels.
Logically, the other windmills are Number 2 and Number 3.
I could see them in the distance and I could even have walked to Number 2, but...

The wind must have been 6 Beaufort.  It was blowing so hard that I almost toppled on the polder as I squelched through it.  So much water and mud!  After I had parked my car on the narrow dike, I took immediate advantage of the open gate and almost went ankle-high on the swampy ground.  And what was that noise?!  The windmill sails were turning in the strong wind, almost like an electric fan at half the speed, and the clouds were scudding across the blue sky so quickly that the sunlight was inconsistent.  Next to the windmill were three babies, all of them turning at top speed.  It took me more than half an hour to complete the photo shoot which resulted in 51 shots, half of them taken blindly because my hair was blowing in all directions, and I had to pause every time to wait for a cloud to pass or for the wind to die down a bit or for a sail to hit vertical position, but also to secure my footing on the polder.  It was quite tiring and the wind was cold, but I had my fun for today.  So many ooohs and aahhhs!  And the little ones were so cute!  Three extras.

Back home, the usuals of housekeeping and kitchen duties, and after dinner Beau fetched AW for their usual Thursday evening bridge.

Thankful for fabulous weather!  I did want to go further north to the bulb fields, but, as the song goes, 'clouds got in my way'.  It is not easy to plan such a trip when the skies are unpredictable.  Even today's adventure was almost last-minute.  Thankful for chances!