UKATANI

The Dutch revere their windmills. Here you see a restoration of the Varsseveld mill, about 3 km from Ukatani. Using modern methods.. High lift bucket and crane truck to rig and replace one of the longest beams, which had rotted. http://vaags.nl This company specializes in mill restoration and has an interesting website. (Open in Google Chrome browser and translate in settings) 8 The riggers have the beam perfectly balanced and rigged so that it swings right into place and a half metre spike pins it at the top and bottom. Here is the history of this mill, De Engel http://en.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=280

Techie  post for those blokes and shielas that may have inquisitive minds. The bathroom has a stand alone electric hot water heater. This heater holds 80 litres of water and has 2 heating elements. The Squire and his estate manager apparently consumated all the hot water for their morning ablutions.  After waiting all day for a hot water shower the mistress of the manor estate was thoroughly pissed off and a bit cranky. Squire and estate manager did not have a farking clue and had to consult the former owner/builder and the utility provider. The home heating system is a completely separate closed loop gas boiler that runs hot water through sub floor tubes and wall mounted radiators. It turns out that the 'smart' stand alone bathroom hot water heater is programmed to only heat water between 2300 hours and 0700 hours, when the electric rates are lower. It uses the 1k element to heat the water and it takes 7 hours to heat the water. Then there is also a mechanica...

Hammered in Heelweg Every barn workshop should have this hammer.

https://www.google.nl/search?q=fen&oq=fen&aqs=chrome.0.69i59.2106j0j7&client=tablet-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8 (For you uneducated rabble) 'T  HOGE VENNE' About a km or so from Ukatani is pretty good sized billabong. NL is a country of a lot of rules and regulations... being a 'boy from de bush', these rules do not apply to me. Roughly translated from the sign. THE BIG FEN Bird sanctuary and fishing hole Graphics :-  No loose dogs  No water toys  No swimming  No camp fires  No  music Fishing Ya gotta be a member of some club and have a license No night fishing Catch and release. Yer fishing in a sanctuary, don't leave any garbage Thank you very much Seems to work fer the Dutch, rode all around it and did not see any garbage, lots of water birds.

The region we are in is the Achterhoek, which means the 'back corner' of Holland and is in the east, near the German border. This is the flag we will be flying from our house flagpole on special occasions. (Along with the Dutch, Oz and Bahamian flags...

Setting up camp here....will make a campfire and put the 'billy' on.. Reference lyrics.... Aussie anthem, 'Waltzing Matilda'...Google it

This is the saga of de sofas.. There is an unfinished new veranda addition, as well as a huge underground bunker, (former workshop of previous owner) cellar at Ukatani. Cellar access is thru large door, on right and hatch. Maarten and I had ebiked to Lichtenvoorde about 6 k away to grocery shop at Aldi. On way home we found a second hand shop packed to the roof with furniture. We plopped into these very comfortable sofas and almost nodded off. We sent photo to M and she immediately  drove up and approved our purchase. We got both sofas for €60, delivered free and we installed them in the unfinished verandah, big mistake,  both sofas were banished, send below into the cellar. former workshop. Maarten has cleared out the huge cellar, which has 3 rooms and is making his living quarters and man cave/game/hobby workshop/gym.  The paneling is about 25 mm thick. The verandah is off limits and we have been informed that it is now a studio/plant ro...

This blog is for family and friends. Elly's is in a wonderful assisted care facility, in Velp about 30 minute drive. The kids show her photos on the laptop every day to try remind her of her family. We sing songs and play childhood games. This is my family now.

There are weekly markets in the local towns.  The number of stalls depends on the size of the town, or city. Not a livestock market, but fresh fruit, vegetables, breads, cheese, nuts, chicken, pork, olives, mushrooms, clothing, just about anything..  One vendor even has nothing but potatoes, I did not know that there were that many potato varieties. Lotte,  on the ticket is my fruit and vegetables lady. All this for under €20.  Blueberries, kg  €2.50, tomatoes, yellow and red, kg €2.50, mango €0.50, grapes, €2.50, pineapples €0.50, colored peppers, 5 for €1.0.... all this was under under €16. I usually go just before closing time and theyou practically give it away.

I open the link in Google Chrome, then, ->in top right 3 dots, share, ->google translate You may have to copy and paste the link, if is not live. https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varsseveld https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varsseveld A lot of history here. In Varsseveld, late Friday afternoon market.  Here you queue  politely  to wait your turn. We sat on the steps of the old town hall to eat our 'kibbeling' (delicious little bits of fish, fried in front of you)