Week 19 Hemelvaart

Week 19

Another short week due to Hemelvaart (pronounced haymalfart). In English it is Ascension Day - 40 days after Easter.
Now, hemel is heaven and vaart comes from the verb varen (pronounced far-en) - which is also what we do on the boat (sailing, boating, travelling) - I think it has the same base as farer used in seafarer or wayfarer. I read a boating book recently called Faring to France on a Shoe, where the author used faring the same way as the Dutch use varen.
Oh well, I often muse about common origins of words... and this one even comes with a Public Holiday due to the "Heavenly Voyage"...or something.

Stuck in my ways...
I saw this byline on one of the cruising sites I look at now and then.

It's not that I'm set in my ways but it's taken me 70 years
to get it right and I'm not changin' now !

I hope I'm not too set in my ways, but it happens, I guess...

Measuring up a new panel for the boat...

And, because it is our free weekend we had some time for the boat, but just to do some cleaning up and a few odd jobs. It was too cold for Janny to get enthusiastic about going anywhere.

...to cover the hole where the new diesel heater is...

I just have to find or make a grill for the vent hose.

The aft cabin heating vent...

The salon vent...

And, most important of all, Janny loves it - I don't feel quite so guilty about spending (even) more money on "the boat".

Pride goeth before a fall...

(Mum used to say that...)

I think it applies to me daring to think how well my little tractor has gone over 15 years - Janny and I had been talking about the ride-on mower being 10 years old and that they are trying to sell us a new one. So, while I was mowing with the tractor, I began to think that it (the tractor) is 15 years old, including the mowing deck... and literally within seconds one of the drive belts broke!

I think they may have been replaced only once before when the tractor went away for a service (our nephew used to work at the garage).

I reckon it must be a job for the apprentice - it really takes some thinking, swearing and bruised knuckles to get the new belts back in place!

I cried for help from our nephew and he sent the photo back telling me which bolts to loosen in order to get enough slack for the belts... 

On electric cars...

The Government announced that they will be introducing road tax based on kilometres travelled...in 2030...just to give everyone time to get used to the idea.

Some research showed that the Government will be missing "Billions" of Euros from the Treasury if the Cash Cows (cars) no longer have to pay the huge taxes on fuel. (ie when everyone has to switch to electric).

Based on no research whatsoever, my own initial thoughts are that they could divide the Billions by the number of cars and simply charge every car so much per year. This, of course, would disadvantage poorer people who can barely afford a car in the first place. 

Based on kilometres alone, country dwellers (like us) would be disadvantaged because any trip has of necessity to be longer than a city dweller - eg to go to a supermarket, doctor or town centre (for us, Drachten).

I'm sure the boffins will work it all out...(I have mentioned before that the Dutch have been told (by the EU) to remove the excessive Special Tax on a new personal car - but, as far as I can gather, they just thumbed their nose at the directive and/or gave the tax another name).

In the veggie garden...

I made a standing herb garden out of old pallets and shade cloth. The clients have to cut slits in the cloth and insert the herbs... It is standing up so that we can use both sides, but there might be too much sun on one side. It could work just as well if it is laying flat. We'll work it out on Monday.

The beech trees have a beautiful fresh green colour at this time of the year...and sometimes it feels as though it just happens overnight.

Tassie the cat has a love/hate relationship with Boeke - she likes to tease him when she knows he's tied up...

It's still cold for May, but we can just about sit outside...

On Friday and Saturday, we went to the boat so that Janny could have a good go at cleaning - and emptying out cupboards containing all my stuff that might "come in handy". I had one small victory with "what on earth do you have a glue gun on board for?".

So, the grease pot for the stern shaft is permanently attached with a screw-down mechanism...

...but the pot itself is not the same diameter as the tubes that grease is sold in. But it IS the same size as normal glue and filler tubes. So, I cut the ends off an empty glue tube and filled it with grease and used the glue gun to fill the pot...without making as much mess as I would have otherwise!

A small victory as I watched most of my other "stuff" being carted away...or at least being put in plastic boxes to be stored in the bowels of the "Tardis".

And we're heading down again today (Sunday) to finish off

The Covid rules are easing off a bit. We had a sneaky 60th Birthday Party last night for one of the sisters in law - in a barn at the back of their farm - maintaining the distancing (mostly) but having more visitors than the permitted 2 or 3.

A few of my pumpkins are growing indoors, but it still feels too cold to be putting them outside.