Week 38
Suddenly (colder in) September
Last Sunday was the coldest September 18 on record, with the temperature reaching no more than 13.3 Celsius at the key De Bilt weather station near Utrecht, weather forecasters say. The previous record dates back to 1960, when the temperature was as low as 13.5 Celsius. Weeronline forecaster Johnny Willemsen points out that weather records about the cold are much rarer than those about high temperatures and the new record is the first in three years. So far, four warm weather records have been broken in 2022, Willemsen said.
Many people (including me!) are weighing up the possibility of a mild winter - no one knows, of course, but we're hoping for the best - slight odds in favour of a mild winter...
Rare but very cold winters, such as the Elfstedentocht winters of 1963 and 1985, pull the average down considerably. For example, the average temperature of all winters between 1902 and 2022 is 2.7 degrees. But the most common winter over the same period is milder at 3.0 to 3.5 degrees.
To put it in probabilities: Between 1902 and 2022, 68 winters were warmer than average and 53 winters colder than average. It offers no guarantees, but it does offer some guidance.
Around the farm
First fires - our cavity wall insulation seems already to be making a difference, although we have to see when it gets even colder.
Beanie on - needed for my walks
Raining again - seems to be back to "normal", ie wet! - but there are still problems with shipping on the major waterways.
Low Winter Sun - the usual warnings for drivers - have to get used to the sun being in your eyes
Winterising the boat - just about done with the boat this year - I'll be leaving it in the water and planning for the paint job at the end of next season - when the workshed won't need as much heating (that's the theory anyway). We'll be able to take off in March or April if we get a spell of reasonable weather.
Work
One of the "kids" up the road is suddenly old enough to come and work for us - she is still studying and it is a good chance to get some experience on the job. Our niece is pregnant and so will have to stop shortly - Janny is having to fill in more with the kids, so the extra person comes just in time.
Yesterday, I did 6 hours of bookkeeping, just to get up to date. We now have four methods of submitting our invoices - I'm still doing some the old-fashioned way - we used to send them in the post!, but at least they go by email now. I'm learning two of the other systems, so that I can take it over from Janny. The 4th system is called "The Matrix" (really?) - we both have to learn how that works. They all have (different) "security systems" - one of them only works on Janny's computer, so I have to change chairs for that one. For some of the emails, I first have to request a security code before entering the details.
As a welcome break from the computer, I had to cook dinner for the kids - they requested "Ken's Lasagne" - yay!
One of the kids is not a kid anymore - the "system" had to find a way for him to keep coming to us - he really loves it, and his mother wanted it, so they found a way...
He helped me cook the lasagne...he's old enough now that they might find somewhere for him to live - assisted living like Lucas and a few of our other departed kids. So, teaching him to cook is a small way of helping...
Apartment # 2
For the first time in years Apartment # 2 is empty. It is usually a matter of "one out, one in", but this year I had a bit of time to freshen it up a bit. The very basic toilet and shower facilities were "as is" for the last 20 years - it used to be a groups' accommodation, hence the old wash trough. The only addition here was a hot water tap and a washing machine tap and a power point.
So, really high time that I did something to make it more presentable. It has always been emergency accommodation for family separations or for people building a house, for example. We used it for the day care back in 2008, before we shifted to our current location.
I wrote an email to the local government asking if they were interested in it for housing Ukrainian refugees - something that I wanted to do if only to help in some small way. The young chap responsible came to have a look on Thursday - and was quite taken by it, compared to other places that he has been looking at.
140 m2 is much larger than usual - it may be possible to house 2 families.
He's gone away to think of a suitable compensation package - they have a standard list but it is "including gas and electricity", something that we don't want, given the current energy prices. We also have to take care that the income from the apartments doesn't exceed the limit for the Small Business Regulation regarding having to pay BTW (GST) on top. By keeping the energy costs separate they don't appear as income. More importantly, I won't have to police the useage.
As luck would have it, Janny had a phone call on the same day, from someone wanting a place for a couple who are looking to buy or rent. The housing shortage really is worthy of the name "crisis" at the moment - and rates high in the list of reasons why the current government is so unpopular. By rights, we only have a permit for groups accommodation, but the local government "turn a blind eye" because of the housing shortage. Our residents have to register with the local government as a matter of course - in order to qualify for any benefits they may be entitled to. The current refugee situation only exacerbates the housing problem and causes many people to exclaim "what about us"?
The original wash trough...
These plumbing fittings make it possible for aging do-it-yourselfers to do a bit of plumbing... it's pretty easy - I just have to "dare" to do it.
All the old stuff came out...
...and with heart in mouth, I started installing the new shower recess - not at all knowing if it was all going to come together...the fine print in the instructions for installing the PVC tiles said to use battens if the background is not stable - some of the tiles were just about falling off on one wall - the other wall was ok and surprisingly straight...
This took me a full day - it was probably a good thing that my "helper" had a day off - so I could just plod along at my own pace...
Each tile had to be glued and sealed with silicone - again the fine print said that they "couldn't guarantee" that it would be waterproof, otherwise.
I spent a couple of days mulling over what to use as the side wall of the shower...concrete blocks (which would also have to be lined), glass blocks, a glass panel, ???.
Then, at 2 o'clock in the morning!!, I woke up remembering that we had dismantled part of our shower block out the back and had stored some panels in another cubicle...
It had to be cut to size, but turned out to be perfect! Amazing how the brain goes to work (sometimes)...
I used the off-cut of the wall panel to make a work table and sorted out my tools - basically just the pipe work to go...
I've accumulated quite a lot of stuff over the years...so I didn't have to buy too much for this job...
3 packets of PVC wall tiles...
On Friday, I had to catch up with my paperwork!, but I wanted to install the wash basin, so that I can do the final plumbing on Monday - with my helper.
Old hand basin... (recycling)
" and we ain't seen nothing yet"
UN Secretary-General Addresses General Debate, 77th Session (English)
Worth a listen if you have the time.
In Netherlands politics - the Cabinet members stood up and left the chamber when one of the (elected) crazies started giving a speech advocating conspiracy theories and other rubbish - much more sly than Trump, but as usual the real danger lies in the fact that some people actually believe that their own salvation might lie in the hands of people like these.
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