Week 11 Whackamole

Week 11

Another slow week....although they somehow just keep rattling by! I'm late today because I had to catch up on the paperwork!

We had a taste of spring, but only for two days and then followed by a "normal" wet weekend.

We managed to do some pumpkin patch preparation.

This is what it looks like with the rain! Hope to avoid drowning everything this year.....

I also spent some time flattening out the mole hills...

Brother Ross sent me a link to a beaut story about English moles...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/08/mole-catchers-britain?utm_source=TractionNext&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Worm-Subscribe-140317

an excerpt....
"The idea of a professional who specialises in mole control can seem like a quaint relic from the past. In the 18th century mole-catchers were employed by every parish in England to keep the mole population under control. Catching these creatures required such skill that practitioners were remunerated more generously than surgeons. Mole-catchers zealously guarded their methods, divulging them only to their own children".

Last year, in France we discovered that the French will even take such extreme measures as blowing them up! It seemed too expensive at the time and we would always need to buy more supplies - but they are not availabe, or legal, in the The Netherlands.

A french advertisement...

http://www.detaupeur.com/

and an in English discussion group...

https://www.angloinfo.com/normandy/discussions/topic/937789

One of the readers had this to say....

"Had the same problem for nearly 8 years, best and latest trick was putting a little bit of dog poo down the holes, done this to every mole hill found on the land (12 acres), yes used up a lot of poo and it worked. No more Moles".

I do get a little help from Zoey. Maybe I could train her.......

Zoey and Possum (one of the cats) have both been known to catch moles. Janny's Dad used to be able to dig them out with a quick thrust of the shovel - after waiting and watching very quietly and patiently - usually around lunch time, he says!

He's too slow now - as are Zoey and Possum!

I even did some early mowing - this mower was brought with us from Oz. After 25 years it still starts 2nd time, every time. I have changed the spark plug ONCE - and then only because I thought I should!

Our elections......

All went OK..... and now comes the coalition forming. I rather like the idea that things are not always one way or the other: i.e. without the extremes. This means that they have to find some common ground if they want to have any say at all in the end result. On the downside, it takes a while for them to sort it out.

Friesland had 484 voting locations
In the Netherlands, 12.9 million could vote. 850,000 for the first time. Undecided voters not such a bad thing, says University of Amsterdam. They are generally taking time to better understand, rather than blindly following a particular choice.

We had a little discussion with our clients about voting. We weren't sure what arrangements are made for people with mental or physical handicaps, but in the newspaper the very next day there was this explanation.

18%of eligible voters have a light mental handicap (so many?) They may vote only if they can manage it alone. ie in the voting booth. Physically handicapped people may be helped into the booth.. Explanations can be given outside the booth. One of the biggest care organisations in Friesland produces a special client newspaper at election time, with simplified language.

At least we didn't get one of these...

Spring (Lente) is due on the 20th of March

The Weather Bureau

Begindatum van de lente valt niet altijd op de 21e van de maand. De lentedatum is van belang voor berekening van de datum van het paasfeest.

Vaak wordt gedacht dat de lente begint op 21 maart. Dit is niet zo. Sterker nog, alle komende jaren tot en met 2101 begint de astronomische lente niet op 21 maart, maar op 20 maart. In sommige jaren, zoals 2044 en 2048 begint de lente zelfs al op 19 maart.

Spring doesn't always fall on the 21st of March. The date is important in calculating Easter. It is often thought that the date is the 21st. This is not the case. In the coming years up to and including 2101 "astromical" Spring doesn't start on the 21st, but on the 20th. In some years, namely 2044 and 2048, Spring will start on the 19th.

New bird boxes

Janny's parents say that they have many more birds here than at their last house.

Enjoying the sun!

Ben's study timetable in Moscow (leaves 24th)