The wind tickles the willow and oak that surround me. The trees, while hearty and tall (like the Dutch who tend them), have not been here very long (from Mother Earth’s perspective). 900 years ago they would not have been allowed to take root. The mill I’ve been sleeping in needed to feed on all the wind, so that she could pump the waters nearby.

A horny bull locked up in a barn calls out to any heifer who’d have him while a herd of cows gather in the meadow outside. They roll their eyes and look at each other mooing “which one of us will have to bear this fool’s child?”

Meanwhile a pack of mother hens and their one proud rooster bitch at Badger and me for sitting in ‘their’ spot by the dyke. A wounded peacock sings to no one in the distance and ducks glide across lily pads teasing Badger because they know I will not allow him to chase them.

I am, once again, blessed to have the time and means to inhale the good our world has to offer us, and I am surrounded by so much old and new. We’re in a remote village in South Holland flanked by dairy and sheep farms. The old windmill we’ve been sleeping in no longer has its blades, nor is she expected to do anything more than charm and warm the tourists who visit her. And that she does.

Since this is the summer of Covid, we’re not planning any flights or major city outings. We’re just going from countryside to countryside, and we couldn’t be happier. Last week we were in the Ardennes hiking its woods and checking out the ruins of man, from megaliths to cemeteries and castles.

This week it’s the Netherlands, in two days it’ll be Luxembourg. We are also happy to announce that our new vehicle has arrived, which is why we’re able to once again go from countryside to countryside. Badger is quite happy to have all of the extra room in the back. It’s a bit bigger than our VW Golf, and I’m happy to report I can park it in our tiny garage.

Sadly our time at the windmill is nearing its end. We have to check out in less than an hour, but it’s all good we will be back. Next up: we’re meeting Jordy and Wilber (who just flew in from Seoul) for lunch at Gouda, yum yum!

Since I’m running out of quiet time (have to clean and pack up), here’s a photo dump on our lovely little home away from home. Since this is a little over a two hour drive from Mons, we will most certainly be back.

I highly, highly recommend staying here if you can. Click on the website link below — don’t worry there’s an English option as well. https://www.deouwemeulen.nl