What a water. And there had already been so many cases. Deep tracks in the arable land can be seen everywhere. Farmers tried to get the last beets out. I recently saw a huge beet harvester stuck in the mud somewhere. Really sunk into it. Several tractors to pull out that gigantic harvester. When I saw another piece of black land a little further along with deep, wide ruts in it, I thought: Is the land too wet or are the machines too heavy?
Both must be true. The agricultural machines have not become smaller. And it hasn’t exactly stopped raining either. Although. In the summer it is much too dry. Then, you say, store the excess water. But that doesn’t seem to be possible or something. The water is drained to the IJsselmeer. That is now also full to the brim, I understand. Since the reclamation, the IJsselmeer is a lot smaller than it once was. And the Afsluitdijk is there. Has too much rain fallen or has the IJsselmeer become too small?
I drive on. Just into Germany. A hole appears in the clouds. Blue sky! A little later the sun even shows itself through the clouds. What a difference that is. A little sun does wonders for the mood. A few rays of sunshine suddenly transform a dark and rain-drenched forest from a depressing black-and-white photo into a hopeful oil painting from the Golden Age.
When I walk through that forest, I even hear a few birds. The wind sounds beautiful through the tall, bare trees. It smells wonderful in the forest. I walk in rubber boots through the soft mud. Reminds me of earlier. With rubber boots through the mud at the back of the field. You often came home with wet feet. Either because of the cuts in the boots at the heel, caused by putting them on and taking them off a lot, or because a boot got stuck in the mud, causing you to end up in the cold mud with one sock. Sometimes you ended up stretched out in the mud. The biggest fun. Giggling quickly home where mom said laughing: “Here’s Dirty Hendrik’s gang again.” Undress outside. Wear dry clothes and tea inside.
The wind is starting to blow harder again. The sun has disappeared behind the dark clouds. Another shower. Back to the car. I drive home drenched in rain. What a water.