One last picture, taken in Akkrum on Sunday the 19th at 11:56PM when walking the dog – after we already had published our weekly blog. A dark cloud covers almost the entire sky, except a fairly wide strip at the horizon. An alienating effect.

We left Akkrum on Monday the 20th at 12:28 PM with the aim of reaching a nearby village called Terherne to find a possible painter to repaint our small vessel. We are moored here (https://www.leemburgwaterbouw.nl/scheepswerf.html), after a bit over a half hour cruise, to discuss the possibilities (next year) for an entire repaint of the outside. It turned out that we have to provide a painter ourselves. This photo shows a ship pulled onto the slope (above the yellow wheelhouse). That same afternoon we were visited by a painter (Tjitte Kneefel). An offer will follow. But we have doubts to be frank, because we prefer a repaint inside a building.

Later on that day we left Terherne at 7:16PM for a short cruise back towards Akkrum – but not completely. Before reaching Akkrum we turned left and moored at 7:48PM at the beginning of the Henshuisterdeel. See the map. (Thank you, Google Earth!)

Our ship is vaguely visible in the centre of this picture. This is what it looks like when walking the dog in the vast meadow next to our mooring place…

…and this is the view from where we are moored. In the middle of the photo the holiday park 'Tusken de Marren' (Between de Lakes), on the right the marine where we stayed for a few days. Further to the right Akkrum’s (inevitable) church tower is visible.

Here’s the view towards the crossing of the waterways Meinesloot/Meinesleat – It Deel – Henshuisterdeel. Sometimes real huge commercial ships use these waterways on/from their way of Akkrum’s industrial port. (And the bird was sheer luck!)

On the 21st of June around noon a rental boat occupied by four people, but also four(!) dogs -from the Czech Republic judging their flag (and hearing their speech)- moored next to us. The four dogs were let out in the spacious meadow between Akkrum and our temporary residence. The meadow is not only surrounded by wide, fairly clear waters, but there are also shallow, muddy ditches. The dogs jumped into these ditches and came out again 'as black as beetles'. After they had swam, one by one, in the clearer waters of the Henshuisterdeel, the whole company left again. Our dog (on a long leash) watched the swimming scene with the utmost interest. We only allow him to paddle (early) in the fairly clear Meinesleat. Early, because his thick fur dries slowly.

After four nights ‘in the middle of nowhere’ we left on Friday the 24th of June at 9:41AM. With good reason, too: our good friend(s) Ad (en Tineke) received very encouraging medical news. So there was every reason to celebrate! We moored around 11:49AM and the four of us had, in the evening of that same day, a very convivial dinner, modestly larded with a little alcohol. (‘Het Gerecht’, see https://gerechtheerenveen.nl/.)

Initially we had neighbours on an boat, called ‘Mercurius’ (the boat, that is). The party on that boat consisted of about ten men, visiting Heerenveen traditionally/annually because of ‘The Night of the Koemarkt’ (Koemarkt = Cow Market), Fryslân’s largest music event. (See: https://nightofthekoemarkt.com/.) It even is accessible for free! This year the summer edition was on the 24th and 25th of June. We had no idea and subsequently ‘fell with our noses in the butter’. (The xmas edition will be on 16 and 17 December 2022.) Anyway, our neighbours, who later moved to the more noisy part of Heerenveen's/It Hearrefean’s Heerensloot/Hearresleat, turned out to be very sociable men with a special fondness for our dog Jay. Each year a different theme applies to them; this year it was 'Freek Vonk' - a well-known Dutch animal expert/lover. Their boat was decorated with all kinds of (inflatable) animals.

A part of our neighbours – partying on Saturday evening. They kept inviting one of us, the dog walker, to party with them and even offered free beer. They had a really nice time together and their invitations were hard to resist. They left this afternoon, Sunday the 26th, around 3:00PM.

The city(‘s) canals were decorated as well. Under the watchful eye of Wim Duisenberg, a Heerenvener/It Hearrefeaner, the 1st president of the European Bank.