The path in front of the house will be renewed during the next few weeks, as well as the road on the other side of the edge. The huge machines are getting closer!
The machine below is shovelling all the bricks into piles for the dumper to collect. There is also a huge machine with a grabber on the front (for picking up the pallets of bricks). The grabber swings from side to side when it is driven at speed (often) and we all feel very scared when it comes towards us. I also saw a man doing wheelies whilst driving a small dumper truck! Irresponsible Dutchmen!
The roads and footpaths are paved so the work proceeds quite slowly, in comparison with the laying of bitumen roads. The thoroughness of the work is quite impressive. The workmen also clear away unwanted trees, roots and replace pipework where needed.
The bricks that are removed are not thrown away, but instead are washed and sorted and put onto pallets ready for replacing other roads and footpaths.
I always wondered how the canals are kept in pristine order. Usually the work is done in September so that the leaves from the trees can fall to the bottom of the canals in order to provide nourishment for the plant and animal life in the canals. They are running a little late in Houten this year. Luckily most of the trees still have leaves on them.
The machine below is shovelling all the bricks into piles for the dumper to collect. There is also a huge machine with a grabber on the front (for picking up the pallets of bricks). The grabber swings from side to side when it is driven at speed (often) and we all feel very scared when it comes towards us. I also saw a man doing wheelies whilst driving a small dumper truck! Irresponsible Dutchmen!
The roads and footpaths are paved so the work proceeds quite slowly, in comparison with the laying of bitumen roads. The thoroughness of the work is quite impressive. The workmen also clear away unwanted trees, roots and replace pipework where needed.
The bricks that are removed are not thrown away, but instead are washed and sorted and put onto pallets ready for replacing other roads and footpaths.
I always wondered how the canals are kept in pristine order. Usually the work is done in September so that the leaves from the trees can fall to the bottom of the canals in order to provide nourishment for the plant and animal life in the canals. They are running a little late in Houten this year. Luckily most of the trees still have leaves on them. The canals are cleaned out by using a flat bottomed boat which has a huge hedge clipper on one side and a spiked clearer at the front. The sides of the canals are cut back (trees, rushes and grass) and the spiked attachment on the front lifts all the debris and puts it into piles onto the banks of the canal. The water plants which have been growing all summer are also removed at the same time. Of course the roots of the plants are left behind for the next growing season.
As there are thousands and thousands of canals in Holland, the maintenance of canals is a major undertaking, but I think that the local councils and farmers are responsible for clearing out the canals in their areas. The overall supervision of work would all come under the State Water Authority though.
I would love some of the debris for my compost heap!
Raphy loves watching the water clearing machine.
Raphy also loves the park down the road, although I don't like all the large road building machines around there at the moment.
The park was but a brief interlude on our walks.
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