August 8, 2026

Saturday. Left a little before 10:30. Blacksmith. Clear skies, a white smudge here and there. Warm. Light, apparently shifting winds. The usual Saturday traffic in town. Vecht westside; pleasure boat traffic, out-to-lunch fatbiker. Op Buuren, and a little impatient coming off the Oostwaarderbrug. Then Zuilense brug and Maarssenbroek. Haarrijnse plas and Rijneveldsche Boschpad. Past Gieltjesdorp toward the nature trail to Laag Nieuwkoop. Grass has been cut everywhere, in places perhaps earlier than normal, for example the west end of Gerverscop. Bike path to Woerden, then Cattenbroek, very peacful. Enough time to notice the partly-hidden, huge barns of the dairy producers. Achthoven to IJsseldijk and Meerlobrug. From the Nedereindseweg a farmer visible with his tractor, running a pump to spray water over his land. The water was black. Racers making the turn to Nedereindse Berg. Merwedekanaal back into town. Out-to-lunch fatbiker. Everything normal, except for the drought.