May 2019 Zeeland, MI

 

May 2019 Birthday Rally Report – click here to read.

I lost the photos that Joe Gillen took around the campground so you’ll have to take your smiles to the June rally in Shipshewana.  Dan DePrekel took this shot at the campground:

The photos below were taken by Steve Johnson at the De Zwaan windmill and gardens in Holland, Michigan.

Why is there a Dutch windmill in Holland, Michigan? Read below to find out.
They said that the Netherlands had 9000 windmills before World War 2 but only 900 after. That is why they are now considered to be national monuments.
The brick base making up the lowest three floors of the windmill was needed in Holland, Michigan to raise the blades so that they could catch the wind blowing over the top of the tree line. This windmill’s original location was on top of a hill so the lower floors were not necessary there.
The large wheel behind Jerry, Becky and Bea is turned by hand to winch the upper part of the windmill around the base so that the blades face into the wind.
The windmill blades can have canvas “sails” attached to catch more wind.
The gear on the left is shoved to the right to mesh with the larger gear when the mill stone is to be driven.
This large gear (8-10 feet in diameter) is driven by the windmill and powers the mill stone.
The chute at the top drops wheat or corn into the space between the fixed and rotating mill stones where it is ground into flour.
Looking out a window near the top of the windmill you can see some of the fields of tulips below.
Tulips in every color and style that you can imagine.
Becky Johnson and Bea Newman tip toe through the tulips.
Bea and Jerry Newman
Becky and Steve Johnson
Holland, Michigan plants about 500,000 tulip bulbs each year since the resulting flowers look their best in their first flowering season. The bulbs are dug up and given to volunteers who will repeat the process each year.