Windmills are a symbol of the wide open spaces of the American west.  In May 1977, on the day the Aeromotor windmill was installed at our first off-grid home in western New Mexico, I was smitten.  Here was a mammoth metal giant with gears at its head, growling as it picked up speed, pumping clear, clean water into a stock tank below.  Mind you, my dislike of heights prevented me from ever climbing to the top. It was 33 feet high, and the third level was as high as I got, but the view was magnificent.  After we finished building the house, the sound of water splashing as the wind pumped it into the inside water tank was a source of constant reassurance. Precious water in a land of little rain.  I took this photograph with Kodachrome 25 transparency film.

windmill sunset at Bluewater Lake, NM

There was a natural kindred spirit with the windmills at Kinderdijk.  In New Mexico, we used the mill because there was too little water.  In Holland, there is too much and in the wrong places.  Different, yes, but the concept is the same - using wind to move water.  Below is a working drawing.  

Kinderdijk windmill part deux working drawing

One of the Kinderdijk windmills is open to the public, which allows visitors to climb the interior stairs to the top.  On the return trip down, we were required not to back down, but face away from the stairs.

Kinderdijk windmill part deux stairs

As the sun came out, you can see that the Kinderdijk mills are much taller than our Aeromotor.

Kinderdijk windmill part deux 1

A walking path between the windmills

Kinderdijk windmill part deux long shot

One last reflection of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kinderdijk or children dike

Kinderdijk windmill part deux reflection

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image