Flower show from the virtual Time Machine

Yes, we are time traveling today via the days of external hard drives to five years in the past where people actually had to save pictures to a external hard drive instead of paying some CLOUD based company to save those photos for future generations.

I have never ever trusted totally the cloud, the capitalistic IT companies that will sell all my personal information without a blink of their digital eye.  I still maintain some control even now over my personal content. That is why I will not entertain ads on my blog for as long as I can hold out.  Thanks Kristia for the offer the other day to represent your SUP company in the UK but frankly us true paddling canoe and kayak people don’t and won’t step on one of those dangerous looking things. It is not personal.

I took a bike ride about a week ago to escape the house of isolation.  I posted beautiful pictures of the local fields and of the now shuttered Keukenhof bulb gardens.  I worked at the Keukenhof for five years when I first moved to the Netherlands. I was sad to see that it was sitting empty of the nearly 1 million tourist that visit in the nine weeks of Spring each year.

But…Never fear, all you tourist and fans who missed visiting the gardens this years due to the virus! My old boss (yes, Bart you are showing your age!) has now posted a Keukenhof on YouTube that each of you can follow and watch each week as the flowers start to bloom.

Some insider information about Bart.  He came to the Keukenhof from the largest plant auction house in the world in Aalsmeer.  He started his early career in the the USA! He visited the USA on a summer work visa in hopes to expand his English while deep in his agricultural study.  He worked in the citrus groves of Florida and soon found that his Spanish was better suited for the USA than his English. All the workers he worked with were highly trained migrant workers from Central America.  He once asked me why?  My answer was maybe a bit shocking but I still feel it holds true.  The Americans will not work hard labor jobs for low pay, just like the Dutch citizens!  That is why I worked in the postal area of the Keukenhof instead of the Public Affairs or as an English speaker guide for tourist.  Those higher paid jobs are held for the highly educated and well connected Dutch citizens.  If you are from outside the country you are suppose to start at the bottom of the barrel, no matter what your experience level or your education level prior to coming to this country. The truth hurts but it is the truth!

So please link to the Keukenhof site and watch the feel good video of the now empty gardens and realize that almost 1000 low paid, mostly from outside The Netherlands workers who have found a home here in the Netherlands, are now without work for the Spring season. The paid employees of the Keukenhof number is around 50, all of them are Dutch with a very few exceptions (I know one Irishman who works in the gardens and is really good at his job!)

The last year I worked for the gardens (2015), I remember my last day of walking for the last time out of the garden knowing I would not return. I took in the peaceful morning before the rush of tourists came through the gates on one of the less travelled pathways.

Here are a few pictures of that last year 2015 when I worked for the World Famous Keukenhof. Enjoy!

NOTE:  TO ALL DUTCH AND Non DUTCH TOURISTS THAT CAME TO THE LOCAL AREA OVER THIS EASTER WEEKEND TO VIEW THE FLOWER FIELDS…THANKS TO YOU… THE LOCALS ARE NOW UNABLE TO GET AROUND FREELY ON OUR BIKES TO THE PLACES WE NORMALLY GO. DUE TO YOUR INCONSIDERATE NEED TO VIEW THE FIELDS! NOW ALL ROADS ARE CLOSED TO EVERYONE!!!!

WHAT PART OF THE DUTCH PRIME MINISTER MESSAGE DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?

Please stay at home!!!!

DO NOT TRAVEL TO OUR AREA!!!!

Thank you from the owner and editor of The Cedar Journal.

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