The telephone rings, I answer it and there is a civil servant of Gennep on the line asking in a cynical way whether I am awake. I recognize the voice and know who I am talking to. The tone is set and after some small talk – a silly joke about civil servants and an even sillier remark about ‘the artist’, the why of this call becomes clear. I am asked to advise on the colours to be used on the Maasbrug in Gennep, which needs a new layer of paint. When I ask him when they need a response I am told that the paint job will start two weeks later and that the paint needs to be ordered quite soon. So time is limited. After having spoken my mind on the mils of local government grinding slowly, I promise to think about it and that I will call him back as soon as possible. I went to have a look at the bridge and later returned with a former neighbor who happened to own a boat. We sailed up and down under the bridge a few times and a few ideas popped into my head.