The Windmill That Found a New Home

One of Gabriel's Christmas presents last year was a DIY windmill kit, the kind that promised fun, learning, and a bit of challenge. The goal was simple: build a working windmill that could power a red LED light. It sounded like the perfect mix of creativity and science, and we couldn’t wait to dive in.

We spread out all the tiny parts across the kitchen table—screws, blades, and a detailed instruction booklet. Gabriel was in charge of assembling the windmill’s blades, while I worked on figuring out the wiring for the LED light. After some trial and error (and a lot of patience), our windmill started to take shape.

When we finally finished, it was time to test it out. We stepped outside, hoping the breeze would cooperate. As the windmill blades began to spin, we held our breath. Suddenly, the little red LED flickered on! Success! The joy on Gabriel’s face was priceless. We’d actually managed to build something that worked—and it was so satisfying to see that red light glow after all our effort.

As proud as we were of our creation, we quickly realised that we needed somewhere with more space, and ideally, more wind to get the best out of it. That’s when we thought of Granny's garden. Not only does she have a big garden, but she also had a bit of a pigeon problem. The windmill could serve double duty—not only as a science project but also as a makeshift pigeon scarecrow.

And so, the windmill found its new home, proudly standing in Granny’s garden on top of the pergola, spinning in the wind and flashing its red LED to ward off the pigeons. Gabriel beamed with pride, knowing his work was out there protecting Granny’s garden form pigeons.

But here’s the kicker—at night, when the windmill’s red LED flickered in the dark, we couldn’t help but joke that it made Granny’s garden look like a mini landing strip for airplanes! The red light was so bright, we half-expected a plane to come down, mistaking it for a runway. Of course, it was all in good fun, and the windmill continues to stand guard, lighting up the night and keeping those pigeons at bay.

Who knew a simple Christmas present would teach us so much and bring so many laughs? Just goes to show, you never know where a little DIY project might take you!