5.11.2026

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  Thursday 5th 39F/4C [7.30] Misty again but not as bad as yesterday. It is supposed to be another sunny day. Peaking at 9C/48F. Light northwesterly breeze going westerly.

 Up at 7am after another night of weird dreams.  22C/72F in the room.

 Cooking class this morning. Chops, roast potatoes and rhubarb crumble. Hopefully the mist wont slow the drive too much. 

 I remembered to recharge the spare battery on the e-bike. I had run it right down to the lowest charge yesterday. Knowing that I had a half charged spare on the rack. The air temperature affects range as well. Leaving a battery flat will probably damage it. It is best to leave between 20 and 80% charge if it isn't to be used for a while.

The lower temperatures are affecting the fish in the greenhouse pond. The water temperature is just above 50F/10C. The fish have grown far more lethargic. Though they still gather for breakfast, lunch and teatime. There isn't remotely the same feeding frenzy. They will take only one or two pellets from the surface and then sink down for a munch and meditation. Goldfish have tiny stomachs. So overfeeding is possible in winter. 

 They spend a lot of time grazing on the algae growing on the tank wall. Or more often on the plants. So its not as if they will starve if not fed at all.  The Canadian pond weed almost fills the tank now. With the lily's floating leaves having settled on eight. It has taken over one corner. 

 The fish like to hide under the weed and seem to enjoy brushing through the fronds. There are still eight fish left. Ranging from a remarkably solid 20cm down to about 15cm.   

 After three decades of feeding wood burning stoves here, the heat pump has taken over. This will be its first winter. So I have no idea what the electricity bill will look like. It will certainly reduce the physical labour of buying, collecting and moving logs. Whether this is a good thing I am not sure. Carrying baskets of logs indoors was hard work and made me breathless. Avoiding that workload may not be beneficial.

 14.00 Back from cooking class. Where two of us made a huge pile of roast potatoes. By a very complicated route. Others made a complex sauce with chops. Desert was a very tasty rhubarb crumble.  

 I visited the Morris Minor specialist on the way home. I am hoping for a service next week. He is always so busy on restorations that it is difficult to fit me in.   

 16.00 Returning from a late afternoon ride into the village. To do some shopping. It felt very cold and my eyes and nose were streaming. Yet it was only 41F/5C. As a blinding, red sun just reached the horizon on my return journey. Low mist was forming on one sunken field but nowhere else. I had found the rush hour. A tractor was spraying close to the road! Will I survive? Or will I become a zombie?

  

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4.11.2026 54km and forced feeding!

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  Wednesday 4th 39F/4C [6.20] Dark. Thick mist! Wall to wall sunshine is promised. Peaking at 10C/50F.  Light northerly breeze going N-Easterly.

Up at 5.45 after lying awake for hours. Or was I dreaming I was awake? Repetitive dreams/worries about hedge clipping. 

 22C/72F in the room. I imagine the heat pump is working harder with lower outside temperatures. Which means more expensive electricity bills. We shall see. 

 Though cool, the weather points to a ride today. 

 The name BronzeBanen [The Bronze Track] has been chosen. For the new cycle and pedestrian path between Assens and Glamsbjerg. The name reflects several important Bronze Age sites close to the cycle path at Voldtofte. Which lies roughly midway along the route. 

 The 17.5km path is due to open officially at the start of 2027. There still being some roadworks required. To make all the road crossings as safe as possible. The old rails all had to be lifted and removed for conversion to a cycle path,. To allow a foundation bed of sand and then fine, self compacting gravel to be laid and rolled on top. As the wear surface.

 Meanwhile an increasing number of people are already enjoying the largely rural track. Both on foot and walking. Luckily, the route was still furnished with rails and sleepers until work started this year. Which ensured the entire route remained navigable and was not lost to local development. A private, rail trolley hire service ran on the rails for decades. These pedal trolleys may still be hired. For the stretch of existing railway track from Glamsbjerg to Tommerup St. Arguably over even more beautiful countryside. 

 8.30 The mist is clearing to sunshine. 

 14.10 Back from a 54km ride. It was lucky I took both bike batteries. The 1st battery died at around 30km. It showed 68% charge before leaving. I ate a Corny chocolate bar and drank a sub micro, organic apple juice at halfway.  

 I bought a 99% goose down jacket for 69kr or about £7.70. In a charity shop of course. I have owned about 25 down jackets over the years. I gave most of them back to charity shops. Which is where all, but two, originated. 

 I kept two jackets. One as the warmest for real emergencies. Like winter power cuts. The other as the smartest for casual, winter wear. This latest jacket may be warmer still.

 It is lucky that down is so compressible. First I squashed the air out and pushed the jacket into a carrier bag. Before squashing it some more and slipping it into a pannier bag. Once released at home the jacket instantly expanded. Back to its original size. It's a shame the hood is missing.

 Dinner was two pork chops, baked beans and brown mushrooms. It is cooking class tomorrow. I shan't need any dinner in the evening. So I had to use up the remaining chops.

 

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3.11.2026 A visitor prompted [late] Spring Cleaning.

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  Tuesday 3rd 47F/8C [8.20]  Overcast but some sunshine is promised. Breezy from the NE. Peaking around 10C/50F. 

 Up at 7.15 after a fairly quiet night with dreams. 22C/72F in the room.

 I am expecting my English friend to visit today. So a bit of spring cleaning is required. 

 10.00 I worked for three hours to make the place presentable. He left about 12.00.

 I collected yesterday's recycling bin and then had a late chat with my minder. 

 14.50  First sign of the sun today. I have to go shopping sometime.

 And did. Just as it was getting dark. The supermarket was packed with shoppers on their way home. I managed to stuff two full, carrier bags with groceries.

 Dinner was [non-organic] pork chops. Generous quantities for a less exorbitant price. I spoilt myself and had two. My first chance to use my inexpensive, digital, meat thermometer. Google said over 63C/145F. Then rest for 3 minutes. I didn't need a rest. I'd had a nap. 

 The chops were perfect. I added Danish baked beans and frozen chips to the sumptuous menu. And brown sauce on the chips. No expense spared at Chez Hovel.

  

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