30.08.2026 Constructive procrastination.

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  Sunday 30th 60F/16C[8.00] Rain and increasingly heavy overcast. I have had to turn on the lights. Windy from the S-SW. 22C/71F in the room. 17C/63F in the greenhouse.  

 Up at 7.20 after drifting. 

 13.15 It has been absolutely tipping down for quite some time. 

 There was more of the same later. 

 I am summoning the will to take the recycling bin along the drive. I can do this. And done. Leaving me  completely breathless. What a hero!

 I have been looking for a bright strobe light to protect the mower from marauding cars. Or any other unexpected vehicle.

 A local electronics outlet has these: Which will probably fit on top of the mower but needs a 12V power supply. A battery pack [rechargeable power bank]  could be charged indoors and placed on the mower only when needed. There are other 12V strobe lights which are thinner and have a band of LEDS. Of similar modest price but again needing external power. They are designed for adding to heavy vehicles and tractors for emergencies. Or simply to ensure they are seen.

 Dinner was 10 minute [and then chilled for 5 minutes] boiled eggs on wholemeal bread rolls. Nearly perfect. Next time I'm boiling three eggs! 

 

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29.08.2026 Of pots and weeds.

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  Saturday 29th 60F/16C [7.30] Heavy overcast as a second day of rain is forecast. It didn't rain until 6pm yesterday. Then tipped down with lightning and only a little thunder. Windy again. Gusting to 12m/s from the SW.

 Up at 6.45 after chasing the clock all night. I had three hours of naps yesterday evening after becoming dizzy. Which meant lots of lying awake and trying to sleep. I feel a bit dull this morning.

 Grocery shopping beckons. It will have to be in the car. Given the soggy weather forecast.

 Some of my outdoor potted plants blew over. So they now stand in larger, square, plastic pots for stability. I haven't made up my mind whether, or rather where, to plant them out yet. 

 11.30 Back from a drive into the village. Rain on the way but it soon stopped. Windy too. Groceries plus I found a hefty, outdoor, ceramic pot from a flea market. 25kroner is less than £3. 

Oh, and a nice, glass decanter from the charity shop. For my daily 1 liter drinking water allowance/requirement. On top of tea and coffee of course. I had better rinse the bottle well first. Even though it looks unused. The plastic stopper seal suggests modern. An unwanted present?

 No tell-tail stains anywhere. I'll start with hot, not boiling water and washing up liquid. Rinse well, then baking soda and water. The Internet can't be wrong. Can it?

 12.30 I have topped up the greenhouse pond. The water level had dropped by 10cm/4" over some time. I use a garden hose and spray head to oxygenate the in-going water. 

 No need to worry about water temperature with such a large volume. 123x166 x 70cm = 1430 liters Raising the water level to 80cm exceeds the nominal 1500 liters. I am ignoring the tapered sides here. I keep an eye on the refill proceedings to make sure I don't cause a flood. Though the pair of woodworking clamps on the hose keep everything secure. 

 14.30 I have been pulling weeds on the flower bed. Mostly Rosebay willowherb. Until I was hot a breathless in the sunshine. Despite it blowing a gale.

 Followed by setting the robot mower to go along the drive. It gets better every time. Reaching further and covering the full width. 

 Dinner was chicken curry. I made far too much. Had to leave two spoons full. 

  

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28.08.2026 And again.

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  Friday 28th 64F/18C [7.40] Overcast. A day of heavy rain. Up to 26mm or 1". With thunder and cloudbursts possible. Peaking at 19C/66F in highly variable temperature swings. 22C/71F in the room.18C in the closed greenhouse.

 Up at 7am after a fairly quiet night.  The dizziness before the very early bedtime gradually receded. I had gone to bed fully clothed because I was shivering. Which meant that I was soon sweating profusely. 

 Spent the day on the computer. Dizzy at 5pm. Went to bed for a nap and slept until 8pm. In three stages.

 It stayed dry all day and then tipped down at 6pm. 

 No dinner. I am having a digestive biscuit and a cup of tea in recovery mode. 

Picture of plums fallen from a single tree. 

 

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