12.02.2026 Snowstorm?

 ~?~

  Thursday 12th 31F/-1 [8.30] Heavily overcast, breezy and snowing lightly. A snow storm is forecast for 24 hours from the early hours of this morning. 59F/15C in the room. Stove lit.

 Up at 7.10 after lying awake, dreaming and clock watching. I was trying to decide whether I should go to cooking class. With the police warning against unnecessary travel. I can't get the car out through the existing snow from a week ago.  

 Had the trike been road ready and I was at least five years younger and much less wise. Perhaps. I rode though blizzards and traveled hundreds of kilometers over lying snow in the past. 

 Ironically the trike would have been the best bet of my various means of transort. Had I been fit enough. Amazing stability with countless tens of thousands of miles of riding experience. Two wheel drive to climb hills on snow and black ice on narrow 23mm HP slicks. Happy days! 

 These old images [from 2010] show shopping expeditions to the local village. Going the wrong long way through the forest by the very hilly route. Just for the sheer fun of it. I think the second picture was taken in -8C/18F temperatures. Both pictures show my old Higgins 'Ultralite.' Which I recently donated to a keen tricyclist over here in Denmark. Though I haven't seen any pictures on Facebook of it in use.

 Could I ride to the cooking class on my e-bike? As I do sometimes in warmer weather. I decided that walking 20km home on uncleared roads. Pushing my bike through slippery snow. Would not be very sensible. One fall on hidden ice and I could lose my independence.

 Living out in the sticks does not provide a useful bus service between random and widely spaced villages. [20km apart.] Assuming there was a normal bus service today. There are bus stops nearby but connecting the dots on the map is the problem.

 9.15 Time for a walk. I'll wear one of my day-glo, hi-viz jackets as a nod to the traffic. To make myself a clearer target. 

 9.45 Back again. A large, tipper truck with snow blade went past. Clearing the road on the opposite side. The hard packed snow was quite slippery on my uncleared side. I moved well back on the verge with each approaching vehicle. To avoid sudden changes of direction. Fortunately the traffic was much lighter than yesterday. 

 These two pictures are from this morning. Looking both ways along the snow covered road. 

 The same truck returned on the other side. Just as I reached the drive on my way home. There were the usual problems of drifting where there were no roadside hedges. Even after scraping the road conditions were completely against my riding my e-bike. Perhaps I should fit an electric motor to my Trykit trike? 

 10.00 While accumulation looks modest so far. It is reaching levels where it is spontaneously sliding, in slabs, off the lean-to, greenhouse roof. Which has quite a gentle slope and was clear earlier this morning. This saves me going out to use my squeegee on a long pole. To get more light indoors. While large quantities of snow are blowing repeatedly off the north side of the house roof. This is falling past a northern widow. Something I have never observed before. 

 11.30 32F/0C outside. The greenhouse is at 44F/6.7C. The snow is not only sliding off the greenhouse but dripping rapidly from the overhanging slabs. Which seems illogical given the outside temperature. There seems to be a hiatus in the snowfall. Which has hardly been impressive so for.  

 14.30 Still snowing lightly but dripping heavily from the overhanging snow on the greenhouse. The weather maps show solid snowfall over our area. With a large area of sleet to our south.

 It continued to snow lightly but is still accumulating.

  Dinner was a chop, mushrooms, peas, carrots, mashed potato and Bisto gravy.

 

  ~?~

11.02.2026 Cabin fever continued.

 ~?~

  Wednesday 11th 1F/-1C [8.15] Overcast with easterly winds and local wintry showers. 60F/15.6C in the room.

 Up at 7.20 after earlier clock watching. 

 8.50 Stove lit. 

 Tomorrow's snow storm is now centered in an E-W band on my location. Earlier forecasts placed it further north.  It will snow from early morning on Thursday to the same time on Friday morning. With easterly gales leading to drifting. Thursday morning should have been cooking class. Which I missed last time due to a flat tire. Even if I can reach the road through the snow on the drive. The roads may be in poor condition. By the time I head home again after lunch. 

 While I could cycle, the same problems arise. Avoiding the narrow and very hilly lanes of my usual route. Involves mostly high speed main roads. With no protection from cycle lanes or cycle paths over much of the distance. 

 The main road route is 21km. About 13 miles. The main roads are much more likely to be cleared and salted. Than the delightful, rural lanes I enjoy on sunny, summer mornings. The chances of any cycle lanes being cleared is even lower. Since it requires specialist, small and slow moving machines. 

 10.25 Returned from my walk. The usual resistance to forward motion on the crunchy snow on the drive. It is too heavy for me to shovel away over a 100m length. It will probably be joined by more snow tomorrow. 

 Meanwhile the road was clear and just damp. With lots of traffic. I stepped onto the snow vovered verge as most vehicles approached. A few waved their appreciation. A bird of prey was calling as I arrived back at home. Not so breathless today. Perhaps yesterday's ride cleared something.

 Dinner was an organic chop, mushrooms, an organic egg on toast and Heinz baked beans. 

 

  ~?~

10.02.2026 11km ride.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 10th 32F/0C [7.45] Heavy overcast and risk of local snow showers. 61F/16C in the room. I shall have to fetch the last of the logs from the trailer.

 Up at 7am after another busy night. The fire bucket is heavier each morning following increased water consumption. The weird and illogical dreams are just as realistic.  

 8.50 I have been struggling to bring in the last of the logs from the trailer. The snow is very resistant to wheelbarrow trundling. Particularly when loaded. I brought in all the beech flakes and waste wood as well. The snow in the drive near the greenhouse must be over 6" deep. 15cm. As much as 8" in places. 20cm. I am completely breathless. My chest is as bunged up now. As it was during my recent bout of cold/flu/Covid. Now I can finally light the stove.

 11.00 64F/18C. Once the stove was going well I checked the chestnut log. After 24 hours indoors the moisture content had vanished. It caught light instantly and is burning well. Probably being consumed much quicker than the usual beech logs. This means I need not panic about my rapidly reducing reserve of logs. I can bring in some of the huge pile of chestnut logs. 

 11.15 I can go for a walk now that I have recovered from fetching and stacking logs. I didn't get tired. Just breathless. 

 11.45 Back from my walk. The drive is still hard work. While the road is clear and just damp. The verges covered in firm snow. Yet again I was breathless. From just plodding along. A few short years ago I read that becoming breathless was desirable while walking. So I tried to walk fast enough to become breathless. I had to trot before that happened. Walking wasn't hard enough. Even on the hills.

 A new forecast claims a snow storm will now affect the whole country. The weather system is moving south. Bringing snow with it. Snow from early morning on Thursday. So it doesn't look like the cooking class is likely.

 13.20 Getting ready to ride into the village. To restock the larder. It will probably take some time to get rid of the next batch of snow. 

 That was odd. The chestnut log long outlived the beech log. Which went in at the same time.  

 14.30 Back from the village supermarket. Two bulging carriers bags full. Riding on the drive was difficult. Resistance and self steering of the broad tires on the stiff snow. 

 The roads were fine. The cycle lanes filled by the snow ploughs clearing the roads. A number of homeowners in the village hadn't cleared their pavements. As is required by law. They may be old farts.

 The supermarket cycle parking area and rack had not been cleared. The dropper saddle post is misbehaving. It may be the extended cold affecting the gas cylinder. My hands were cold. Even in the skiing gloves. I was not breathless at all during the ride. Which is at odds with my earlier walk and log transportation.

 The Thursday snow storm may change. They aren't showing any precipitation on the charts. So there is still hope. [Not really!]

 19.30 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast with halved tomatoes. 

 

  ~?~