10th October 2014

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Thursday 10th 57F, 14C, very windy, with the trees in constant motion, overcast with thinner brightening, possible showers and sunny periods forecast. 4.5 miles in a couple of hours wandering through the woods. I disturbed a black squirrel on a track just as a large bird of prey swooped down. Breakfast missed? The sun stayed behind a huge plate of cloud while it was blue and feathery overhead. Mountains of ragged, grey cumulus threatened further north.

Rode an anticlockwise rural loop for 23 miles. Mostly a crosswind. The new stem seems to help. Going quite well.

Friday 10th 54-60F, 12-15C, cloudy and very windy. It brightened up but remained windy. 2.5 miles walk. I was overdressed for my afternoon ride. Only 14 miles but going well. Getting used to the new handlebar stem. My back and hip pain have receded again. The lanes were full of wind, conkers, beech nuts, twigs and leaves. Not necessarily in that order.

Saturday 11th 51-60F, 11-16C, light winds. Grey. 50 yard mist. Promises to brighten with lighter [20 mph] winds today. Morning walk. Saw a Jay.

Rode north after coffee and marmalade covered rolls. I reached my intended goal at 25 miles and hung about for ten minutes before heading home another way. I went all the way there just to photograph an attractive house. It had just been put up for sale at well below its supposed market value. Its fine architectural detailing and wonderful symmetry was becoming lost in stained, cracked and fading paint. My arrival coincided with sit-on lawnmowers destroying the weekend peace on every single, over-sized lawn in the small, isolated, rural hamlet!

As promised:  The restored farm windmill on Brolundvej. A winding, rural lane between Sønder Esterbølle and Veflinge. At a glance it looks as if the windmill it is resting on the trike. I deliberately drew back to take the photo to give a better interpretation of their relative sizes.

I soon discovered the reason for the low price set on this impressive country home. No rural community is too small not to enjoy its very own white trash. AKA neighbours from hell! Dogs barking, stinking bonfires, loud music, debris scattered across uncut, weed infested "lawns," chain saws with blunt chains and no exhaust cutting salvaged firewood, rusting vehicles, noisy cars or motorbikes and plenty of shouting? Check.

Sell up and move? Impossible with neighbours like these. The entire community goes rapidly downhill as interest is lost in maintenance and appearance. Previously desirable, family homes are sold for absolute peanuts. Or given away in forced auctions after going for years unsold. Making room for even more more white trash to move in. With no funds or the slightest interest in making improvements.

Their dysfunctional kids run riot at vast cost to society in inescapable stress, depression, lost potential, lost educational chances for others, lost creativity and taxes. Divorce, debt and misery to follow. Countless lives ruined. Human rights trashed. Property values slashed. The builders merchants lose more sales.The building trades lose more jobs.

Remember the butterfly effect. Your very own actions could be the trigger for the rapid descent into chaos and ruin. Potential home buyers get an instant and lasting first impression and leave immediately. Revenge is a sweet but incredibly short-lived delicacy. Let's be careful out there. There is no ladder long enough to escape from this living hell!

Yet again I was bombarded by small flies. I even managed to get a few in my mouth and my eyes. But the freshly laundered sunshine warmed the autumn leaves and penetrated deep between the dark trunks of the beech woods.

Sometimes, overcoming distance is more psychological than mere, extended effort. When the skies are grey and a cold headwind impedes me it can feel like I am trapped in a rolling bubble of tiredness and misery. Sunshine and gentle winds are much underrated. By those who do not cycle. Another fine and pleasant day out on the trike. A good day is when you don't even notice the hills. 56 miles.

Sunday 12th 53F, 12C, windy and overcast. It soon cleared to bright sunshine. Enjoyed a 3 mile walk. Disturbed a large, black and white bird of prey with long wings and extended fingers at the tips. A large bunch of crows or rooks were having a fierce argument out of sight in the forest tree tops. It went on for ages. The Salomon walking boots are no longer waterproof. My socks are sopping wet after every walk. Rode an anticlockwise shopping loop in bright sunshine. Variable wind. 17 miles.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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