1st March 2016 Spring has sprung [a leak.]

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Tuesday 1st March 32-35F, 0+2C, light wind, heavy overcast. The forecast is for the grey skies to continue with snow arriving late afternoon to fall all night and tomorrow. The wind is expected to gust to 12m/s [25mph] later. This is officially the first day of spring. Perhaps somebody should have emailed the weather gods?

The skies remained heavy as I collected muddy boots up on the fields overlooking our home. My insignificance in the grand scheme of things was my complete invisibility to the Head Gardener while She was staring out of the window. I shall take my blinding, Cree LED front light next time to see if that helps. This all started when She expressed the idea that she should be able to see me on my walks in front of the woods which crown the ridge. Unfortunately the shoulders of the hills and intervening hedges block the view for most of the time. I am also but a tiny fraction of the height of the soaring beech trees in the nearest woods. My drab green jacket doesn't aid my visibility either.

Short late afternoon ride straight into a bitterly cold wind. It was gusting to 25mph at 34F [+1C] and just stepping outside the door was enough for a quick rethink. On with my warmest jacket, my GripGrab medieval winter scull cap and my fleece neck sleeve. The latter is superb when one doesn't have a warm balaclava which actually fits comfortably. Mine squashes my ears and hurts where the sunglasses are crushed against my head.  A lot of palaver for only 7 miles.

Cruising at 16-17 coming home amongst the psycho, early finish commuters. GTGP does not make them any faster. It just means got to get past to the back of the next car in the gridlocked queue even when it means they try to drive between your rear wheels! Get a [real] life people! It's not all about you!

Tuesday 2nd 37-41F, 3-5C, heavy overcast, breezy and very wet. The overnight snow has largely been washed away by the rain. Promise of better weather after lunch. I'll try not to hold my breath that long... Three o'clock, pm, and the rain is only now, beginning to ease off slightly.

Traditional long farmhouse. Many Danish, rural buildings were thatched in the past. Part of the same building would usually be reserved for farming tasks. Though this area has often been converted to more domestic use when funds allowed. 

I was looking at the horribly kinked, rear gear cable and realised that the strands must have exceeded their yield point to have taken on such a permanent 'detour.' Only a carefully matched reversal of the local bending would undo the [frequently] untold damage to its former, perfect linearity. Life is too short even for this cable. It has become an ex-cable. It is is no more. Gone to the cable afterlife. I can't even exhume it as a front changer cable because the kinks are right behind the BB. They would find themselves on the vertical run between the BB guide and the changer. Oh, bøøger!


And now, in breaking news: I tried stretching the black sports bag on the rack but it was much too generous in the bum department. Overhanging badly it lacked any useful support from the rack. Perhaps that is why Carradice make their Bijou Camper Longflap so much shorter than their published spec? I could not bring myself to adding a plywood base to either rack, nor bag. Bøøger indeed! It never did stop raining. Nor did we get the promised sunshine. Another rest day.

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