25th October 2016 Tail end Charlie.

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Wednesday 26th 41-47F, 5-8C. Very, very dark. I have cold-like symptoms. Short walk to the village and back. It's like 'Silent Spring' around here. Where are the birds today? A short outing in the car to fetch fuel for the stove. The beech split logs we bought as "stove ready" were so damp they caused an instant glaze over the inside of the stove and chimney. Even when finely split as kindling the wood would not burn! So it's back to the imported, compressed  "chipboard" bricks from the supermarket. I was looking at turbine cowls to see if they would help with our down droughts. Rotary cowls cost three to four times as much here compared with normal UK prices! They look identical to the Polish ones sold on eBay[UK] and Amazon[UK]. Too busy for a ride.

Thursday 27th 50-54F, 10-12C, still, dark, overcast, dry and calm. Meant to brighten up later but rather breezy from the SW. I am reliably informed that ChokerColour© sales are plummeting. Hopefully not too late for a class action for genocide? There was also another story in the news about air passengers being charged on their weight. Odd, isn't it? You get a tight carry-on weight allowance but physically carrying a second [or third] person onto the plane is not worthy of financial sanction? Nor even being charged for blatant, people smuggling? Shouldn't they need to carry two or even three passports? As in; "He's with me."

Coprinus comatus? Shaggy ink cap.

A walk along the side of the marsh, along the edge of the forest and then back long the track across the prairie. I disturbed hundreds of duck but completely missed capturing their flight. There seemed to be a lot of herons about today. I could hear shooting in the woods but with one ear now deaf I had no idea as to their direction. The quack has fixed me up with a specialist to have a poke around in there. I just hope that if I end up with a hearing aid it won't increase my frontal area. And, what about wind noise? Busy having a rest day.

Friday 28th 50-54F, 10-12C, breezy, rain at first clearing to weak sunshine. No walk but a 16 mile ride to buy a loaf. It was quite pleasant in the sunshine.

Saturday 29th 45F, 7C, calm with breezy periods, cloudy but clear sky in places. Early drizzle. The forecast is dry with sunshine. A strong and gusty crosswind was blowing when I left on my trike. Fortunately I was gently turning it into a tailwind and was doing 28mph on the flat for about a mile. It couldn't last and the return leg was very hard work for 6-8mph at times. A couple of strong club riders overtook me on carbon bikes and mentioned the headwind in passing. They were too polite to mention the huge sports bag full of shopping hanging out to just clear my rear wheels on either side. I really must find another way of doing this. 16 miles.

Sunday 30th 40-48F, 4-9C, calm and bright with sunshine. Walked to the village and back in very light traffic. Still feeling under the weather with a regular cough and dripping tonsils. Rest day.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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