28th December 2016 Medieval treasures missed.

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Wednesday 28th 41F, 5C, clear with lighter winds but rapidly moving clouds. The cloud came and went as I walked the forest loop anticlockwise for a change. A solitary goose seemed to be having a hard time making headway against the gentle westerly. Moments later two, high speed ducks had time to laugh at me from 200 feet overhead as I trudged along the road towards my sharp exit. Two Whooper swans then followed them panting loudly. Only to return an hour later complaining bitterly about ducks spreading idle rumours about free food.

Three quite large deer loped off across a field as I popped out from behind an obscuring hedge. Their usual buff-coloured bums as white as snow against the dark forest. As they paused to see if I really posed an imminent threat in my bright orange jacket. The week after Christmas seems to be the highlight of the hunting season. With a gaggle of cars and vans parked up in a quiet lane in readiness for the getaway after the slaughter. Gunfire could be heard off in different directions but seemed distant enough not to worry unduly. The beech forest seemed drab and threadbare today. With its bleached, grassy tussocks and low brambles under an open, grey canopy. I don't know why brambles are making such headway under the usual dense beech umbrella but they are definitely spreading.

I captured a large heron sitting motionless in a distant field as a tiny white stick. A much closer view was provided by the heron flying off from my neighbour's goldfish pond. [Again!] I hope my moody images aren't too depressing. All attempts to brighten them robbed them of their detail and quiet drama. I guess you had to be there.

The contemplative Heron.

One of my Smart "Superflash"rear lights has gone flaky. So I replaced the batteries with new. [I  checked the voltage of new and old with a DMM] Sometimes the light works and sometimes it doesn't. Life's too short to be messing with unreliable lights. Life could suddenly get much shorter without lights! Not to mention the risk of a fine. More expense and I hardly ever ride at night.

Late morning ride with a tail crosswind into bright sunshine. Roads littered with fallen twigs and small branches. Which is a shame because the council swept some of the villages before Christmas. First time in ages, so the archeologists must have missed out on some fairly decent, medieval treasures. Supermarkets packed with very long queues. Cross headwind becoming a direct headwind on the way back. 15 miles.

Thursday 29th 39F, 4C, light winds and very heavy overcast.  I checked the "Smart" light again this morning and it worked as expected. Damp evaporation?

I hear the banks are phasing out cheques. How will overseas members pay their subs to clubs and associations? 

Denmark's road death increased to well over 200 this year with still a couple of days of drunken revelry left. Researchers into traffic accidents suggest an increase in mileage is due to better economic conditions. More miles increases the statistical danger of having an accident. If only one could be sure that using a mobile phone caused the death of the driver that would be evolution at work. Sadly the phone abusing driver may not be the actual victim. Which distorts Darwin's results in favour of the morons.

The fines for mobile phone abuse behind the wheel remain insignificant. [UK:£200 DK:£150] So one can safely assume that the politicians themselves are regular abusers. It's not so much the expense of paying the fines but more of a desire to increase overall, mobile phone abuse. So their own abuse, if it should be noticed, is safely lost in the statistics. After all, the fines are probably covered by their expense accounts anyway. Everything else is. Rest day, busy at home under heavy grey skies.

Click on any image for an enlargement. 

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