25th December 2017 Was I there?

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Monday 25th Christmas Day, 45F, 7C, continuing mild, windy and wet. Nearly 8.30am and it is just beginning to get light! Only four times in 144 years has Christmas enjoyed such mild temperatures in Denmark.

Half hour walk in roaring wind but no rain yet. A single bird of prey flew off from a roadside tree.

Merry Christmas to my remaining, regulars readers and those who arrived  here by accident.

Rather than wait for the New Year I had better explain 2017 if only to myself. The year I became 70 but still felt and acted like a foolishly active teenager. Fears of a descent into senility were warded off by continued physical and mental exertion building a large and foolishly difficult project in the garden.

 

I have deliberately, with The Head Gardener's aid, greatly reduced my tricycling mileage. As my average speed slowed to 10mph [and beyond] my elapsed times away from home, had been stretching beyond the merely foolish. I hate camping so longer rides would soon need a B&B. I don't like other beds so not returning home at night was not really a serious option.

I have not stuck very firmly to my supposed subject matter of past years and have become angrier and more overtly political. Though hopefully couched in just enough [probably opaque] humour not to be a complete boor nor boring. The Head Gardener and I spend every day joking about something or other. Humour is our only real defense against the indefensible.

The World has not improved to match any reasonable expectations but becomes increasingly worse as a direct result of top-down idiocy. I keep wondering why anybody would encourage them by actually going out and voting. The blatant lies are the same lies of my own childhood. The empty promises are the same ones which bought them a seat on the self-fulfilling, musical chairs of the gravy train. Cut taxes and increase services? Sounds familiar? Why would anyone be taken in?

I hope my photography has continued to give pleasure to those who like my efforts. It may not be great art but it was never intended to be more than my sharing my love of the local countryside. I no longer have the will nor the strength to drag a DSLR and a bag of lenses around with me just to capture small birds on distant hills or trees.

I seem to have worn out all the local architecture so have settled largely on landscapes. My Lumix TZ7 continues to function from a very wobbly start with a suicidal screen. I have had to clean the sensor a few times from new. No big deal with quality YT videos to show the way and enough screwdrivers to sink a battleship. How big is your screwdriver drawer?

My weird sense of humour probably continues to be too obscure for many to follow.  It was ever thus. Given that I cannot remember more than one, single, childhood joke [sic] it is highly unlikely my readers will ever be rolling off their computer chairs with tears [of laughter] running down their faces. At least not because of any deliberate effort on my part.

I find humour everywhere. Most of it is usually accidental or inadvertent. Though I get no pleasure from watching people get physically hurt as a result of their own folly. I've been there myself. Though it doesn't stop me from stating the blindingly obvious.

Okay, lecture over. Let's get started on the beer and chocolates! Cheers! 😏

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