22nd April 2019 Brown fog!

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Monday 22nd 50-65F, yet more of the amazingly warm and sunny weather. Denmark is officially at risk of drought after a lack of rain during April.

The fields and gardens are already dusty. I walked the spray tracks across a field in both directions just for a change of scenery. I watch out for Skylarks nests as I go but my boots are much smaller than the farmer's machines.

Tuesday 23rd 57-64[?]F, bright sunshine again but already blowing a gale. Expected to gust to 45mph later. Afternoon, heavy shopping in the car. There were brown dust clouds over most of the fields. Even those with crops growing.

Today's entertainment was provided by pig's muck spreading on a gargantuan scale. A huge machine was trundling along the spray tracks, arms outstretched and unreeling a huge, feed hose at it went. With such a strong wind at my back I was not really bothered by the smell. In the fierce sunlight I snapped away in the hope of at least one decent picture.

A tractor was busy collecting empty hose back onto its reels. While huge, 7-axle tankers kept arriving to refill the container with the massive, diesel, feed pump beside the road on the other side of the very large, but undulating field.

I have seen similar systems over the past couple of years but this one seemed to travel much more quickly. Though with frequent stops and reversals to cover the ground most efficiently. The sheer length of the arms made sense from a field coverage point of view. A million miles and well over half a century from watching muck spreaders in my youth.

Wednesday 24th 53F rather cloudy and still windy but the gales have much reduced. Only a tiny drop of the promised, overnight rain seems to have reached us. With the blue sky monopoly now broken where will the 9/10 drought warning take us? A walk to the lanes. The easterly wind was still strong enough to make it feel quite chilly.

Yesterday's brown clouds over the fields were ominous and potentially catastrophic for the farmers. Many of whom suffered a major loss on expected crop yields in last year's drought. Animals were going short on fodder.

Luckily this isn't climate change. Or that infinitely wise Mr [Al] Chump-one would surely admit it? Meanwhile all the scientists on a [Liberal/Commy/Pinko/Faggot] mission claim the Greenland ice melt is now in 6th gear of overdrive compared with 1980. When the melting was already well beyond any previous experience.

Plans for a short ride today were cancelled with the discovery of a flat rear tyre.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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