1st July 2019 "It's my errand..."

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Monday 1st July 62F and overcast. The forecast is cooler with some sunny periods. A warm walk to the lanes in a westerly breeze and warm sunshine. The same bird of prey was circling on the other side of the trees from the mink gulls again. Unfortunately it turned tail and flew out of sight on my arrival. This bird had the same, long, slender wings but rather mixed brown above with noticeably bright, yellow feet.

A baler and a wrapper went past behind large tractors so they are already harvesting somewhere. An odd morning, 70F at 11am, with some black clouds, gales and only brief glimpses of sunshine. I have an errand to run later so could sneak in a ride on the trike. "It's my errand and I'll ride if I want to, tra-la! 👶

There was even a heavy shower after lunch. Which was certainly not forecast. So the roads were wet in places as I rode to the shops. The temperature dropped like a stone in the shady forest! Going well with a diagonal tailwind allowing 21mph on the flat riding "furiously" into the village. Climbed a few rises out of the saddle just because I could. 10mph and a real struggle on the way home. As I hid under the top tube, but only as required, when the head-on gusts became really fierce. Only 7 miles.

I forgot to mention that all electric cars must henceforth have a folded piece of cardboard rubbing in the spokes. The intention is for the near-silent vehicles to make a noise like a cheap moped while in motion. Presumably in the vain hope that the odd OI!NB! [Obsessively Inattentive! Neck Bender!] will avoid being mown down when "walking suicidally while phoning." [WSWP]

A length of combine harvester twine, running back to the driver's position, will ensure that the vital "sound producing" card is inserted into the spikes only at lower speeds. At higher speeds I can personally confirm that cars, like the Tesla, are as noisy as common, or garden, 4WDs. All thanks to tyre noise from their unusually large wheels.

No doubt luxury models of electric car will insert a platinum credit card into the spokes on demand from a tug on a hand woven, finest silk cord. Just to prove their belonging firmly to the 1% as they pull up outside their 6 star hotels sounding like a rusting, 1950s Vespa, with a broken exhaust.

There is a great danger that more mundane, electric models will suffer from a critical lack of suitably noisy cardboard. The announcement on artificial, electric vehicle, noise producers [AEVNPs] coincides with a new law on sugary drinks packaging. Making them compulsorily returnable and recyclable against a fixed charge on purchase. Not a moment too soon, do I hear?

Fear not! If you run out of packaging cardboard for your EV, mid journey, then there's always the nearest verge. Where vast moraines of McSlobs packaging is bound to be available at no extra charge. Though you may want to don thick rubber gloves for your litter picking. Just in case there is any "genetic material" left on the packaging. We don't want any "nasty outbreaks," do we?

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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