28th August 2019 Warm!

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Wednesday 28th 70F, rather overcast but brightening steadily. Almost no wind. Walked to the village. Saw the second pedestrian in two days! This is becoming a habit and probably only due to the fine, warm weather. Over one hundred swallows were milling around a small stand of birches in the village.

Drove to the traffic jams in the city to buy some bulky stuff. It was awful! I could easily have walked across town faster than I drove. Queues everywhere and massive building and roadworks. Lots of electric scooters around. Only one idiot showing off [badly] to the traffic queues.

Thursday 29th 67-78F, overcast and showers. Some heavy. A dreadful night with the temperature indoors over 80F and writhing in a sweat bath even without bedclothes. I got up at 3.0am and put on an office fan to blow gently into the bedroom. One window was left open and the temperature had dropped by 2F overnight. It was far more comfortable after that and I slept well until 7.0am.

It remained dry for my walk to the lanes and then back over the highest humps in the field. New viewpoints are rarely available.

Friday 30th 65-73?F, bright but rather cloudy. Walked to the lanes and back along the edge of the stubble field to avoid the traffic. My new, Overboard "saddlebag" has vanished into the ether. No tracking updates for two whole days. No weekend delivery service. Shall we say September?

Saturday 31st 61-78F, bright but milky sky. My new Overboard bag has passed into/through the hands of a transport company with a 75% score of negative online reviews on its way from the UK. A walk around the block did not cure my bad back. It is warm, bright, misty and very muggy at 67F at 10am. Saw several birds of prey including a Red kite on my walk. Hundreds of sparrows are congregating.

Late morning ride to more distant shops. Headwind going. Chased by a mutt resembling a terrier. When it couldn't catch me it walked off into the illegally fast moving traffic and caused general mayhem. Fortunately the owner didn't miss working on her tan and continued undeterred despite the vicious barking right outside the garden.

Breezy coming back. Saw several more birds of prey in the air. A Goshawk, a Buzzard and something in beige in between. 15 miles, going remarkably well considering my recent, self-imposed  back pain. Lots of people and cyclists enjoying the fine weather. The cloud has relinquished its hold to provide clear, blue skies.
 

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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27th August 2019 Baling woes.

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Tuesday 27th 66-82F, overcast clearing to sunshine. More hot weather forecast but now with the potential for cloudbursts and thunder. It was "snowing" yesterday as they harvested oil seed rape in the fields all around us. You would not believe the vast clouds of dust!

A baler was trundling around the harvested fields. So I snapped away at a distance. Then decided to walk briskly around the block to catch him the other side. Only to discover he had broken down. The journey is the thing. 

I had better finish rebuilding the trike. I found the bearing covers for the rear, gear changer pulleys in the bottom of the rinsing tub. Those will only take a few minutes extra to fit. Because I had already cleaned the mechanism. The pulleys were almost locked up and the central bearing surfaces appeared rusty.

I tend to spray chain lubricant liberally at the pulleys whenever I oil the chain. The chain lubricant obviously isn't getting into the pulley [plain] bearings thanks to the metal covers. Ordinary bicycle oil is probably better at finding its way in there. Or grease packing?

The pressed metal covers sit in narrow, concentric grooves in the pulleys. So there is a difficult route for fluids both in and out. Perhaps Campag greases them in the factory and then expects regular maintenance? Could that be the reason for the over-fussy mouldings of the plastic pulleys? They want the end-user to keep everything clean. Or to keep replacing the pulleys. I need a better degreasant. I have just used up  the last of a spray can of engine cleaner. Several applications, leaving it to soak in, brushing well and then rinsing thoroughly still leaves a lot of dirt behind.

After a ride to confirm all was well I set off for a short shopping trip.  Only 7 miles plus one. I really missed my big, yellow bag! Had to make to do with the tiny, Carradice, Camper Longflap. With two other bags sliding about on top.

There was very localized rain while I was out. Every time I came out of a supermarket [all with AC] it felt like a sauna outside. The baler was busy again on my return. A long, hot afternoon tidying the garden and trying to stay in the shade.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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26th August 2019 And there it was, gone.

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Monday 26th 66-83F, overcast but sunny periods promised. Are we really headed for a 32C [90F] record breaking heatwave? Or just a 27C, unusually warm, early autumn day? DMI or TV2? Take your pick.

A walk to the lanes and then a meandering wander back over the harvested fields. Trying to capture some different viewpoints but badly. The flattened, crop-filled fields, which had looked all but abandoned only yesterday, are now suddenly bare.

A tracked, stealth Claas harvester was hiding in a hedgerow to avoid being nuked by Chump over the non-Greenland sale spat. The Head Gardener asked why they are all called Claas. I suppose it does show a lack of imagination. Particularly when one has reached Claas 760! Perhaps it is to confuse Chump's cruise missiles?

Apologies for going off-topic but yellow saddlebags are in temporary short supply. I'm pedalling as hard as I can. Instead of a ride I decided to clean the rear axle assembly, transmission and Trykit 2WD components. I have a new chain waiting in the shed.

The supermarket sourced, disposable gloves, both latex and nitrile are hopeless. No strength at all. They barely last a minute or two. I suppose that's why they are called "disposable." Presumably they have much better quality gloves in hospitals.

It was warm working out of doors at 83F. I eventually moved into the shade. I stripped the chainset, 11 speed cassette and the whole rear axles assembly to get everything properly clean. Cassettes are easy to rebuild if you keep the thinnest groove/ridge towards you. I could hardly believe how light the trike felt without the lock, bag and rack. It also looked very smart with clean rear legs. [Seat stays.]

I ended up ordering a new Overboard bag from the UK. I just hope it is the one with the outside net pocket for my 70kg Dreadnought Class Abus mini-U lock or I shall be very cross. The description exactly matches my expectations. It seems odd that only Overboard ticks all the boxes at once.

Avoid any bags with zips. They die all too soon in my years of experience as a shopper with a whole series of sports bags. Straight zips mean very poor access and it only gets worse as the load increases. A U-zip puts heavy loads on the zip to keep the bag's shape together.

A roll top is absolutely perfect for a saddle bag. The rear of the saddle overhangs the bag so you need a trunk to guide things safely and quickly into whole area of the bag. The trunk also allows an easy doubling of capacity. While simultaneously allowing the minimum frontal area and wind drag as the bag is rolled down tight at other times.

Cloth strap handles are great if the bag sits naturally on its base. Because you can slip one handle over the saddle to support any load and provide extra security. The other can be used down below the bag for extra security. Either fold the other handle out of the way. Or cut it off if you have a permanently fixed bag and lots of other means of securing the bag to the rack. Most shoulder straps are easily removable with clips these days. So they don't get in the way of a fixed bag. I like a fixed bag because my trike is rarely left alone for long. Those who park their trike unattended for lengthy periods may consider this too much of a risk.

Perhaps Denmark is low risk or perhaps I have just been very lucky. All the standard straps and fixings I deliberately use on the Overboard do make it almost impossible to remove the bag without a sharp knife. Zip ties are not quick release for most people. I don't leave valuables in the bag and flatten it as much as possible when I visit the city.

The image shows the dramatic loss of area let alone capacity. This is the largest conventional saddlebag by Carradice. The 40 liter, Overboard bag covers the entire tray well enough to make the tray invisible.

Then I carry an Abus security chain as well as the U-lock. Front wheel security with the U-lock. The chain fixes the trike to the bike rack or something immovable. Never a bollard! City visits are rare. I am usually parked outside supermarkets in rural villages.

Common sense suggests placing the trike somewhere highly visible. Preferably where it can be monitored from inside the shop. Though not all shop architects give a shit for bike security. They will allow their Audi to be parked with the bumper literally inside the sliding doors but the bike rack is often hidden out of sight.

Click on any image for a big one.

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23rd August 2019 Pleasantly warm and dry.

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Saturday 24th 60-77F, bright start after early mist. Warm and sunny forecast. Just my usual, 40 minute walk to the lanes. The health news is that athletes are destroying their teeth with sugar loaded energy drinks, gels and bars. Despite being far more dental hygiene orientated, than the average person, they are providing a perfect environment for tooth decay.

Woodwork in the morning. Loading a trailer full of gravel by shovel in the afternoon. Then distributed the gravel again by shovel.I hope I don't have a bad back tomorrow!

Sunday 25th 61-82F, easterly breeze. Not feeling too bad after yesterday's exercise. I'm hoping for a ride later. I seem to have got away with the gravel foolishness. An hour and half walk up to the woods in just a T-shirt. Up and down the steep tracks. Then back along the road helped to untie a few tight knots.

My trousers were saturated up to the knees from the heavy dew and covered in grass seeds and sticky burrs. I may have become an accidental green terror-wotsit if any of these seeds hatch! If The Head Gardner spots the problem I could be banished from Chez Hovel.

Already 71F before 10am. It is supposed to reach 80F today. A darkly tanned cyclist on a racing bike went past, without a helmet and ignored my greeting. Perhaps I was invisible without my trike under me? 82F by 13.20pm. Expected to reach 30C in the next two days. Too tired for a ride after the gravel fiasco.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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22nd August 2019. Overboard duffle/saddlebag replacement?

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Thursday 22nd 56-73F but warming quickly. Bright but rather cloudy. It has reached 68F as I finish morning coffee at 11.00. A walk to the lanes being followed by the easterly wind. A slightly cooling headwind on the way back. It reached a warm 73F as I worked on a project at home.

Friday 23rd 61-73F, bright overcast and breezy. A flock of about a hundred small birds raced around as I walked along the drive. Gold finches and Great tits amongst them. From the road I spotted a tractor ploughing the prairie. So I walked to the village to capture some pictures from the main track.

A wheel rake for turning hay rows went past behind a typically huge tractor. It was on a scale I have never seen before. The rotors must have been 8' in diameter and stored vertically and inline when in transit. There were probably 200 gulls out on the field. With just as many white feathers littering the track. Where the grass banks had paused their progress in the breeze. I wonder if I can sneak out for a ride today? The overcast is breaking up to hazy sunshine. A crosswind going both ways often felt like a headwind. 20 hilly miles going quite well.

Have I mentioned that the Overboard 40L Duffel bag is reaching the end of its useful life? Made worse by a split milk carton adding a horrible pong!  The first accident compared with the almost weekly accidents with the Camper Longflap.

The 40L Overboard Duffle has been amazing for its remarkable carrying capacity and lightness. Sadly, the waterproof lining has been disintegrating for quite some time. Flaking off and making a bit of a mess inside the bag.

Which suggests a realistic lifetime of only about a year and a half. I bought mine in August 2017 just as my mileage dropped. I still consider that great value compared with traditional canvas bags. A 40L canvas saddlebag would weigh a ton!

I have the Carradice "Longflap Camper" and found it to hold much less than the claimed capacity. Barely 6 x 1 Liter cartons and it is literally full to the brim! Which was incredibly limiting for serious cycle shopping. [Right]

The Overboard bag could carry four complete rows of cartons x six wide with ease! That is 24 x 1 liter cartons and still lots of room for shopping on top. Assuming, of course, I wanted to become a full time, milk delivery man.

The Overboard was also far easier to load and could be strapped up tight in all dimensions. Asking for greater longevity would inevitably add to the weight. To little real purpose.

There are several makes of these "waterproof" duffel bags so I ought to see if there are any differences between them. I had chosen bright yellow for high viz. So I'll have to keep that in mind. There is also the option to go for a PVC bag made of tarpaulin material. Heavier but longer lived?

Further research quickly eliminated the Ortlieb 40L Duffle because it has a straight zip and is too long for the trike's track. The zip means packing becomes a chore and the greater length means the end panels get chewed off by the rear wheels.

The open maw of the Overboard was a complete revelation compared with traditional saddle bags with foolish, gravity powered lids. Which always dropped down behind the saddle to make loading and emptying a real 3-handed pain in the saddle department. Then there were the awkward and cracked, leather straps and constantly rusting buckles. What sort of outdoor bag making company uses rusting buckles?

The security of the shopping was always taken care of by hooking the upper strap handle over the saddle nose. This also ensured minimum frontal area of the bag in use by self adjusting to the volume of the items inside the bag. The strap tension also restrained the 70Kg Abus Mini U-lock from rearward movement. Which would almost certainly have lifted the trike's front wheel right off the ground!

The Overboard has a neat, fold/roll over top but the side and F/R clips and straps can be instantly released to obtain a huge square hole in the top to stuff with shopping. Or equally, easily unload it at home. When folded or rolled the bag instantly flattens down to minimum height and wind drag.

The Head Gardner never liked the silver end panels but they were supposed to be reflective for high visibility at night time. The silver never bothered me, was tough and didn't show the dirt.

The rear net pocket was rubberized and Velcro sealed. Which ensured a perfectly silent and secure resting place for the 70Kg ABUS, Dreadnought Class, Mini U-lock. Which was always highly accessible. [No matter how often I wished the damned thing wasn't there!] Being so visible it reminded me to lock the trike every single time.

So, apart from the poor longevity of the waterproof lining the Overboard ticked all of my boxes and probably still does. The strap handles were very easily arranged as security fixing for the bag to remain on the rack. In retrospect could have trimmed the lower one but never bothered because it was out of sight. Not unless you crawled on your knees to peer underneath the overhanging rack. Up-skirting? Suit yourselves.

The lower strap handle could have been completely removed and the bag held to the rack with short straps or even zip ties. This would have saved a few ounces/grams without spending any money at all. There are two large, plastic mouldings which could easily have been used for fixing. I clipped them over plumbing hose extensions. Which need not have been fitted if I had done it right first time around.

The only thing I really wasn't keen on was the side straps dangling in the spokes of the trike's rear wheels. I would make a neat knot of the straps but they rarely stayed in place for long. Perhaps I should simply have put more thought into securing these straps and overcome the problem? A bit of Velcro? Why didn't I think of that ages ago?

The straps were merely noisy as they pinged in the spokes. They never [ever] tried to lock the back wheels. A side wind would push the downwind straps straight into the spokes.

BTW: The spacing from the spokes/rims/tyres always sets the maximum allowable width of such a "saddlebag" conversion. So don't go thinking you can fit just any old bag you like back there. Height and depth are good. Length [or breadth when fitted] is critical. Leave yourself plenty of room.

I fitted a cut to size, plastic, draining board tray on the rack under the bag. The square corrugations provided excellent support without much weight. While the black tray and was completely invisible to all intents and purposes. The holes I drilled in the tray for zip tie attachment to the Trykit rack ensured no puddles for the bag to rest in.

Duly ordered an identical Overboard 40L for about ~60 Euros. And then cancelled because it was for a simpler and cheaper bag called the Classic. The correct one is Pro Sport with the black net on the front for the 70Kg Abus Mini-U lock. The Classic bag only has a zipped pocket. Which would be hopeless for the heavy lock. A number of previous stockists no longer have Overboard  bags.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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19th August 2019 Wet and US dirty tricks.

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Monday 19th 59F-64, overcast and rather windy with rain promised for 10 o'clock. Except that it was early and was already tipping down as I readied myself for my morning walk. I decided to go anyway as the deluge slowed. Now I need a hat with a brim to stop the rain running down my neck. Heavy showers later. Shopping in the car.

Tuesday 20th 59-64F, overcast and raining. It was raining quite hard when I left for my walk. An anticlockwise circumnavigation of the rural block of about 3 miles. When I first started tricycling seriously [?] I would thrash around once and then need an hour to recover in bed. Saw a kestrel and a larger bird of prey. The rain soon stopped and I was treated to a patch of blue sky and even some sunshine. Crossed a stubble field to cut off a corner where the traffic spoils the route. Being sprayed by 7-axle intercontinental trucks, with nowhere to escape them, is not my idea of fun!

Wednesday 21st 56-63F bright sunshine and a calm start to the day. The news is that Chumpy has gone on Junior Twatter. [As he frequently does.] To tell the world that he is throwing an infantile tantrum over Denmark's refusal to sell Greenland. The savings for Denmark in not having to pay for all that police overtime, for the cancelled state visit, will probably pay for several new hospitals.

The real news about Greenland is that scientists have found warm water under the ice and changed wind patterns. The headlines claim we should be retreating from the coastlines now. Rather than later.

The Danish police have caught 5,300 motorists driving too fast in only one week in August. Averaged out, that would 1/4 million speeding offences in one year.

A stubbled field gave me the opportunity to explore a wooded and  overgrown, marshy valley. Reserved for pheasant shooting in season. Normally it is cropped right along the edges. So access is difficult for most of the year. The pond showed no signs of birds leaving their tracks in the floating weed. It was rather warm in the sunshine. There might be a ride today but it will be this afternoon now. I was roped into high altitude hedge clipping by THG.

Afternoon ride to more distant shops. Sunny but with rather a strong crosswind. 14 miles. I have to replace the chain and give the drive components a thoroughly good clean. The new chain has been sitting in the shed since last year. I have even discovered thin rubber gloves since last year. The nitrile gloves were crap and went into holes as soon as look at them. The latex by the same maker are fine. Strong and stretchy.

With the US and Greenland in the news: Just look at these pictures and weep: Or use Google Translate if you want all the sordid details:

The Americans have left a poisonous inheritance behind in Greenland.

 Amerikanerne har efterladt en giftig arv i Grønland - se billederne her - TV 2

Diesel oil dumped into lakes to kill midges. It still stinks to this day. Countless barrels of oil, aviation fuel, vehicles, buildings, tanks and chemicals just left where they remained.

Radioactivity from a crashed B52 carrying four hydrogen bombs. The conventional explosives ignited sending the radioactive materials down through the ice into the sea below.

The image is credited to Denmark's TV2 and the article linked to above.

A nuclear power  station where the radioactive waste still sits waiting to be removed.

Toxic chemical dumps left behind with a thin covering of bulldozed soil [US dirt] over the top. Bases were even built without waiting for Denmark's approval.

The US have had over 50 bases scattered around Greenland and just left their crap and scrap to rust and rot behind them as they abandoned them. Abandoning a guilt [sic] Chump Tower wouldn't be the worst thing they could leave behind!

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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16th August 2019 Rain or no rain? Yes.

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Friday 16th 59-64F, dark grey overcast and occasionally breezy. Supposed to be dry today. Walked to the soggy lanes after overnight rain. Some unpleasant smells on the air. The news is that Herr Von Chump wants to buy Greenland from Denmark. I'd suggest that hell will freeze over before Denmark will sell it to that evil, circus clown. After a grey morning, with showers, it has brightened up at lunch time. I wasn't allowed a gate pass because I shopped yesterday.

Saturday 17th 58-64F, heavy overcast, raining hard and blowing. Will we get a break from the rain today? Who knows? Being the hero, which I undoubtedly am, I set off in heavy rain. My back and the backs of my trouser legs were soon wet, and cold. The wind and sheeting rain were following me down the road. I made a mad dash to exit via a handy junction. Just as a vast lorry arrived in a huge cloud of white spray making it almost invisible within.

For my undoubted pluck, I was rewarded with steadily reducing rainfall. It still didn't help the registered blind to avoid me in my big, bright orange jacket. Several drivers maintained their courses along perfectly straight roads. Which guaranteed certain impact, until the very last moment, when they suddenly veered away.  Are they part of the 25% of Danes on mind and behaviour altering drugs to make them the happiest drug abusers on the planet? Bring on the self driving cars and do it now! Preferably before somebody [like me] gets hurt! Another grey day. Brief sunshine at about 17.00.

Sunday 18th 57-62F, heavy overcast. Risk of rain around lunch time. Walk first, then I'm going for a ride even if no shopping is involved. It's my trike and I'll ride if I want to.. tra-la! Walked to the lanes under grey skies. Morning coffee and rolls and then left at 10.00 for a ride to more distant shops.

Riding via rural lanes route to avoid main roads. Several chains of young teenagers were riding the opposite way all dressed in high viz jackets. So presumably some sort of organized event. It started spitting with rain earlier than forecast. I continued in my short sleeved racing jersey and shorts.

Following the shopping I met groups of serious cyclists going the other way at high speed. It must be the annual Fyn cycle event. I sometimes used to get tangled up in them back when I was riding more often and much more quickly. Now I'm glad they are not overtaking me. The sheer numbers of riders involved in these rides is unbelievable.

It can be quite unnerving to have highly experienced peloton riders overtake in large numbers only a few cm away! Still going remarkably well despite my continuing low mileages. Only 17 miles. Keeping the revs well up as the rain steadily increased to mildly irritating along with the wind.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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13th August 2019 Unlucky for some?

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Tuesday 13th 59-64F, unlucky for most? A damp and sweaty 59F and cloudy with another dose of cloudbursts on offer. The sky looked fairly benign as I plodded away into a damp world from further, overnight cloudbursts. The fields were puddled where I had seen none before. It must be all those massive machines compressing the soil. By the time I had turned back in the lanes there were ominous signs of an accumulus of intent. Huge towers of mashed potato were bubbling up as the sky steadily darkened. 

The bus driver was holding up the traffic on the sharp corners as he chatted into his mobile phone. Held high and proudly in his left hand. Meanwhile the verges were overgrown and sopping wet. Meaning I could not so easily avoid the brain dead who failed to alter course for a human being walking as close to the edge of the road as is humanly possible. 

I may be an old fart but I've had years of practice at this sort of thing. I can understand them still driving while completely senile. But being registered blind, as well, just seems needlessly careless of others needs. The Danish Police are to have a go at speeding motorists. Not that anybody is likely to get into trouble. Because the new software doesn't work and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. 

In an interesting road safety measure, bordering on total insanity, the road signs were changed to allow motorists to drive at 90kph =56mph along specific stretches. Monitoring traffic speeds after the event suggested that few drivers had bothered to increase their speed. Inattention? We may never know.

My own experience of driving regularly on existing 90kph stretches, over the last two decades, is that most drivers add 10kph to the indicated road speed whatever that might be. The Danish Land Speed Record is broken on an hourly basis.

Wednesday 14th 53-64F, bright, but rather cloudy. The forecast is for rain or no rain. The daily pick and mix continues. Walked to the village and back. Tidying the shed. One heavy shower.

Thursday 15th 56F, heavy overcast, raining.. all day apparently. I was going to try a walk in the rain but don't have a waterproof jacket that can cope with the present heavy rain. Which tells you more about the weather here than my failure to provide myself with suitable clothing. It is very rare indeed that I cannot enjoy my morning walk simply because it is raining. Rain just doesn't seem to happen very often. I quickly get cabin fever so I'd remember when I couldn't go out as normal. I know it's daft but why risk the discomfort?

Nevertheless, I decided to make myself the hero of my own legend and go for a walk in the rain. I cheated, a bit, because the rain was already lighter as I donned my boots. Avoiding the spray from the traffic was a real struggle. I actually crossed the road twice to avoid huge lorries giving me a free shower.

It's odd isn't it? You could be arrested for assault for throwing a bucket of water [or even an egg] over somebody. Get in a big lorry and spray hundreds of pedestrians and it's no problem at all.

I soon felt the cool damp on my shoulders from the rain permeating the old jacket. It was already knackered when I bought it from the charity shop years ago. Reproofing might be an idea. Something I have been considering for years without ever getting around to it.

My trouser legs were soon cold and wet too. It's hell out there, I tell you! 😉 Heavy shopping in the car. 🐂 That's supposed to be an ox, believe it or not. I thought they were larger and much more impressive!

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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12th August 2019 Justifying the Day Job:

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Monday 12th 63F, bright and breezy. The forecast is rain or no rain. Can two weather forecast services both be wrong? 

There was a story in the Danish national media on whether blogging and vlogging constitute "real work." Half of Danes do not believe these are real jobs. While I am unlikely to ever make a single penny from my own ramblings, I do believe that blogging and vlogging are just relatively new branches of the entertainment industry.

Traveling entertainers had to be basically competent to survive in the past. The difference is that these days almost anybody can put out material onto the internet. Survival is not an issue provided you can maintain a connection with the outside world. Public libraries provide computers and internet connections so you could actually blog from there at zero financial cost.

Many of these modern "entertainers" place themselves center stage. This requires that these people do not immediately repel potential watchers, nor readers. The viewer or reader makes a lightning fast judgement and moves on. Or hovers, however briefly, in the desperate hope that the blogger or vlogger will not quickly become irritating.

Some bloggers/vloggers are campaigners for their supposed causes. Others passionately want to share their superstitions, hobbies or pastimes. I used to worry over every word when I started blogging. Now it has become as normal as breathing. It was never a case of finding something interesting to talk, or rather write, about. Shutting me up was always the problem. I can write complete and utter garbage all day long. As long as it interests me. Judging from my viewing figures there are at least a few souls out there who feel some sympathy for my thoughts and activities. Though never a lot of them they do add up over the years.

I set high standards for myself not to be deliberately outspoken and usually delete early morning thoughts on the latest political mess. The main problem is that I don't like any of these charlatans. Being a politician is NOT remotely a real job in my world view. It is the little boy or girl desperately trying to impress a completely disinterested parent. What a shame they didn't choose conjuring or juggling instead. Perhaps they did?

Why would a tricyclist blogger talk or write about politics, or nature, or whatever?  Good question! All of my main interests are extremely "narrow interest" however you look at them. Tricyling is practically a dangerous sport if long term survival is the name of the game. I won't delve into my other minority interests here. Just take my word for it that your are very unlikely to find another person in everyday life with a similar interest. Gathering narrow interests into an untidy bundle  is not a way to make friends and/or influence people. You'll just have to take my word for this.

The only time I ever met another tricyclist was by joining a club for tricyclists. The trouble is I'm not really a joiner. I don't tend to stick rigidly to that one interest. My mind soon wanders and off I flutter to find another fragrant flower to savour the nectar. Fortunately for me, if not all of my readers, I like landscape photography. So as soon as you get bored with my rabbiting on you can look at the pictures. Or just look at the pictures and completely ignore the text in between. Or neither. Enjoy the backgrounds? Probably not.

It is an incredibly competitive world in here. Few have a true USP. So must rely heavily on personality and/or appearance to break through to online stardom. From my own YT viewing habits I believe that personality is the major factor in why I watch a particular channel. Fortunately, for mankind as a whole, I do not usually appear in any of my videos and only rarely on my blogs.

The beauty of blogging or just following a blogger or vlogger is that you have a completely free choice. Whether you go or stay is up to the individual. A free choice from amongst the delicacies arranged on the vast table that is the Internet today. If the stuff they produce lies within your tolerance levels, or even spikes your casual and always ephemeral interest, then great. Otherwise, there are literally millions of other sources of entertainment and entertainer out there. Just don't shoot the messenger. They are usually pedaling [or peddling] as hard as they can.

You could even entertain yourself by becoming a blogger or vlogger yourself. Just go easy on the kittens, make-up, tattoos and/or cleavage. Your material should not need such flashy props. Even if you do become an overnight YouTube billionaire and global "influencer." Miaow! 😸

Moving swiftly back into context: A late morning ride to slightly more distant shops. It thundered overhead and heavy rain merely added to the misery of already soaking wet roads. Three tracks of spray just find more targets to wet.  A crosswind sees to that aspect of partial immersion. Needless to say I was soon soaked from head to [quite literally] toe.

My purple socks were soon navy blue and my feet cold and squelching. I paused in an arched farmyard entrance to don my tailored bin bag. A plastic, refuse sack, by any other name, but sold as a cycling jacket. It was that, or continue in my tailored pillow slip. More commonly known as a cycling jersey. With all the qualities best avoided in rain. Like blotting paper absorption rates and total transparency to wind.

The rain eventually became bored with falling and stopped on the return journey. Now I was carrying 20kg and 50 liters of shopping. I had an uphill race with a young lady riding a people carrying tadpole. She was cheating and had a battery and motor. Just escaping from the loud whine was enough to urge me onto a win. 14 soggy miles. My socks were still sopping wet when I returned to Chez Hovel. That's the only nice thing about a wet ride. You can discard the clothing which has tormented you until you finally climbed off.

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7th August 2019 Torrential rain and flippin' dolphins!

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Wednesday 7th 61-72F, bright sunshine to start, but cloudbursts possible. And were! Particularly in the late afternoon. I felt sorry for the ponies. Each standing on one leg, in a biblical downpour, to avoid being struck by lightning.

I stubbled across the prairie but it was a harrowing experience. Back along the main road dodging huge lorries and commuters. The sky is grey and untidy with an easterly wind.

After yesterday's ladder work to trim yet another 15' overgrown hedge my hip is in agony. I was fine until mid-morning when it suddenly came on. Nearly 15.00 now and we are enjoying thunder and torrential cloudbursts.

Thursday 8th 60-67?F, sunny periods but unsettled weather again and rather breezy. Walked to the lanes. Initial pain soon passed off and I was able to increase my pace. Traffic rather heavy. Another day with cloudbursts forecast. Heavy shopping in the car.

Friday 9th 56-68?F, calm and sunny. More cloud expected later. Walked anticlockwise up to the woods and back down the ridge by the direct route. More heavy shopping in the car. Grey by lunch time.

Saturday 10th 65F, bright but milky sky. Very mixed forecasts again. Possibly rain with sunny periods. I might be able to sneak a ride in today. Weather permitting. A warm walk to the lanes in quiet traffic. Whoops! As soon as morning coffee was over the sky rumbled and it rained harder than I have ever seen before. It lasted for about half an hour, on and off, with a gusty wind. So much for a longer ride! An awful day of repeated cloudbursts and squally winds.

Sunday 11th 61F, another windy day is forecast but with confusion over rain or no rain. There was a melancholy air to the countryside today. The damp roads littered with leaves brought down or blown out of the roadside hedges by yesterday's foul weather. The wind roared in the trees as there were more darker moments than bright. The whole, jumbled sky was in a hurry to be somewhere else.

I was treated to a flying display by a large, buff, bird of prey. Rocking, stiff winged, from side to side to traverse the landscape on the blustery wind. Not a Red kite but of a roughly similar size. With very long, slender, finger-tipped wings and a medium length, square ended, rectangular tail. This is probably the same bird I see now and then in the same area but still it defies my identification.

Never near enough to photograph with my TZ7's limited zoom range. I usually watch it in retreating flight through my binoculars. "The Breeding Birds of Europe 1&2" didn't help. There's nothing in there with the correct size, very long, narrow wings and square tail. I'm not allowed to call it a Square Tailed Kite unless one or both of us is very, very lost. [Australian habitat.] The Black kite has an indented tail and the wings are much too thick. Northern Harrier? I want it to be bigger with much longer, thinner wings.

Talking of wildlife: A dolphin has been filmed tossing jellyfish into the air for fun in Sønderborg harbour. [South East Jutland] The dolphin has been reported to wildlife protection authorities for cruel and unnatural treatment of a jellyfish. The police are appealing for any witnesses who may be able to identify the culprit.

"I say, Margaret, I've suddenly gone all fuzzy. Did that fellow just crop us?"

"I really don't know, Barbara, but he certainly doesn't understand the rule of thirds!"

It blew like mad all day with vicious gusts and short showers. All plans to shop by tricycle were soon abandoned.

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5th August 2019 July was the hottest month, globally, ever recorded.

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Monday 5th 60-72F, a rather grey day with light showers in the late afternoon. The news is that they are "falling like flies" in The Capital to the onslaught of errant, electric scooters.

Today I circumnavigated the stubbled prairie. Returning by the direct route from the wooded summit. A pair of Hares sat almost invisibly at 200 yards but were easily spotted by my special visual powers. I was spared a tricycling shopping trip on the grounds of lardorial adequacy.

The image shows a huge fungus under a vast willow tree in the corner of Her Garden. The washing up bowl was posed to give a sense of scale. Two other "mushrooms" sit nearby. Presumably these are Puffball fungi in a state of late disrepair. The piles of twigs are yet another, deliberate wildlife sanctuary by The Head Gardener. The somewhat disheveled bowl is used for baling rainwater for irrigation. In case you were wondering...

I am formally requested to try and capture Her Majesty's excessive bee population on Her wildlife flower beds by some means technological. There is certainly a prodigious variety in all their myriad, shapes and sizes. My offer to dangle upside down from a large stepladder has been excluded in case I disturb the bees. It seems I must try harder.

Alas, I can hold no claim to the perfect image of what We are tentatively calling "The Carpenter Bee." The image was captured by no other than SWMBO Herself. With Her own Fayrest Hand.  Anyone with more certain knowledge in these matters is welcome to put me right on a more exact identification. I may then pass on your missive to the Good Lady with as much reverence and obsequiousness, as I can muster.

As the post title says: July 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded on a global basis. Beating the  previous record from 2016 if memory serves. There was no other news worth mentioning here. We are all doomed! 😱

Tuesday 6th 60-72F, calm, but an untidy sky, racing from the west, had brought overnight rain. I walked to the lanes and back. We are now being treated to brief glimpses of sunshine. An afternoon shopping ride. Headwind coming home. Only 7 miles.

15,000  drivers in Denmark, who were under the influence of a mobile telephone while driving, have escaped a "clip" on their driving licenses because the police IT system is not ready.   

The law changed in JANUARY when the politicians demanded a stronger penalty for driving under the influence of a mobile telephone. The IT system may be ready in SEPTEMBER. A case of sending a strong message to drivers? Not today. 

In only a little over one month 918 drivers in Denmark were above the permitted alcohol limit while driving. A doubling compared with last year.

These were only those who were caught and probably represent only the tiniest tip of a vast, unseen iceberg. I only see a police car perhaps once or twice a year in our rural area. I may see five, driving mobile phone users per day on my walks and rides.

Many of whom are heavy goods vehicle drivers. Coping with 7 axles and 40' vehicles while taking sharp and completely blind corners on a highly unsuitable twisting and humped road, with only one hand free.

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1st August 2019 A visitor to Denmark.

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Thursday 1st August 2019. 62F, bright overcast and dead calm. Distant mist. Rain promised. The field of oil seed rape was decorated by patches of spiders webs caught in early dew.

An 81 year-old lady, Jill Lundmark from New Zealand, is touring Denmark on a recumbent tricycle. A "sofa-cycle" in Danish parlance. She likes the fact that Denmark has no mountains. Though it is certainly not without its hills.

She took up the tricycle after suffering a crash on her bike. Which gave her a head injury and upset her sense of balance. Though it certainly didn't stop her desire to travel the world by cycle.

https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/81-aarig-globetrotter-i-sofacykel-er-i-danmark-dejligt-her-ingen-bjerge-er

An hour and a half walk up to the woods, down through the heavily overgrown fire breaks and back along the marsh. A large bird of prey complained and took off as I approached the pond/lake. It was a strangely marked bird speckled with white and many shades from dark brown to the lightest beige. It may have been trying to capture one of the hundreds of baby ducks for breakfast.

The pong from the black sludge has subsided thanks to the rain. The farmer has planted small sunflowers in a strip along the edges of the prairie instead of the 5' tall Sweet corn of former years. The corn didn't seem to do very well, was always sparse and very untidy for much of the year. The sunflowers are about the same height but look very healthy and dense. Presumably provided as winter fodder and cover for the pheasants.

A single deer watched me from a distance as I stared back through my binoculars.

Quite a decent cloudburst occurred at 13.45 and lasted for over a quarter of an hour. I had to dash about tidying my tools away. Having just paused from a woodworking project in time for lunch.

Friday 2nd 60-67F, heavy overcast with light winds. The forecast is rain or no rain. Sun or no sun. Eeny, meany, miney... The sky cleared slowly to blue and weak sunshine as I walked to the lanes.

Saturday 3rd 54-67?F, cooler, calm with bright sunshine. Walked to the lanes. Then a late morning ride.  Calm at first with all the wind turbines standing still but becoming a headwind on the last leg. 21 miles.

Sunday 4th 60F, calm as early sun is swept away by an overcast. Walked to the lanes. To watch a tractor sewing directly onto the fresh stubble. At least that's what it looked like to my untrained eye.

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