6.02.2020 Odense cycle path paved with slippery slabs!

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Thursday 6th 41F, heavy overcast and occasionally breezy. Some sunshine forecast. Or not. The overcast was breaking up into clumps and small blue patches as I strode to the lanes and back. No real sunshine but there were glory lights on the eastern horizon. A cold westerly breeze made me glad for my hood again.

In cycling news: Odense, renowned for its cycling friendly network of cycle paths, in cycling friendly Denmark, has failed. It laid paving slabs, which are lethally slippery when wet, on [guess what?] a major city center, cycle path. What are the chances that those who made this daft, decorative, paving decision never [ever] cycle? "Fetch the Limo, Jens! I fancy a nice little jaunt."

Friday 7th 40F, heavy grey overcast and calm. The wind turbines were all standing still. Very light drizzle on my brisk walk to the lanes. Another grey day, tootling about on projects at home.

Saturday 8th 37F, clear, bright and sunny start with only vapour trails for cloud cover. Two airliners went over in close company. Something I have never seen before. They were still together when they went over the south westerly horizon. Google just changed blogs again when I clicked on New Post. What can they possibly get out of this idiocy?

The Antarctic has just set a new high temperature record of 18.3°C. Nearly a full degree over the last record of 17.5C in 2015.

Tomorrow a storm passes over Denmark after a tour over the Atlantic and the UK. We had better batten down the hatches!

 "South American forests are cleared to feed Danish pigs. Farmer's should buy responsibly grown soya - now!" Danish TV& Radio, Inland News:

 Sydamerikanske skove ryddes for at fodre danske svin: 'Landbruget skal købe bæredygtig soja - nu' | Indland | DR

Danish pig farmers are directly responsible for clearing the Amazon Rain Forest for cheap Soya feed. Remember this as you enjoy your antibiotic-saturated, Danish bacon. With its very long record of animal mistreatment and very long, often illegal, animal transport. Just to gain a few more pence at a distant, German slaughter house. Or even much further afield!

Let's not forget the regular reports of modern slavery in Danish [animal] factory farming and the transport sector. Nobody monitors animal transport. So the animals can travel for a very long time without the legally required rests and watering. Animal transporters are regularly involved in traffic accidents. I regularly see pig transporter lorries careering around sharp corners. With the pigs crashing about and crying out in panic and pain! 

Denmark imports 1.7 million tons of Soya per year. Isn't it time every country's environmental and CO2 footprint should be accurately and independently measured on its total footprint? Including all that hidden abroad!

Sunday 9th 43F, heavy overcast and soon to be stormy. With potential gusts to 60+mph. I walked to the village in a strong but variable S-SE wind. I presume and hope, that it will go around to the SW or even the west  later.

There is an exposed junction on the brow of a hill at half way. Where it was really hard work making any progress at all. A little further on the roadside hedges provide plenty of shelter. The garden trees are already rocking. My neighbour's corrugated metal, carport roof is already lifting and rattling back down. This, despite the wind not having reached anywhere near its promised peak until much later this afternoon. The rain is just starting at 9.30 and expected to continue all day. The rear windows are already being sprayed as well. Which shows how turbulent the wind is.

The wind is still from the south despite the DMI showing SW all day. TV2 weather shows the correct direction. TV2 has it going South Westerly at 19:00 when it peaks. The gales are supposed to continue for several days. The highest wind speed measured so far is nearly 37m/s at Kolding which is 83mph. That's not very far away to our west! The wind should begin to slowly die down to "normal" gales over the next couple of hours. It sound noisier than ever outside now at 20.00 but is highly variable. The storm has caused serious flooding in the UK.

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