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Friday 10th 32F, A bright start after a light frost has left the grass whitened. Expected to be rather cloudy today. Thin, high cloud was thickening as I walked briskly to the lanes. The lowest traffic count yet. As only three cars, in total, passed by. That, in the time it takes to walk a mile along a [usually] busy, rural main road. Well, busy by Danish rural standards.Today is normally a bank holiday and people have been told to stay at home and avoid unnecessary journeys. I saw two joggers!! No obvious connections as they were going in opposite directions. So safe, social distancing was being maintained.
Celebs are reeling from criticism for their elitist, indifferent and totally selfish behaviour in the pandemic. They move themselves and their families from their sprawling town mansion in Millionaire's Row. To their sprawling, luxury, second, or third, home in the countryside. Completely against the advice of their government. Just the price of entitlement.
Then they complain of it being "like a prison" in their sprawling billionaire's mansions. As the poor try to survive the lock down in a one bedroom flat. With assorted, squabbling and snotty children and an abusive drunk and/or drug addict for company. Which makes me wonder how many infections will occur through the drug trade? Not enough? Not nearly enough!
South Africa has so far avoided the expected explosion in cases. The strict lock down may be responsible but for how long? New York alone has more cases and deaths than any single country. No doubt that will be the Chump Effect. Even his loyal brownshirts, in the Republican Party, are beginning to question how much longer he will safeguard their lifelong, gravy train lifestyles. All he has to do is keep talking and talking and talking, complete and utter bollocks. It makes him popular with his electorate because they talk exactly the same bollocks all day long.
The only thing I have heard from Chump, which makes any sense, is about the leader of the WHO. Has anybody checked this chap's offshore bank account for inpayments from Sly Jinping's Cartel? Little else makes sense to my cynical world view after listening to the same ridiculous bullshit over and over again. For year after year for over 70 years at the last count. Though thank the [imaginary gods] I'm not David Icke! He should stop talking too. As should I. But these "complete nutters" are my isolation therapy. At least, that's my excuse. 😊
I like to think of myself as "the only one in the village." That being the token, tricycling clown. Though there has been precious little tricycling recently. I keep struggling past the trike in the shed. It never gets an outing these days. There is no rule against exercise in the great outdoors. Particularly in the completely unpopulated Danish countryside.
You don't even see the homeless tramps these days. Like we did in the first few years of living here. They would push prams or pushchairs loaded with their belongings along the road. It must be ten years since I last saw one. They used to be almost commonplace and would group together at the huge, annual, outdoor markets.
We used to drive for miles to visit these markets aas they rotated around the country. We'd look for the older things we valued for relatively small change. Sadly the markets changed too. Instead of a huge variety of semi-antique stalls they were taken over by rows and rows of complete tat. Tasteless, mass produced china and plastic ornaments. Or stuff which even the charity shops threw away, became the norm.
I like to think of myself as "the only one in the village." That being the token, tricycling clown. Though there has been precious little tricycling recently. I keep struggling past the trike in the shed. It never gets an outing these days. There is no rule against exercise in the great outdoors. Particularly in the completely unpopulated Danish countryside.
You don't even see the homeless tramps these days. Like we did in the first few years of living here. They would push prams or pushchairs loaded with their belongings along the road. It must be ten years since I last saw one. They used to be almost commonplace and would group together at the huge, annual, outdoor markets.
We used to drive for miles to visit these markets aas they rotated around the country. We'd look for the older things we valued for relatively small change. Sadly the markets changed too. Instead of a huge variety of semi-antique stalls they were taken over by rows and rows of complete tat. Tasteless, mass produced china and plastic ornaments. Or stuff which even the charity shops threw away, became the norm.
I have been monitoring the news about the highest risk groups. I'm probably quite a bit fitter than most of them. Far more so for my age group. Many of whom never get any exercise at all! I choose to tricycle for all the reasons given here earlier in this endless blog. Just as I choose to be a rural, morning walker too. If nobody else walks in the countryside does that make me even weirder as an [almost unique in Denmark] "sporting" tricyclist?
Who cares? I had lots of strangers waving at me from their cars. People would stop to talk outside supermarkets. As I packed my groceries in the latest version of a "saddle" bag. Most were surprised to discover I was English. Perhaps the trike should have been ample warning of "mad dogs and wotsits going out in the mid day sun?"
The sight of me, in my "proper" racing cyclist's outfit, riding down a distant high street, drew far more attention than any super-sports car! You have to be a bit of an extrovert to ride a trike. What other excuse does one need? It is just a bicycle with an "extra" wheel. Not an old man with an extra arm. Nor even two heads! Get over it! Ride a trike! If you can. 🤡
Well, I talked myself into a ride. First I had to clean the mud off the wheels. Which then became a complete wash down and polish with a clean rag. The ride was meant to be just around the block but the village beckoned. I just wanted it see how it was going down there after a month's absence. About as quiet as a Sunday morning. Headwind coming home. About ten miles in all. Going incredibly well. Even dancing on the pedals on every short rise.
The Sigma computer had eaten yet another battery! I should have bought a pallet full of the 2032 batteries to cope. Three batteries in all. One for the head only lasts about a month in winter. Or two if you are lucky and the sun is shining. Then there's another for the cadence and another for the front wheel sensor. No wonder people don't trust electric cars to get them home! Sigma battery consumption is worse than EverReady torches from my youth! And, that was back in the middle of the last century!
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