25.08.2022 And... there it was, gone!

 ~~

 Thursday 25th 63F, misty. breezy and suddenly overcast. Fast moving cloud coming from the east. This is supposed to be the last, stable summer's day. Up at 7.15 after another reasonable night. Or because I was tired? I deliberately went to bed after midnight. 

 I am trying to break the 6n month's long habit of rising too early. My back feels slightly achy. Hardly surprising after yesterday's fun at the farm museum. I'm seventy five you know! 👴

 I have to change the chain on the chainsaw. The present one is worn out. There are still five tree trunks left to saw. To finish off the huge, dolobrata hedge. They are about 15cm or 6" in diameter at the base. Then I have to saw up all the branches and load them onto the trailer. Ready for the recycling yard. I am keeping the trunks as potential, emergency fuel.

 The Danish news is finally mentioning the lack of compressed wood fuel. Until now, all the news has been about subsidising the gas central heating users. Many of whom seemed to have re-ignited their wood stoves. To reduce their heating bills. Which promptly led to a doubling of prices due to a shortage. So the gas central heating users are being taxpayer subsidised. To cause a fuel shortage and rocketing prices for briquettes and pellets. For those of us whom have no other choice of fuel.

 I have a ride planned for this afternoon. Catching up on my re-found friend. I shall be riding into the wind on the way. So the return journey should be easier. About 35 miles in total. Temperatures will be around 24C. Which shouldn't be too bad.

 9.00 Morning coffee. Just returned from a walk around the harvested fields. I forgot to mention that my head scan did not turn up anything unusual. There was no mention of a functioning brain in the report. Another neighbour's house is up for sale. No doubt there will be lost soul's coming down our drive.

 10.10 71F/22C. Sweating profusely! After swapping the chain I felled the last of the dolobrata hedge. Five trunks in all. I used the car and a rope to pull the last one onto the huge pile of branches. I didn't want it falling on my wife's flower bed! Which is now fully exposed for the first time in two decades. It will probably wither in the sunshine! 

 Lots of tidying up to do now. At least four trailers full going on past experience. I am having a rest for a moment. There is lots of old firewood. Which has been completely hidden under the hedge for years. It might be handy as kindling.

 About 11.30 I was half way though loading the trailer with branches. I became so hot I went all wobbly. I went back indoors to run cold water on my wrists. Then splashed my face and neck with cold water and sat in the shade. So the breeze could cool me further by evaporation. I soon recovered and delivered the trailer full of branches to the recycling yard. The pile, on the ground back at home, looks much smaller.

13.00 Lunch is finished. 79F/26C outside. 81F indoors despite the windows being open. I will start to get ready for my ride.

  32 miles in all. I averaged 12mph. Yet again I was aware of low level pain in my right leg. Not enough to be a nuisance but leaving me wondering if it will get worse.

Dinner was cheese on toast with halved tomatoes. Followed by tomato soup and a bread roll.

 

~~