31.12.2023 Happy New Year's Eve!

 ~*~

 Sunday 31st 42F/6C. Bands of rain and a south-easterly wind. Up at 7.15 after two false starts filling the fire bucket. 

 8.00 62F/17C in the room. Time to start stoking the stove. Another batch of recalcitrant kindling. The beech catches fire better than the skinny, softwood sticks split from pallets

 8.15 First hint of it getting lighter outside. 

 9.00 Drizzle. Almost light enough for a walk. I doubt it will brighten much if I wait any longer.

 9.30 Back again. I didn't go far. The light rain and cold wind made it unpleasant. I am wearing the latest, charity shop, hi-vis jacket. It is warm enough and fairly comfortable. Apart from the stupid pocket on the upper sleeve. Which inhibits normal arm movement when walking. 

 The genius of some drooling idiot "designer." Working light years above his pay grade in an inflated office space. Probably inbreeding or nepotism or both. May even have their own parking spot outside the fire trap, sweat shop, packed full of child slaves. 

 Well, it does say Made in China. Warning enough. At least my purchase of a recycled jacket does not directly contribute their corrupt, genocidal, warmongering dictatorship. Nor does it end up on a storm tossed, rotting heap on a beach somewhere. As a result of some corrupt, recycling mafia dumping material waste out of sight, out of mind. 

 8.30 Dinner was sausages, peas, carrots, mashed potato and gravy. I was overgenerous with the latter but luckily nobody was watching.

~*~

30.12.2023 Under the bonnet[s.]

 ~*~

 Saturday 30th 38F/3C. A better day is promised. Even some sunshine. SW winds increasing by this afternoon. Up at 6.30. I have gone back to using the summer duvet. The winter one was simply too warm. This may change as much more serious winter frosts are forecast. There is even talk of heavy snowfall.  

Six new weather records were set in Denmark in 2023. Not least the extreme increase in rainfall. Despite an early drought.

 8.00 64F/18C in the room but feels colder. Stove lit. I didn't go out yesterday. So I need to shop. The nearest stockist, of my favourite tea, has ceased to do so. Making that supermarket and shopping in that village, much less interesting in future. 

 9.00 Brought in two more baskets of logs.

 10.00 39F/4C. The sun rose behind the trees at about 9.20. As I plodded into a cold SW breeze. The flooding on the back field was even higher but at least a foot [30cm] above the beck. So could easily flow away if it rose any higher. A brown and buff harrier went over as I turned for home at my usual point. The traffic was very light.  It was slightly warmer on my hands on the way back. The blinding sun easily forgiven for showing an appearance. 

 I ought to go to town for a battery. So the old car can be better relied on. The logs in the greenhouse are down to just a few days. I need the old car to tow the trailer to the timber yard. Unfortunately the roads are still wet from yesterday's heavy showers. Which means salty spray if I go in the Morris Minor. Hopefully the salt residue has been much diminished by the heavy rain. The latter has caused renewed flooding out on the fields. An alternative would be to order an identical battery online. The dealers in town don't stock that particular make and model. The savings between premium labels and discount isn't worth the risk of a shortened life.

 I just tried to buy the correct battery online. It was never meant to be. The shop is closed at the weekend. With New Year closure on top. Then the website payment form would not accept my passwords. I tried ringing the services which handle online payments but it does not apply to them. I must contact my bank. Yes, you've guessed it. Not open at the weekend or on Bank holidays. What else? 

 I shall have to drive into town and buy an alternative battery, which I don't really want and at a much higher price. I have enough logs to last into the end of next week but risk running out as the outside temperatures drop. If I insist on buying a battery online I must wait until Tuesday to order. With at least one extra day for delivery.

 12.00 A bright, sunny morning. The old car started instantly I turned the key. The battery is reading 14.44V on "idle." I thought I'd check the rotor in the distributor. This needs the air filter cover to be removed to access the distributor cap screws. Rusted cross-head screws won't budge. Apply penetrating oil. I doubt the rotor or cap has been changed in years judging by the dirt and rust. The same probably goes for the spark plugs and injectors.  

 Gentle use of a small socket set easily removed the screws. The rotor was fine. Slight signs of chalk on the contacts in the cap. Nothing obviously wrong there. I warmed up the car and then  tried pulling away in 4th with the handbrake on. No loss of power or other misbehaviour.

 I warmed up the MM and added more antifreeze. A turquoise, rubber tray/mat "borrowed" from the bathroom fitted the MM footwell perfectly and matched the colour scheme. That will save unsightly mud and leaves collecting on the MM's light blue carpet.

 13.00 42F/6C outside. 70F/21C in the greenhouse! 72F/22C in the room. I can let the stove go out until later. It all helps.

 18.00 73F/23C in the room. I have returned from a shopping trip to the village in the MM. I couldn't put it off any longer. The roads were dry. So offered minimal risk to the MM from road salt causing rust. 

 I was unusually adventurous and bought sausages, broccoli and salad items. I am thinking of having broccoli with fish fingers tonight. It was excellent. More salt on the broccoli next time.

~*~

29.12.2023 You call that an omelette?

 ~*~

  Friday 29th 44F. Rather overcast and breezy. Though with some turquoise patches. Scattered showers are forecast with SW gusts to 20m/s. 

 Up at 8am after several earlier awakenings. Stove lit. I ought to drive to town to buy a new car battery. I badly need the old car to fetch more logs. Though I daren't risk driving it until I can be sure of its reliability. 

 I checked the engine air filter and it looks clean. Too clean. Just a few dandelion seeds but otherwise pristine.

 18.30 A lazy day mostly spent on the computer. I am doing some online homework on how to make a mushroom omelette. My first attempt at an omelette from fading memory. Can this be true?

 😂 The moment the beaten eggs hit the pan I knew I had been here before. My earlier attempts had been just as bad. I must have pushed it out of my mind to avoid the painful memory. The eggs instantly glued themselves irrevocably to the frying pan. So I just had to keep moving it all about until it was cooked.  Then added the grated cheese and fried mushrooms. 

It ended up looking like scrambled eggs and mushrooms.  It still tasted great. 😋 I may look at buying a non-stick pan. We use them at the cooking classes and they aren't remotely such a problem.

 

~*~

28.12.2023 Failure to lift off! 😳

 ~*~

 Thursday 28th 46F/8C. SW gales and heavy showers. Up at 9.00 after a midnight bedtime. I woke at 5am but decided to go back to sleep. Next thing I knew it was 9.am.

 10.00 60F/15C in the room. Feels cold. Stove lit. The garden is moving in the wind. Rain streaming noisily down the greenhouse. A real cloudburst. The former daylight has turned into dusk. So much for having a walk! 

17.30  Afternoon and I went shopping in my old car. When I came out of the supermarket the car wouldn't start! It turned over fast enough but just wouldn't fire. The exhaust kept popping. I gave up and walked onto further shops. To give the battery time to recover. 

 On my return the car still wouldn't start. So I rang the SOS service through my insurer. By the time he arrived [only 20 mins] I had managed to start the car. Though with great reluctance to pick up. I moved it under a street lamp and lifted the bonnet to help the mechanic on his arrival.

 I left the engine running to dry out any dampness and to recharge the battery. The rescue service chap was very helpful but I didn't really need him by then. The engine was now running normally. It was recommended I replace the battery or drive longer journeys. Just to keep the battery in good condition. 

 A visit to my local workshop was also suggested for a check-up. To ensure I avoided a repeat of my car's failure to start. I think it has had enough. It is from the mid-90s and costs far more than its value. Every time it needs its periodical safety check. The next isn't due until August 2024.

 I am trying to protect the Morris Minor from salted roads. Which is why I took the old car today.

 Dinner was sliced and fried chicken breasts, mushrooms and an egg. It has been a day of gales and heavy showers. The same is expected tomorrow.

 ~*~

27.12.2023 Minus one.

 ~*~

 Wednesday 27th 32F. Thick white frost on the cars. A dry, possibly sunny morning is promised. The lids of the recycling  bins were frozen shut. It was quite a struggle to open them! Up at 6.30. 64F/18C in the room. 

 8.30 32F/0C. Stove lit. More logs brought in. 66F/19C in the room. The greenhouse is fogged up. The sky is turning pink in the north. 

 My guest returns home today. It has been fun having somebody around for a few days. Endless talk and laughter. Somebody willing to do the washing up while I cooked. Free cooking tips from an expert. The entire collection of drinking glasses is now clean and put away. Which frees up two more translucent tubs for storage. I recognised some beer glasses. Which I had not used for ages. More misty-eyed nostalgia to fend off.

 13.15 Having lunch after taking my visitor to the village bus stop. Then catching up on the shopping.

 19.00 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast with fresh tomatoes.

~*~

26.12.2023 Frying eggs without shame.

 ~*~

 Tuesday 26th 43F/6C. Up three times in the night. More beer to blame for this. Went back to bed at 6am and finally got up at 6.30.  66F/19C in the room. No rush to fire up the stove this morning. The forecast is for scattered showers with gales.

 08.30  I have been examining various bicycle routes on Google Earth/Maps/Street view. Lit the stove and brought in more logs.

  A day spent reminiscing, chatting and laughing. Feeding the stove non-stop.

 19.30 38F/3C. 73F/23C in the room. Dinner was fish fingers, boiled potatoes and butter fried eggs. All washed down with the same, organic, red wine. My guest showed me how to fry eggs without shame. All food for thought.

~*~

25.12.2023 Not quite all me own werk guv.

 ~*~

Happy Christmas! 😊

 Monday 25th 42F. The gales are supposed to last all day. Up at 7.15 after numerous awakenings in the night. Not my fault. It was yesterday's beer. 64F/18C in the room. Stove lit, ash box cleared to the compost heap, waste bins emptied into the recycling wheely bins. The sky is clear but it isn't warm with the wind blowing so hard.

 My visitor is steadily ploughing though the drinking glass collection when she washes up. The glasses are then stored in the pine dresser. Where they can be easily found as necessary. 

 18.15 38F/3C. Dinner will be chicken, mushrooms, mashed potato, gravy, peas and carrots. My guest displayed her professional culinary skills by slicing the chicken. Which produced more tender and tasty results. Certainly compared to my usual dicing. I shall slice in future but reduce the temperature even more.

 20.00 72F/22C in the room. The table now lacks overhead lighting. I took down the original light and failed to replace it. Due to it being considerably offset relative to the newly positioned table. Central to the north facing window. Dinner was fine but lacked sprouts and needed a few more peas. Produced with minimal supervision. 😉

~*~

24.12.2023 Beer and wine doth intertwine.

 ~o~

 Sunday 24th 36F/2C. The bathroom and kitchen were cooler than usual at 53F/12C. Up at 5am after having bad dreams and unhappy memories.

 7.30 I was dozing off at the computer while watching YouTube videos. So I finally lit the stove. It will take a while before I can add a larger log. Then I will go back to bed. My guest usually rises much later. The laundry has dried so I can put away the clothes airer.

 8.30 38F/3C. Back up again after catching up on lost sleep. The stove is still going so I added more logs. Now a more comfortable 66F/19C in the room. I have brought another basket of logs in from the greenhouse to pre-dry before they go in the stove. A cold start to a wet, grey day is promised. Though rising to 9C/48F after lunch. Increasingly windy, with gusts over 20m/s all night. Lasting until after lunch before reducing. [Christmas day.]

 14.00 46F/8C overcast. Rain stopped. It might reach 9C later but will become very windy from the west. Gales gusting to 25m/s.

 19.00 Dinner was salad. With tuna and more red wine. We sat at the dining table.

~o~

23.12.2023 Plus one.

 ~o~

 Saturday 23rd 35F/2C. Possible showers. Up at 6.15.

 07.30 62F/17C in the room. Cleaned the stove door glass. Stove lit. Cleaned the ceramic hob. Cleaned the floor tiles around the stove.

 08.00 Room now at 66F/19C. I have just been along the drive with my builder's ladders. My neighbours' outside Xmas lights became detached from the gable end in the storm. The sky is almost clear except for a little high cloud. While the cars and grass are white with an overnight frost.

 08.30 Still not light enough for a walk. I have to go shopping before the Xmas rush.

 09.30 Back from shopping in the village. Light snow falling on and off. Already quite busy in the supermarkets. 

 10.30 70F/21C in the room. It is brightening up. More tidying, vacuuming and cleaning. 

 11.30 35F/2C. I have mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors and scrubbed the grouting repeatedly. Now I am too hot!  

 13.30 I collected my visitor from the village and drove her home sitting in the rear seat of Morris Minor. As befits royalty.

  19.00 Dinner was sausages, peas, mushrooms and chips. With an excellent, organic, red wine. I cooked while she washed up. We ate at the dining table. As adults do. Though this requires much better lighting for competent photography. The sausages were slightly overdone but perfectly acceptable. I am not used to cooking for two. So the quantities were slightly undernourished. Though very filling. 😋

~o~

22.12.2023 Storm? What storm?

 ~o~

 Friday 22nd 38F/3C. Up at 5.15. I haven't heard Storm Pia. Perhaps a low, background roar at times. I am probably well sheltered by the intervening trees. It will be some time before it is light enough to assess any damage. After 8.30. Depending on the density of cloud cover. Sunshine is promised from 10-14.00.

 The gusts are expected to exceed 20m/s until after lunch time. One death is reported. Where a woman swerved her car around a fallen tree and hit an oncoming vehicle head on. The elderly male driver died. The highest recorded gust nearby was 30m/s. Elsewhere 44m/s was recorded. Almost exactly 100mph or 160kph. 

 06.15. It is 62F/16C in the room. I haven't lit the stove yet but should. It feels cold. I just put on an extra jumper. Finished my routine of reading the global news online and checking the astronomy forums. Despite no longer doing any active imaging myself I like to keep in touch with the hobby. So I can pretend that life still has some meaning outside of my small, grey bubble.

 06.30 Stove lit. Time for some muesli. I try not to eat breakfast before 6am. To avoid stretching the distance between meals. Or shuffling them all to an earlier time. 

 6.45 I have fitted my hearing aids to check if I can hear the storm any better. Not so far. I should resent the metallic ticking and clanking of the stove but at least it adds some noise to the empty silence. The sharpened rattling of the keyboard now sounds foolishly harsh in this vacuum.

  There is some serious tidying to do upstairs. Much as I hate going up there now. Rekindling unwanted, uninvited memories of our long years together. Slipping by almost unnoticed and usually unremarked. 

 I have a family visitor coming tomorrow. Who will stay for a few days. Helping me to reorganise the cubic meters of accumulated belongings. Her respectful detachment from clinging emotional context is vital. To making any serious progress on thinning it all down. 

 Nostalgia is now more of a burden. Than kindling any remaining warmth from the fading memories each item now brings. The aching knowledge that no words of mine can fill the empty void stretching ahead. It is much too late to repair entrenched resentments. To undo habitual behaviours. To catch up on the groaning backlog of uncorrected trivialities. 

 The myriad failures to encourage. To warmly praise. To give repeated and grateful thanks. For a lifetime of service to our marriage. The failure to hug or to cuddle when required. To fill the long silences between us. To gently question. Even when no response was ever forthcoming. To insist when it was in her best interest. To endlessly, honestly and gently reassure. Where no reassurance was ever acceptable.

  08.00 The sky is brightening and appears clear. The silhouettes of the garden trees are rocking in the silent wind. No observable damage so far. I am impatient to go for a walk. To escape. To run away from my thoughts and my unquenchable misery of guilt. That I failed to provide a palatial exhibition space for all her treasures.

 09.30 Morning coffee over. I was treated to the rising of a giant sun, on the Winter Solstice, over a local hill. The wind was still strong and roaring in the tops of the roadside trees. As I strolled along. Occasionally bent over against the headwind. I amused myself by kicking the many fallen twigs onto the verge. A tall, solitary, dead tree had broken in the trunk and fallen. Not more than 4" in diameter. Somebody must have tidied it onto the verge. It was lying much too neatly to have occurred naturally. 

 The flooding on the back field is growing but far from a problem for me. Coastal flooding is occurring yet again. Not long after the last storm. 2023 has been the wettest ever recorded in Denmark. Despite a severe drought in the spring. Denmark is recorded as the country best adapted to fighting climate change. In 4th place. The top spots had no worthy candidates.

 13.00 Lunch. The greenhouse has risen to 60F/15C in the sunshine.

 17.00 I have been chatting on the phone today. Not used to it. My voice has gone all squeaky!  The neighbours are having an Xmas get together at 7pm. So I shall have to have a gargle before I go. Water didn't work. So I am trying milk.  

 17.30 I have trimmed my beard. To avoid being accused of imitating Father Xmas. Humbug! 😏

 18.30 Showered and changed. Counting down the minutes. 70F/21C in the room. I'll bung a large log on before I leave. 

 22.30 Back from the party. It was great. Lots of laughter. I discovered Glögg is the universal translator. The stove had gone out but I have revived it for a quick boost before bedtime.

~o~

21.12.2023 Storm Pia!

 ~o~

 Thursday 1st 43F/6C. A severe storm is going to cross Denmark today and overnight. Winds will be west to north westerly. My best protected direction provided the trees aren't blown over. The gusts are expected to peak at 30m/s [67mph] around 20.00 this evening but will have remained very high all day and will continue all night. The gales are forecast to gust to over 20m/s [45mph] until after lunch on Friday. Not being able to see anything outside in the dark does not contribute to peaceful sleep.

 Up at 6am after waking a few times. 

 7am. 62F/17C in the room but it feels colder. Stove lit and burning well. I ought to make sure I have enough logs in the room to avoid going out into the greenhouse. I'll have to check around for wind sensitive objects outside. Perhaps park the Morris Minor in the shelter of the end of the house. 

 I just hope  the mad hoarder's junk scattered across the field to my north west does not take off. Half a dozen, halved and open sided, site offices could act like spinnakers! With luck the neighbour's new drive will act as a physical barrier. Helping to contain flying or rolling objects. Before they reach the protective trees.

 7.30 66F/19C in the room. It will be another hour before it is remotely light enough for a walk. It is already raining.  

 9.00 67F/19C. Very heavy overcast and raining hard. Winds still light. Well, that was irritating! I had filled two wheelbarrows with the smaller stuff from the last trailer load of logs. Unfortunately the Hall's lean-to greenhouse has four, worthless roof ventilators. Which drip constantly during rain and don't lower the temperature one iota when it is sunny. 

 It seems I parked one wheelbarrow perfectly to catch the drips from the ventilator above. So there was a 2" deep pool of water in that wheelbarrow. Half the useful wood scraps are now wet and will have to be dried from scratch.

 12.00 Brightening up to brief sunshine between clouds. Still no wind. Tidying. Everything is so badly organized. I have lost a large box of assorted drinking glasses. Did I donate it to charity? I really can't remember. How can I offer any visitors a drink? 

 If I get rid of most of the empty boxes, or nest them, it might help. I/we always felt we should keep the boxes when we bought new stuff. In case something had to go back. Some boxes are years old. So there is no return under guarantee.  

 12.30 I got rid of some boxes and found two storage tubs of mixed glasses. Lots more stuff to donate to the charity shops. There will be more if I continue. Even though it makes me very depressed to handle my wife's valued possessions. Built up over a lifetime of visiting charity shops, flea markets, secondhand stores and antique dealers. 

 It doesn't really owe me anything except memories. Of her delight in finding something she liked. Probably nothing of high value. As far as I am aware. Never anything expensive. Always something interesting or pretty. Or unique.

 22.30 I am hardly aware of the storm so far. It was quiet until this evening. Then I could hear a subdued roar outside. Not wearing my hearing aids helps. Dinner was fish fingers with Fettucini pasta, peas and tinned tomatoes.

~o~

20.12.2023 Museum Xmas Lunch.

 ~o~

 Wednesday 20th 40F/4C. A damp morning, clearing later. Up at 6.30 after more bizarre dreams. It is the volunteers' Xmas lunch at the Museum. I have to shop first. 65F/18C in the room. The stove is lit and going well. After some recalcitrance bordering on downright disobedience!

 A severe storm [Pia] arrives tomorrow and overnight to Friday morning. Winds gusting to over 30m/s. Which is 65-70mph. It sounds like the storm of Christmas 1999. Which caused major damage and loss of power and water for several days. We lost an area of our northern roof. The farm behind us was destroyed when the wind got into the adjoining barns. 

 This time the wind is westerly to north westerly. Rather than south westerly. With, tall and skinny, intervening trees forming a modest shelter belt. Those trees weren't there back then. Hopefully the storm won't lead to road closures and cancelled trains. Lots of people will be travelling to their family Xmas.

 8.45. Still very dark outside. I have been laundering and tidying. The former the clearing of yet more dry clothing into chests of drawers and assorted tubs. The "tidying" is a euphemism for desperately searching for a box. Which I knew to exist well over a year ago. Now mysteriously vanished. Into the chaos I loosely call upstairs storage. 

 I am wondering whether wandering around several football field sized, village supermarkets. Is enough exercise to avoid a formal, morning walk. Probably. Besides, it was tipping down when I fetched in more firewood from the greenhouse. So a walk would be quite uncalled for masochism. 

 I hope the car behaves itself today. It was being silly again yesterday. Failing to pick up when I was accelerating. It is quite arguably a forlorn cry for help. It has had enough. Dating from the mid 1990s it has struggled on. Through each and every official, safety inspection. With ever increasing expense. The Morris Minor should be enough car for one old fart. Sadly it's age and fragility make it very much of a fair weather friend. I have to avoid salted roads or rust is inevitable.

 15.00 The old car was fine. I shopped in a more distant village. Then showered before going to the Museum Xmas dinner for 12.00. Leaving about 14.30 as the numbers steadily dwindled down from amongst the eighteen present. I am really full up!

 No dinner required. Tea and a biscuit.

~o~

19.12.2023 Another recycled jacket.

  ~o~

  Tuesday 19th 46F/8C. Heavily overcast. A wet and windy morning is promised. Up at 7.30 after earlier awakenings. I was dreaming about lamas hanging their heads over a fence! Why? 

  8.30 64F/18C in the room but feels colder. The bathroom and kitchen have risen to 71F/16C due to milder temperatures outside. I turned the thermostats down on both electric radiators but they continue to warm these rooms. The idea was just to keep the chill off and help the fridge. It doesn't like cold temperatures.

  8.40 I have lit the stove but the kindling is misbehaving again. I am thinking about going for a walk. My back hurts. Perhaps from yesterday's stumble on slippery concrete? It is still dark grey outside. I'll give it and the stove a while to brighten up. The beech burns more readily than the softwood kindling.

  9.15. Stove going well at last. Still dry outside. Walkies!

 10.00 Back from my walk. The wind was light  but cold. The traffic quiet and/or intermittent. It really is very dark today. The room is up to 67F/19C thanks to a fat log going into into the stove before I left. More laundry on the clothes horse. I have to shop today.

 17.30 Returned from town with several carriers bags worth of groceries. I found a nice [high vis green] softshell jacket in a charity shop. 50% off £5 = 25kroner! Naturally I am delighted. It will make a good winter walking jacket when there is a risk of rain. £100 new but discounted to below £40 equivalent in some outlets. It might be better for cold dry weather on the bike than the Endura jackets. Which are not very warm.

 Dinner was cheese on toast. With fresh, cherry tomatoes.

~o~

18.12.2023 Another welcome visitor! 😊

 ~o~

 Monday 18th 46F/8C, Heavy overcast and breezy. Up at 8.15 after deliberately going to bed late. I wanted to reset my sleep patterns.

 13.00 Well, that was nice. My British friend visited with 2 hours notice. So I had a chance to tidy, clean and vacuum. Followed by a swift shower before he arrived. I slipped over outside while attending to recycling and injured my hand. Nothing serious.  Damp moss has built up on the north facing concrete slab outside.

 The stove had gone out in the meantime. So I had to relight it and boost the warmth in the room. The place looks a lot better now. All because I was being motivated to tidy the accumulated mess. Assorted papers, supermarket receipts, cycling clothing and dry laundry were soon reorganised. I usually lack the self-discipline to keep it that way. Having visitors makes me want to tidy. If only to avoid the shame of being seen to live in my own, self-made pigsty. 

 Left to my own devices I just muddle along. I ought to have a list of chores to be attended to on a daily basis. Would I adhere to it? Not on past performance. Bringing firewood logs into the room will help to dry them out before use. I bought a ring rack for logs but the idiot never restocks it. So the logs out in the greenhouse absorb atmospheric moisture. Which makes them reluctant to burn as readily. 

 Talking about it on my blog is not remotely the same as actually doing something. Doing the washing up daily would end the constant struggle to find clean crockery. Again the logic is sound by "the staff" is unmotivated. I need a reward which outweighs the complete lack of willpower. Like a dog needs a treat. Chocolates? 😋

 13.30 Lunch over. Now I must maintain the momentum and attend to the laundry backlog again. Underway. There really wasn't that much in machine cycle terms. It just needed to be sorted into heaps, then baskets of different materials carried downstairs.

 18.00 A long dark grey day is almost over. I brought in the last of the logs from the previous trailer load. A new trailer load is stacked and waiting. I need a light meal for dinner. Not sure what yet. I have half a huge sausage to use up. I could make sausage in a wholemeal bread roll. 

 It was fine but far too much of it. I had to use up the sausage. Or discard some of it. Halving them ensured they were cooked right through. They were still pink inside even after 20 minutes in the frying pan. Halving them also made them easier to eat. Using a knife and fork.

 22.30 Still feeling very full from dinner.

~o~

17.12.2023 Wind stopped play! Saddle level.

 ~o~

 Sunday 17th 46F/8C. (9.00) Very heavy overcast. Mostly dry but strong westerly winds forecast for this afternoon.

 Up at 8am after an awful night. I woke from a bad dream about my wife and a thunder and lightning storm. I was literally shaking with cold but with no good reason. The room was still warm and I was wearing long underwear. Then I couldn't go back to sleep. Bad memories kept me spiralling downwards into a bottomless pit. 

 So I got up at 1.30am and spent an hour and half watching YouTube videos.  Finally back to bed and woke at 8am. Which must have seriously upset my sleep routine. I had better avoid long naps in an attempt to catch up.

 Not a great picture! The B67 at full [riding] height on the XLC T010 dropper post. This dropper post has an external cable remote operation. An internal cable, remote operating system would not work on the Moustache frame. 

 An earlier version of the XLC dropper post had the operating cable reaching right up to the saddle. This later model cable ends at the seat clamp. Allowing the post to move unhindered and looking much smarter.

 There was also the matter of insertion depth and stack height. You can see how low the dropper post mechanism is in/on the Moustache frame. 20mm from as low as it would go. It was quite a struggle to find a dropper post with enough drop and small stack height for my needs. Without requiring a very long cylinder hidden inside the bike's seat tube. There is little free depth inside the Moustache's seat tube. Stack height affects how low the saddle will go on the bike. Important as one teeters at a traffic light. Without a handy pavement kerb.

 This particular dropper post has a lot of unwanted, rotational freedom. Which many will (probably) find objectionable. That said the rise and fall mechanism has worked flawlessly so far. Some will not like the XLC's large, shiny handlebar lever. Which is clamped at right angle to the bars. Inline levers, in black,  are available from other manufacturers. I didn't research this option too deeply. So I cannot confirm compatibility with the XLC cable and the dropper post mechanism's cable pull requirement for release and locking.     

 9.00 62F/17C in the room and I have just lit the stove. I ought to go for a walk before the morning is over. Getting up so late pushes my habitual routine forwards by a good couple of hours.

 9.40. Back from my walk. I didn't go far. Windy, and it forgot to get light this morning. Depressing to say the least. I watched some gulls being buffeted as they soared untidily across the wind. The roads are dry. So an early ride would be doable. Though not nearly so much fun as a still day with sunshine. Even if it was much colder. The wind is picking up to 20m/s gusts later. That must be close to 45mph. The forecast graph begins to steepen markedly at about 12.00. So I had better find a goal before it is too late.

 10.15 There are already some fierce gusts! The ride is off. 

 10.45 I rested the front wheel of the Moustache on a piece of scrap plywood to make the bike level front to back. Then discovered my new saddle's nose up setting was about 5-6mm. This was measured with a short [39cm] builder's level resting on the nose of the B67 saddle. A job requiring several hands if the bike must be simultaneously supported upright. A leaning bike would give a completely false, level reading on the top of the saddle. 

 The actual measurement is not vital. Except to confirm the setting next time the saddle is removed. [Assuming the bike is on level ground or floor each time.] Failure to check the bike's level will lead to serious frustration! Not everybody carries the necessary hex key to make saddle adjustments en-route. I wouldn't leave home without a full set of hex keys. [Aka. Allen keys] Remember to let the dropper post rise. So you can easily reach the saddle clamp's, hex socket screws. This will also protect the bike's paintwork as you struggle to reach the screw heads. 

15.15 It has been very dark all day but increasingly so after lunch. Very windy too. My nice neighbour came over with some lovely biscuits. He has returned my ladders. Which he borrowed to put up Xmas lights to outline his house. Very pretty they look too.

 We had a long chat as the living room rose above 21C. I like to think that chatting in English may further his career one day. Well that's my excuse and he enjoys speaking English. While I could manage in Danish. The conversation would not flow remotely so effortlessly. I really need to fit a door knocker. Or a bell? Because I never hear anybody calling. Luckily I spotted him through the window. 

17.45 Sunday dinner looms. I am trying to get around to cooking chicken and sausages together. Boiled potatoes [or mashed] peas and carrots with gravy might work. I don't have any mushrooms to stretch the chicken on its own. It all worked out well.

~o~

16.12.2023 Brooks B67 v Contec Pt.2

 ~o~

12.30 I just rode once around the rural block. About 4 km with the wind roaring in my hearing aids. Stopping twice to lift the saddle nose slightly more. Subjectively, the B67 feels smaller than the Contec. The Contec leather is quite slack now. That could be the difference I feel. The B67 is not noticeably slippery. Though I could shift my position as desired. The sense of fixed location on the saddle remains. Though not uncomfortably so. 

 Unfortunately the greenhouse floor isn't level. So the exact degree of nose up will have to be checked with the bike on a level surface. The greenhouse makes a handy and well lit workshop out of the cold weather.

 I now feel as if I am sitting too low. With my knees too bent at BDC. The Sorel boots may be higher in the heel and sole. So lifting myself off the saddle at BDC may be inaccurate. I might have a ride into the village after lunch. The Brooks still looks too shiny and new on the e-bike for that vintage look of the Contec. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

 14.30. Back from a ride to the village. It was blowing hard, with mist and misty drizzle. The saddle isn't too uncomfortable for being brand new. Even with a strong magnifying glass I still can't read the Brooks instructions. Printed in pale grey, sub-microscopic-text on white paper. Heads should roll! 

 I had better go online if I want legible instructions. 16.3km so far. I found myself slipping slowly forwards and needed to slide back again. More nose up required. 

 17.30 Brooks basic instructions: Apply Proofide to the top, the edge and the bottom of the saddle leather. To ensure proper breaking in and protection of the leather. Job done. Using my fingers in a warm room as usual. The warmth helps to spread the wax. I usually leave the Proofide untouched overnight. Then just buff off the top if I am going for a ride. Otherwise I just leave the wax to soak in.

 It smells nice and needs soap to remove any excess from your hands. Which means it should probably be helping to waterproof the leather. Except that it shows rain spots almost from the very first drop. Stop worrying about it. Your body will protect the saddle while you are riding it. A cover will keep it dry in the rain when you aren't on the bike. Don't ride with the waterproof cover on though. It is uncomfortable!

 I've tried all sorts of oils on old saddles and they aren't better than Proofide. Some oils will soften your saddle into a worthless, sagging mess. A horse saddle isn't remotely a bike saddle. A bike saddle is in tension. A horse saddle isn't. I've tried horse saddle oils too. 

 Get the bike saddle leather too soft and you quickly run out of tension adjustment. The pressure points will sag out of shape. Bringing bits of your bod into contact with the saddle in places it ought not to. The leather can't read your mind. Think of the saddle top as a hammock. Get it too loose and you will be riding on the seat post or frame. Don't over-tension either! You want some give when you sit on the saddle. That can only come from breaking in.

 Dinner will be chips and fish fingers. A few fresh, cherry tomatoes will make it look more like healthy food. Several billion don't have any choice.

~o~

 

16.12.2023 Brooks B67 v Contec Pt.1

 ~o~

 Saturday 16th 44F/6C. Milder but still grey. Up at 7.40 after waking in the dark. 

 8.30 Beginning to lighten outside. 62F/17C in the room after 68/20CF at bedtime. 

  9.30. Time to stop waffling and go for a walk! That will save me having to light the stove until I get back.

 Brooks B67 box opening.

 10.30 Back from my walk. Another dark, grey day. The wind made it feel much cooler than the thermometer suggested. I saw several large birds of prey soaring and being buffeted by the wind.

 My parcel has arrived while I was out. Excellent service from the Danish, Cykelshoppen.dk and GLS. On a Saturday too. I only ordered the new saddle yesterday afternoon. A Brooks B67 to compare with the Contec. I did not want to be without a saddle if the milder weather allows a ride. I dare not trust the broken frame of the Contec in case it leaves me unable to get home.

 Initial impressions of a new, Brooks saddle are always good. The B67 is nicely packaged and presented. Another free, tension spanner to add to my collection. A sachet of Proofide and a folded instructions sheet. The dimpled leather top doesn't actually feel at all like leather. Typically slippery Brooks leather as new. Do I sense stainless steel rivets this time? Instead of the rust prone chrome of the last two centuries. Or the copper rivets of the upmarket models. 

 The Contec is 208mm wide x 285mm long. The B67 207mm x 275mm long. All measurements taken directly from the undersides of both saddles. Close enough to hardly notice the difference. Brooks states the B67 is 205x265mm. Their measurements appear to be conservative. The length will also increase with re-tensioning after break in. The Contec already has thousands of km on it. It has been re-tensioned several times.

 Saddle slipperiness is a very mixed blessing. Too shiny and it is very difficult to stay in place. Typical of a new Brooks. Too grippy and one's clothing moves around with the saddle. Padded vinyl and man made materials. It's the difference between trying to perch on a spherical, polished, beach pebble [new B17 Brooks] and enough friction just to be able stay onboard. 

 A dollop of Brooks Proofide wax treatment will usually reduce the slipperiness. If only temporarily. I treated the Contec with Proofide early on. And then later. To take off the initial shine and repeated it as required. From long experience of purchasing several Brooks saddles I don't find the Proofide does much to soften the new leather. It's all about making it possible to stay on the bike/trike! However, these wider saddles have a larger area for depression by the sit bones. Which will make them subjectively softer.

 I talked a lot about saddles yesterday while searching online about wide saddles. Then I read a forum post about prostate problems caused by cycling and saddles. The first time I had heard the two put so clearly together. There was the suggestion that carving a saddle helped relieve pressure on the prostate.

 "Carving" refers to deliberately making a long, elliptical cutout in the middle of the saddle. Many modern saddles are now adopting this tactic in their design. Sometimes taken to extremes. Where two parallel ridges presenting no surface at all to the sensitive middle of the rider's crutch. 

 I'll have to do some more research on the connection between cycling and the prostate. The sudden improvement in my "waterworks" may have been a direct result of a huge reduction of e-bike riding. Due to the onset of bad [winter] wet weather. 

Brooks B67 underside.

 The broader Contec saddle has certainly made my life more comfortable than before. Though I still suffered from saddle soreness on longer rides and even on some shorter ones. I have suffered from saddle soreness all of my life. Even as a teenager on a rock hard, Unica Nitor plastic saddle. Which was much cheaper and lighter than a Brooks leather saddle. I clearly remember experienced club cyclists telling me to change to a Brooks. I never followed their advice.

 My recent take on the saddle soreness was moisture build-up in the crutch area. Even when I was wearing only a pair of thin, padded "racing" shorts. My idea was to take a spare pair of shorts with me. Then change into dry shorts at halfway on a longer ride. Probably involving wet wipes to reduce any remaining skin moisture on the sensitive areas. My skin would probably already be sore from friction. So any change would have to be judged from that standpoint. 

 

 Tiredness and saddle soreness always seem to go together. As I near home I run out of energy and suffer saddle soreness at the same time. The huge advantage of the e-bike is the ability to increase motor assistance to get me home. Turbo mode's 320% assistance goes a long way even at low speeds. On a purely manual bike or trike my tiredness would always prolong the agony into extra hours in the saddle! Not so on the e-bike.  

Brooks B67 [left] side by side with the Contec. The B67 is a bare few millimetres smaller according to the specs. I was prepared to believe them. The smoother Contec looks larger.
 
 I do not sense that I am feeling localised bone/saddle pressure on a ride. Though hat area feels sore when I sit down afterwards. It actually feels much more like friction during a ride. Cooler weather riding can involve multiple layers of clothing between myself and the saddle. Even though I carefully choose flat seams in the crutch area for cycling clothing. The volume of cloth trapped between myself and the saddle inevitably increases. Comfort, or rather a lack of pain, is vital to the full enjoyment of cycling.

 The latest sales gimmick, for expensive saddles, is carbon fibre mesh. The thickness of the mesh filaments can be adjusted to provide local variation in resistance to pressure. Perhaps the greater advantage is simply the vast increase in airflow between the rider's crutch and the saddle? Which, taken to my usual loony extremes, would mean drilling lots more ventilation holes in a leather saddle. I'll have to think about that before I get the drill out. Where and what size may matter. If only for longevity of the leather.

 The [hole] carving and even the bifurcation of the latest saddles may be reducing moisture build up. Not just providing local pressure relief. The problem with friction is that it often occurs on each side. Rather than down the centre. Where even racing shorts would have material and sponge each side adding to the thickness.

Brooks B67 [left] beside the Contec from underneath.
The B67 is more delta shaped than the Contec. I ran into problems with the Contec until I tipped the nose up a little. The leading edges of the delta were pressing into the junction of my thighs and buttocks. It will be interesting to see how the Brooks limits movement in this area while pedalling.

 It must be remembered that no two cyclists have the same anatomy. The distance between their sit bone protrusions varies. As does the shape of these bones. The muscular form and weight of the rider varies even more. Yet everybody is expected to climb onto an average saddle. Whose price can vary from many hundreds of pounds to mere, pocket change. Though Asian copies can reduce the price of the most desirable saddles. They may not enjoy all the attributes of the big name labels. Who [one hopes] have done some research to warrant the huge price ticket. Rather than merely providing more bonuses to their hype-marketing department.

 Cycling is all about sales from media hype. Much of which comes from copycat purchases. If the TdeF stars are using something then surely it must be good. Which often ignores the simple reality. Of generous sponsors demanding their own kit is used. Even if it seriously impairs the performance and comfort of the "star." On whom much depends on race results to match their astronomical salaries!

 11.30 More waffling! I really ought to put the Brooks B67 on the Moustache and have a test ride.

 The B67 is 1cm taller on the seat post clamp than the Contec. I used a tape measure. I could feel the difference immediately and lowered the dropper post accordingly. I didn't dress for the cold wind. So limited myself to riding up and down the drive. Saddle nose adjusted up slightly after carefully setting it level for the first trial. Suddenly, and oddly, it feels as if I have a fixed position on the saddle. Like sitting in a bucket seat. The B67 feels far more comfortable than any of the B17 variants I have had from new. Or any other saddle for that matter. The Contec was similar to the B67.

 The initial slipperiness seems to have gone with the small change of angle. No obvious problem with the leading edges of the delta shape. Though a few hundred meters is not a true test. I'd have to dress more warmly to ride around the block. There are strict rules about helmets and carrying proof of 3rd party insurance on these e-bikes. So it's not a case of just setting off for a test ride. I'd better get dressed for a ride now or it will be lunch time.

~o~

15.12.2023 Contec Classic Exclusive saddle frame broken!

 ~o~

  Friday 15th 41F/5C. Heavily overcast. 150 yard thick mist and very damp. Up at 7.30 after waking earlier and failing to gain altitude. 

 9.00 I ought to go for my walk before sloth sets in. 

 10.00 Back from my walk to the lanes. Much milder. I wore my dayglo cycling jacket for visibility in the mist. Backed up by the Puma boots with white bumper strips. Everybody [the traffic] gave me an unusually wide berth. Which avoided tyre spray from the wet roads. A pheasant dashed away as I passed. I started talking to myself on the way back but couldn't get any sense out of him. As usual. Not much else to report. 

 Broken Contec saddle frame member!

 Morning coffee over. I have a grocery shopping list. Which must be attended to this morning. It has reached 65F/18C in the room. The baskets full of  logs from the greenhouse are coming in at over 20% moisture content. I am experimenting with larger logs. Just to see if they will burn without my splitting them. Fine so far. It just needs enough air to keep the og  burning steadily on a red fire base.

 I was just comparing the Contec saddle to a very similar Brooks. When I noticed the spring frame is broken! Purchased in April of this year. So only 8 months from new. The frame member could be replaced if I can find a source. The village cycle shop where I bought it has very sadly closed down. So I can't return the saddle for replacement under guarantee. 

These images show the broken frame member[ arrowed above] Smaller arrows indicate the horrible sharp bends. Which should never be used on a stressed, spring steel wire frame. The sharp corners act as local stress points and must seriously risk breakage. I am a modest 75-80kg. [12 stone]

 Examination of the entire saddle frame showed crude bends at all major stress points. Bends should be smooth and made to a small radius. Not bent over a sharp edge! This is a great shame. I really liked the Contec. It provides the width so vital to an upright position. Over which I have no choice. As my ageing hands and wrists can no longer tolerate a leaning forwards position. There is too much of my [modest] weight thrown onto my hands. 

 The Contec saddle cost me about half the retail price of a near identical Brooks shop price. Yet the Contec has many plus points in its favour over the Brooks B67. Thicker leather, connected side skirts, hex key tension adjustment, all chromed frame amongst others.  

A wider view of the Contec saddle.
Showing the upper frame wire break

 The skirts can be tied with shoes laces if they flare after some use and abuse. I did that to my B17 Special. Though this hardens the ride to some extent it extends the saddle's useful life considerably. The flaring of the skirts must provide some extra comfort on rough roads. Though only in the centre of the saddle. Where there really shouldn't be too much pressure anyway. 

 Hence the craze for carving or moulding elliptical slots in many saddles. To relieve pressure on the perineum. This whole subject may be highly dependent on the rider's forward lean angle. 

 I see the B67 is readily available at about 900 Danish Kroner. [About £105 GBP] The B67 has a textured [dimpled] leather top. While the Contec is smooth but naturally aged. I like both saddles for their looks on my all black, Moustache e-bike. Which, to my eyes, pretends to be an old motorcycle from the early 1900s.

  The Brooks B67 is closest to the Contec in design. Though the B67 is slightly smaller in width and length. Some of the Brooks sprung saddles will not fit a modern seat post. I am using a dropper post so have zero choice in this matter. The dropper post uses the modern micro-adjustable saddle clamp. 

 The Moustache is lethal [IMHO] without a dropper post. This is due to the very high bottom bracket height. I literally dropped the Moustache onto the handlebar end several times before I fitted the dropper post. The ground is simply far too far away when dismounting. I have a Medium frame size. Which matches my height. 

 Both saddles have springs at the rear [for rider suspension] but have only a frame pivot at the front. Most of the rider's weight is on the wide "bench" at the rear of the saddle. So the lack of forward springing is of less significance. While still providing greater rider comfort over rough roads. 

 Some Brooks models have more of less complex springing at increased weight. Some have multiple springs running fore and aft. The risk of any springs is the saddle rocking laterally while pedalling. The Contec and B67 may be slightly less likely to rock sideways due to the fixed front pivot. 

 I noticed the Contec knocking loudly early on yesterday's ride but forgot to check the reason when I came home. It had stopped knocking because the broken spring had moved sideways against the inside of the skirt.   

 In the absence of a local Contec cycle parts dealer I have emailed the company in Germany with images of the broken saddle.

 A shopping trip in the dark allowed me to catch up on my missing groceries. I went in the old car.

 Then it took me half an hour to do the backlog of washing up. I don't know why I am so loathe to do it on a daily basis. I had run out of every plate, bowl, mug, pan and cutlery.

Dinner was salad. The 6 minute, boiled eggs were still runny but acceptable.

~o~

14.12.2023

 ~o~

 Thursday 14th 33F/1C. Up at 6.30 after a disturbed night. The beer with dinner was to blame. 

 7.00 15C/60F in the room. Lit the stove. Going well.

 9.00 I don't think it is going to get any lighter. Time for a walk. Two hours of the stove going and it has only reached 63F/17C in the room.

 9.45 It was unpleasantly cold but dry. I limited my walk to halfway to the lanes. I passed a hedge with about 50 sparrows staring at me. Most of them really didn't want to move away. I should have mentioned the many birds of prey sitting quietly in roadside trees. Probably saving energy. A red kite was circling low over a village yesterday. Completely ignoring the traffic. It must have spotted something tasty in a back garden.

 As the roads are dry I could risk a ride on the-bike. Though not very far and I'd need to dress warmly. The cold is reinforced by my increased forward speed. Potentially causing wind chill. Moreover, the forced headwind flattens my jacket against my chest. This has proved unpleasant even in warmer weather. It requires more layers or some kind of padding. Perhaps a thick jumper under the jacket over the usual layers? I'd normally rest wearing anything providing added warmth. As it quickly leads to sweating. Which, on a purely manual trike always meant an ice bath on the next descent!

 My favourite, old, cycling jacket's zip has finally gone bad. This jacket is/was probably at least 15 years old. Ex-charity shop and getting badly frayed from my frequent use. It is/was much thicker than modern clothing. With a slightly fluffy inner surface. It didn't have the cold feel of modern windproof/rainproof jackets. It was very reliable even in the rain. Despite being made of an almost, fleece-like material. Though denser on the outer surface. It was an official Danish cycling club's winter jacket and covered in sponsor's advertising. The shop is still going strong. This was my goal for my longest e-bike ride in the summer. (140km/85miles)

 12.30 36F/2C. Heavy overcast, light wind. I have just returned from a 26km ride to the shops in wo villages. Apart from my face I was comfortably warm thanks to a heavy jumper under my Endura jacket. My hands were fine in GripGrab split mitts. They really are excellent without being too warm. The fur lined Puma trainers/boots were slightly too cold and far too slippery when wet. Fine when the soles were dry. 

 The broad gauge, Contec Classic Exclusive saddle continues to be mostly comfortable for my upright position. I regularly ride shorter distances in normal underwear under trousers. Rather than padded "racing" shorts. On a well worn, Brooks B17 Special I would always wear racing shorts. Even for a 6 mile round trip to the nearest village supermarkets! Otherwise I would get saddle sore!

 13.00 Lunch. The huge bunch of organic bananas was not the bargain it seemed. Despite pretending to be yellow, they are chewy hard and so unripe that the skins are welded to the fruit! I had to make longitudinal slits in the skins just to get them off.

 18.30 32F/0C. 67F/19C in the room. It feels cool and draughty but isn't. I think I'll go with salad tonight. I have been rather overdoing the greasy spoon dinners. No ill effects but it can't be good for me. Whoops! I didn't buy any tuna or eggs! Now what? I have nothing suitable to replace them. Salad would be horribly bland without a centrepiece. Back to the greasy spoon. Sausage and mashed potato with gravy? Otherwise its toast. I've just done the mackerel. So it would have to be cheese. Chicken and mushroom curry? 

 Nope. Beans on toast. Lazy git dinner.

~o~

13.12.2023 Wednesday all day.

 ~o~

 Wednesday 13th 34F/1C. Up at 6am and it really is Wednesday this time. 60F/15C in the room and it feels too cold. I had to light the stove straight way.

 7am. The room has risen to 61F and it feels warmer already. Museum day. I shall go in the old car. I have missed the last two Wednesdays due to snow.

 It is very odd how my "waterworks" stopped misbehaving. I no longer have to rush off to the bathroom every five minutes. My half dozen visits to the fire bucket at night have reduced to once or twice. "The fire bucket" was deliberately placed on a low table near the end of my bed. To reduce the increasing toll of repeated breaks in my sleep. 

 The plastic bucket was deliberately raised to a comfortable level. Which ensured I could not easily miss. While half asleep and usually half blind. I also have a remote control LED table lamp. With the zapper on a low desk beside by my bed. Again another deliberate tactic to avoid unnecessary activity or requiring increased concentration in the middle of the night. The lamp is not as bright as a normal table lamp. So did not blind me nor wake me up too much.

 I stopped taking the prescribed [prostate reduction] medication due to the awful, phantom pains it caused. Every part of me was hurting. I was even getting tooth ache and severe, clamping chest pains. All now gone thank goodness. The medication had no obvious effect in the short time I was taking it. It is months since I stopped taking the tablets.

 Normal pressure and flow have now returned. No more pain when urinating either. Probably too much information but it was truly life changing for me. This is my personal diary and nobody else reads it anyway. I was measuring my life by my distance to the next available toilet. It was a physical and mental handicap on literally everything I did. My walks, cycle rides and car outings were constantly interrupted.

 I have started making dinner an hour earlier and have cut out evening drinks of tea or coffee. Or have reduced them to a small cup of milk after dinner. It also helped if I avoided having a beer with dinner. My often greasy, fried menu often required a drink of some sort to clean my palate. I should cut down on my salt intake too.

 13.30 Back from the museum. Where I helped to remove three trailer loads of unwanted items from the storage barn. A mixture of modern, damaged and some worm ridden old stuff. Each trailer load was taken to the recycling yard. 

 It was a cold morning with a chill NE wind. Even brief flurries of snow. The MM had snow adhering to the windscreen and wings. The room was back down to 15C/60F again. I had left the stove burning well. There was still just enough warmth in the fire bed to ignite some kindling.

 19.00 33F/1C. I went with another fry up for dinner. Fried chicken, mushrooms and eggs. The last of the fresh tomatoes. The eggs were perfect until I broke them turning them over. I added a bread roll to soak up the fat. The room has only risen to 65F/18C.

~o~

12.12.2023 A Tuesday evening short of a set!

 ~o~

  Tuesday 12th 35F/2C. Very heavy overcast. I was about to report thick mist. It was only heavy dew on the greenhouse. I woke at 7.45 after getting up once in the night.

8.30 62F/17C in the room. I had better light the stove. Then a walk first before I must fetch more kindling from a few miles away. I am not allowed a trailer on the e-bike. So, even firewood has its CO2 footprint. 

 I hear the genocidal, oil dictators are ruling the roost at COP28. Exactly as expected.  

 9.30 Back from a brisk walk to the lanes. I was too warm on my way back. Lots of bird activity. With a large, brown bird of prey crying all the way across the local landscape. The overcast broke up to mixed cloud and blue sky but no sunshine yet. The flooding on the back field is worse than before but still localised. Record rainfall followed by snow melt was a good test of likely extremes. 

 12.30 Late morning drive to the shops/supermarkets. I bought kindling and then groceries from three different villages. Denmark is lucky to have maintained the village shops. Not all chains are represented in every village. So it means travelling around to shop at each outlet for specific items.

 17.00 Woke from a long nap thinking it was Wednesday morning. Got up and made coffee and it is still only Tuesday! I was looking for pictures of Tuesday dinner to update the blog. No wonder I couldn't remember what I made! Perhaps that's a good thing. It would be worse if I imagined a non-existent meal. I woke up extremely late this morning too. All very odd. 

 19.30 Washed up the backlog and put a load of washing on the airier/clothes horse. Dinner was mackerel on toast. A whole tin of Heinz tomato soup to follow. With a bread roll coming in last. To avoid a photo finish.

 

~o~

11.12.2023 Keep on loggin'.

 ~o~

 Monday 11th 40F/4C. Milder, thick mist and overcast. Up at 6.30. No walk.

 12.45 Returned from visiting my friend and shopping. The mist gave way to light drizzle.

 13.00 Lunch over and I have to fetch more logs and kindling. I couldn't get the trailer out with snow on the ground.

 15.30 I collected a trailer full [nearly] of beech logs from the timber yard. All of them are safely stacked in the greenhouse. The rubbish sorted into a container and strewn on a path under the trees. 

 I measured several logs at 20% moisture content which isn't bad at this time of year. It will need some some prolonged sunshine to get that figure down. The air humidity is nearly 100% today! I have had to relight the stove. It went out in my absence. 60F/15C in the room. 

 18.00 66F/19C in the room. I have to use up the last half of the beef mince. It seems "burgers" can be made with straight beef mince. No onion, milk or flour required. Shape, then fry on a high heat with a little oil. Leave them alone until the colour changes to half depth. Then turn. Sounds easy enough. What can possibly go wrong? What do I need to go with them? Chips? Righto. I'll be back.

 Frying the burgers went well. I only added salt and pepper at the very end as advised. The consistency was fine. The flavour OK but lacking something. Seasoning? Onion?

~o~