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7.50 It is getting lighter. I'll ensure the stove is going well before my walk. The northern sky is a gorgeous mixture of small, red clouds and deep, mid blue. Bands of orange to the east. Bigger, smudgy, red clouds to the south.
9.45 +1C/34F. Bright with sunshine. I managed to record my standard walking route to the lanes. 2.41km total according to the app. I also have a superb compass on my mobile phone now. After half a century of struggling to read the markings on a clear, plastic, compass housing.
A slight frost had made the edges of the road slippery despite being salted. Not ideal for a bike ride in "cycling friendly" Denmark! There were lots of small birds moving away down the roadside hedgerows. Mostly a mixture of chaffinches and bullfinches. With great tits, sparrows and blue tits as well. I disturbed a bunch of pheasants on the other side of a hedge. They shot off across the field. I don't know who was more shocked! There was a loud call directly overhead from a bird of prey but I couldn't see it. Probably hidden by the overhanging trees.
10.30 +1C/34F. A lovely bright, but cold morning now. I am going to take a ride to the village shops via the hilly, forest route. About 10 miles/16km through gorgeous countryside via mostly quiet lanes. With a stately home in the middle providing the c-c-c--cobbles.
13.00 +2C/36F and brighter sunshine now. Safely returned from my 10 mile ride to the shops and back. It was cold and rather cloudy for the first half. Though I was perfectly dressed for comfort at these temperatures. A bit breathless on the long hills on the first half. Though free of the recent pain from panting too deeply. I passed right under a bird of prey on a roadside tree. Then a red kite was circling over a roadside field between two copses.
My chainset keeps coming loose on the square axle. I need a longer hex key for a bit more leverage. Fortunately I have a long set in the shed. When I get around to going out there again. The greenhouse has reached 17C/63F in the shade and still climbing. Lunch is over. What next?
My laundered towels were always slightly stiff when dry. Even after a tour outside on clothes airer in the wind. So, today, after they came out of the washing machine I rinsed them in cold water. Then spun them before hanging them on the rack. We [?] shall soon see if there is any difference. If only I could find the same inspiration to do the washing up!
I actually invested in a new, round washing up bowl. Thinking it was a serious mistake. In fact it holds more cups at a time and leaves the corners clear for emptying things into the sink. The real problem is finding rubber gloves which fit my large hands. Without injury or serious pain during fitting, removal or use.
The supermarkets stock only M/L. Which, in real terms, really means Asian infant, Petite, 5-7 years of age. Whereas I need an Orangutan 12 XXL. We are not talking Guinness records here. I buy my GripGrab cycling gloves in precisely that size and it never makes the headlines. So they are available. Perhaps I should get a compressor? Then I could expand the rubber gloves to Chinese spy balloon size. To set them adrift to bumble across the gorgeous, Danish countryside.
There is now a risk of snow tomorrow morning for this area. Guess who just put all the snow clearing kit away?
You have to laugh at the library pictures posted on advertising bureau/bad news sites of the US suffering -77C temperatures. Bare hands holding mobile phones while waiting to cross the road in 10 minute, frostbite conditions? Seriously? What an utter farce!
Dinner was chicken and mushroom curry. [Again.] This time I had it just right. Not too much rice and the meat was perfectly cooked.
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