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The mole continues to claim new territory on my lawn. Fresh hills are usually darker from fresh soil. They lighten as the soil dries out.
Further research suggests that a rider on a Moustache bike won the 2021 EMTB world championships. I had never even heard of this French manufacturer until now. I really like the "EMTB"styling of their "Friday 27 FS." They offered a similar "Samedi Weekend" model in sage green. The image was borrowed from "Fully Charged" website. The London Moustache dealers. They have a video presence on YouTube.
It is grey, cool and miserable today but I am going for my walk anyway. I am feeling very depressed recently about my wife. Eleven months have now passed since her death. Almost everything I do and touch still triggers memories of her.
I had just missed the unhappy digger driver as he exited the prairie. He is always keen to point out. That pedestrians have no right of access on agricultural land in Denmark. The farmers obviously prefer that Danish kids to get fat. By avoiding exercise in the fresh air. 50% of all humans will be officially obese within a few years.
Two geese crossed. Moving like cruise missiles at low altitude. Then a heron drifted across my path. Its fixed wings curved downwards. In an effortless, thousand yard glide to the big pond. Out of sight in a fold of the land.
At that point I was surrounded in a vast acreage of bare soil. It was an agricultural desert. Except to the hare. The first I had seen in ages. As it lolloped off. All but invisible against the all but uniform mud. Until it moved. Before that it was perfectly safe.
I continued along the track. A strip of thin grass rising above the deep tyre tracks on either side. The farmer keeps adding gravel and builders rubble to the track but the deep ridges remain. Then I climbed beside the hedge enclosing the forest. Until I was able to escape into the bare, beech woods. Where the hedge is thinned enough to allow crouched access.
A hundred yards later I stepped out onto a field. With a grass-like crop on the summit plateau. I had paused to take in the view. Which was fortunate. Because a flock of young male deer moved away. Before pausing to assess the likely danger of this wandering human.
Each bore a huge head of antlers. I counted fourteen bucks though my binoculars but it was difficult to be sure. When they stood in a tight bunch. They remained still, but attentive as I pressed on along the edge of the field. To descend by the steep track to the first village south of my home. The deer were still standing in a row when I looked back up the hill. None of my phone images was worth the effort of capturing at full zoom. A lack of light under the leaden sky? I should start to carry my camera when it gets lighter.
My walking back along the main road, into the cold wind, was interrupted at intervals by the traffic. Including the local electrician. Whose van completely straddled the double white lines of a sharp corner. Despite the oncoming cars passing on the inside of the same bend! I shan't be employing such an ignorant sociopath for his claimed expertise.
Why do such dangerous drivers choose to advertise all over their vans? When they should really choose complete anonymity. If only to avoid drawing attention to their raving insanity. Which might even lead to prosecution. Not to mention his total indifference to the rights of others. To survive his drooling idiocy.
11.00 40F. Still overcast. I really should go shopping. It can't be put off any longer. I had better re-mount the yellow "Outboard" saddle bag and rack on the Trykit. I'll need its vast capacity if I am to catch up on the shopping.
I tried more relaxed clothing for this ride. I rarely ride without proper cycling shorts. Tights underneath if it is winter. Today I went in the scruffy fleece trousers I already had on. I layered my top half but the cold wind had no problem finding its way through. My standard cycling jacket was a superb find in a charity shop many years ago. Windproof beyond belief but not some thin shell. Unfortunately it is covered in adverts. So "relaxed" is not quite the correct term. I need to seriously consider a high vis but more normal jacket for the electric bike.
13.45 Lunch over. Shopping done, brought home and put away. I had rearranged the big, yellow, PVC bag. To allow the neck of the bag to be much further away from the back of the saddle. So I was able to lower a huge cloth bag straight into the gaping 40L maw. The rest of the shopping was dangled in another cloth bag from the saddle pin, as usual. It rests partially on top of the yellow bag. Not ideal but this has worked well for years.
The new e-bike has a rear rack, intended for panniers, but limited to a 15kg load. The big, bright yellow bag offers high visibility. Which is why I bought it for the trike. Fixing it down to the supplied rack may not be the best option. Quality panniers last well but are horribly expensive.
Third party insurance is already required by law but the faster e-bikes are also a target. As I have just discovered from my insurance company. Comprehensive insurance for "45" Speed-Pedelec, electric bikes is horrendous! I was warned that they are a favourite target for theft. A top quality bike lock is obviously a high priority. Then there is electronic security via the phone app. The bike can't move under power without it. No doubt the thieves have discovered ways to circumvent such ploys. The scum have to pay for their drugs somehow.
18.30 I have moved the remaining logs from the trailer into the greenhouse using wheelbarrows. There is a snow forecast for Denmark but it remains uncertain where, when and how much. The bathroom reached 15C/60F before I closed everything up again.
Dinner looms but I haven't a clue what I want to eat. I went with chicken and mushroom curry. The meat was slow fried for over 20 minutes. With an extra 5 minutes while the curry sauce simmered. I was careful to add salt to the rice and pepper to the meat and then the curry sauce. It makes all the difference.
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