22.06.2023 Back on the road again.

 ~o~

 Thursday 22nd 61F. Overcast and calm. Lots of sunshine was promised. Up at 6.15. I heard a gnat whine in the night. Then was stung on the finger. 

 The replacement Moustache prop stand hasn't moved. Still shown at a sorting station not far away.

 The upper chest pains came back on my walk. Stopped when I got home. My back is still aching slightly from yesterday's raking and hoeing. Which feels and seems normal. A Red kite was circling out over the fields. 

 I have sent a message to the doctor. To decide if I am having phantom chest pains from taking the "waterworks" tablets. Or need to visit the surgery for discussion or tests. The doctor replied. I can stop taking the tablets for a few days trial. Then make an appointment depending on the results.

9.45 The sun has broken through and it has quickly reached 21C/70F. Time to think about another ride? Not too far. I could do a shopping ride to the next village. They have a different set of supermarkets.  

 Which I did. Then had an SMS from the post office to say my prop stand was waiting for me at the nearest village to home. So I dropped off my shopping at home and went out again. The delightful young lady at the parcel collection office was polite, cheerful, welcoming and efficient. So that I soon left with my parcel and a happy feeling. Not so happy at some senile crash test dummy. Who came out of a junction without pausing. Nor even bothering to look for traffic on the main road. I just managed to steer inside his car as it turned.

 12.30 25C/76F. Back at home I quickly fitted the new prop stand. Using one longer screw to take advantage of the greater depth of thread available. I used one of the supplied screws in the other hole. Now I'll have lunch. Before deciding what to do next. A nap!

 15.30 25.5C/78F outside. I have put a second digital thermometer outside in the shade to the north side of the house. To check my usual digital thermometer. I have the first "outside" sensor on a long lead hanging down under the northern roof eaves. So it never receives direct sunshine. The roof, at 40º, receives grazing sunshine only at this time of year. When the sun is at its highest local altitude of 58º. I just checked the second thermometer. It is reading 79F. Confirming the first reading. The forecast was for 26C maximum today or 78.8F. Which must the warmest day of this year so far.

 16.30 78F. I have just carried a ladder along the 200+ meters of the gravel drive. To fix the traffic safety mirror on its pole across the road. The plastic ears on the back of the mirror are compressing under the pressure of the altitude fixing bolts. Poor design! The hollow plastic moulding should have had filler pieces. They can no longer hold the convex mirror upright. The mirror just flops downwards until the bottom hits the pole.

 I walked all the way back to the house again. To fetch an assortment of wooden wedges and battens. Then returned to the scene of the crime. One beech wedge proved to do the job. The mirror is safely upright again. So the traffic coming from the right can now be seen from the drive.

The 2nd thermometer, on a wooden table in deep shade, is now showing 81F! [27C]

 A large, fat frog is floating in the "carbuncle" pond. Which I sunk into the lawn earlier in the year. The frog is enjoying the shade and camouflage of the rapidly growing azola plants. Which I borrowed from the surface of the existing [punctured] pond nearby. The water level has dropped considerably in both ponds. Due to the lack of rain.   

 Dinner was fish fingers and chips.

~o~