27.08.2023 Bring it on down!

 ~o~

Sunday 27th ?F [No outside thermometer at my elbow] Overcast with variable light levels. Up at 6.30 after incredibly detailed but confused dreams. 

 I could be having another visitor today. Who promises to help me downstairs with the TV. Not an easy task. Since the TV is presently ceiling suspended above the open stairwell. Last time I had laid 2x4s across the gap and covered those with a sheet of plywood. To give myself a safe working platform. The levels across the gap are very different. Requiring a timber base on the landing's banister side.

 7.15. Time to consider a walk. It feels much cooler and there is dew on the inside of the greenhouse. 55F outside. I have just been upstairs to check the outside thermometer. A comfortable 68F in the lounge with the outside windows on the catch for ventilation. The three windows on the southern, greenhouse wall remain firmly closed. 

 I will have to re-site a thermometer downstairs. With the outdoor sensor under the northern, roof overhang as before. This has been my outdoor temperature reference for years. It receives no direct sunshine and hangs in open air. To allow the air to freely reach the sensor. The northern wall below only receives early sunshine at a grazing angle. Producing little in the way of convection throughout the day. So this should be the best situation for realistic temperature readings. The flexible lead on the outdoor sensor isn't long enough. To stretch from my new computer desk in the lounge. My bare, Aldi bought, steel and glass computer desk remains upstairs for the moment. It looks forlorn and dusty this morning. 

 8.40. My walk and morning coffee over. I walked the entire length of the new drive. To check on the drainage after recent heavy rain. A corrugated pipe had been run underneath. From one side of the new drive to the other. Otherwise the new earthworks would have formed a huge dam!

 The existing, small stream continues uninterrupted via the pipe without deviation. Weed growth had made the post dam side invisible from the road. Today's closer inspection suggests that there should be little change in the water table. Of the often marshy field. There were some large puddles on the northern side of the drive. Largely due to changed surface levels. 

 The project is still very incomplete. Though cables have been run to the road. Perhaps suggesting an automatic gate and lighting? It would be ironic, indeed, if they had invested so much time and money in a new drive. Only to have "scrap man" abuse it. To add to his untidy collection of hideous eyesores. 

 Which he now seems to have abandoned. There being nobody in residence in the half finished house. Which he bought on forced auction for small change. Then left to rot for years. As he accumulated oversized garbage on the associated land. Much like all his other property purchases scattered across local villages. It is difficult to understand how one person could do so much harm. To ruin so many innocent's lives and property values. Without the slightest sanction. 

 13.00 Bright sunshine. Lunch. After I had assembled a temporary timber platform over the stair well, my visitor helped me remove the TV from the ceiling mount upstairs. He supported the TV on end as I quickly removed the planks. Then he shared the weight as we descended the steep stairs. Where we lowered it onto the table mount on the old chest of drawers. Before he reset it to provide Danish TV programmes via the router. I have never had Danish TV before. So had lost those years of exposure to the language. All thanks to the transfer to digital transmission.

 He then moved onto the laptop which was stuck in BIOS. The software had been trying to load the date in the wrong month/day order. He then updated the software after months of inactivity and then left. The laptop has just restarted after a very long Windows update and is working again. 

 The removal of the TV. From the landing/stage area upstairs. Frees up a large storage volume. With the TV blocking access, it was difficult to impossible to stack anything efficiently.

 So, now I have my computer, TV, armchairs and bed downstairs. With complete freedom of movement between them. All thanks to my kind visitors. Helping me to overcome the hurdles which had presented themselves. I am most grateful for their vital assistance. I can now press on with steadily improving the hovel. Without a series of Catch 22 situations blocking my progress.

 14.00 There must be those who question my showing the hideous state of the place. Warts and all. I deliberately use this strategy. To ensure I make the necessary changes and improvements. I can pretend my vast following [😏] is willing me on. Or, more likely,  queuing to complain at my lack of progress. I find this provides a higher level of concentration and self discipline in all my activities.  

 15.00 Brought the washing in. There was a rumble and it became dark.

 The rest is lost to time. Or rather, an afternoon nap.

 Dinner was two, perfect poached eggs on two, perfect rounds of toast.

 

~o~