31.10.2023 Wet again.

 ~o~

 Tuesday 31st. 44F/7C. Heavy overcast, wet and windy. A very wet morning will clear from the west after lunch. Up at 7am after a disturbed night. I lay awake for ages. Got up twice. At 3 and 5am. I was going to stay up at 5am but went back to bed and finally fell asleep again. I get into a run of memories of my late wife and cannot escape. It didn't help that I was too warm. It was 68F/20C at bedtime.

 I couldn't have chosen a worse time to wash the down sweater. I put it on a hanger last night over the bath. The jacket was still saturated and dripping this morning. I have hung it in the greenhouse to get it out of the way. Though it isn't very warm out there. There isn't anywhere useful to hang it in the living room. Which is warmer but has carpets to drip on. The jacket is far too big, on a hanger, for a bucket to stand under it. I'd need a baby bath. I'll hang it outside, upside down, this afternoon if it clears up as promised. The wind should help. Spin drying is not recommended.

 8.15. Fine rain and very windy. I am going for a walk. I'll see how the machine wash affected the Gore-Tex jacket.

 8.50 It rained more heavily and steadily but did not penetrate the jacket. My fleece jacket underneath was perfectly dry on my return. Though I wasn't gone for more than 20 minutes. Every drop of rain darkened the outer fabric. So I shall re-proof the jacket anyway. The guard dog is still not convinced it is me but at least I wasn't being choked by laundry perfume. 

 The puddles are expanding slowly on the back field. All in the vicinity of the original pond. The stream continues to rise. There would have to be unbroken water across the entire field to endanger my boundary. The free, online mapping service contours suggest a meter rise would be needed to reach the northern or western boundaries. Another meter to reach the house. 

 The back gardens of the houses on the main road are frequently flooded in winter. Mostly from the overflowing, drainage beck. My western boundary lies behind these gardens. Though the house is situated higher.  My garden slopes down to the western and northern boundaries. 

 I wasted the entire day watching YouTube videos. The down sweater has been brought into the living room.

 Dinner was cheese on toast with cherry tomatoes.

~o~

30.10.2023 Laundering my jackets.

 ~o~

 Monday 30th 50F/10C. A mostly dry morning followed by more rain. Windy from the southwest. It would have been our 56th wedding anniversary today.

 The moon was lighting the room through the lean-to greenhouse overnight. Usually it is too dark to see anything at all but I could see everything clearly at 6.00. I got up only once at 3am again. Thanks to the small glass of milk after dinner.

 It is 65F in the living room this morning. After hovering around 68F all afternoon and evening until bedtime. The slightly warmer overnight temperatures probably helped.

 Denmark has had its average annual rainfall already. Every drop which falls, from now on, is heading towards yet another weather record. October is already the wettest month ever recorded. [Since measurement began in 1874] Yet the spring was a drought. With crops showing signs of bleaching from stress. Continued flooding is reported for many places in Jylland. With roads unpassable around Vejle and other towns.

 8.45  It is much lighter this morning. Walkies!

 9.45 51F/11C. Overcast and windy but dry. The trees are visibly thinning now. As they drop vast quantities of leaves.

 The flooding on the back field is spreading but still very modest. There are much bigger puddles elsewhere in the locality. The drainage beck [in the foreground] is much higher than before. 

 Unfortunately I can't see the 40cm pipe inlet. Which carries the beck though the dam. Somebody has clambered down the bank just there and left very deep footprints in the soft soil. I do not plan to copy their foolishness. It will take a long time to heal the damage. While the sewn grass is still becoming established on the banks of the newly formed drive. 

 There are large puddles on the newly raised and levelled field beyond the dam. Which bridges between the two, nearly parallel drives, old and new. The field is slightly concave and is collecting rainfall. Rather than letting it run away. All of this is very small beer compared to the serious flooding elsewhere in the country. I am only monitoring it to check how serious any flooding is likely to be. Following the major earthworks which bisected the former, already marshy field.

 10.05. Sunshine! I have put the Gore-Tex jacket in the machine on the Synthetic 40C cycle. [To laundry instructions] It stank so badly of laundry perfume. That it was giving me hay fever! My nose has been running ever since I brought it home. Where it as been hanging in the living room to air or dry. I went near it just now to check the thermometer and my nose exploded! I have worn it on my walks and kept being enveloped in perfume. Even the neighbour's guard dog was barking too. It didn't recognise my usual scent. Over the overwhelming stench of industrial strength perfume.

  13.00 55F/13C. Bright sunshine is lighting up the autumn colours. I have been to town in the MM. I needed consumable spares for the hearing aids and made an appointment for a follow up, hearing test on Wednesday.  I also bought some special, down detergent to wash my Patagonia jacket. An elderly gentleman stopped to chat about the Morris. The Moustache e-bike will have a 5k km service while I am in town on Wednesday.

  14.00 The jacket has gone into a large bucket of suds to soak for an hour. I have the greenhouse inner doors open to warm the house with the sun. All the internal doors are open to help spread the free warmth. This will also help to air the house without the heat loss of opening windows. The greenhouse is  not airtight and does not build up damp.

 15.30 It has clouded over so I shut the greenhouse and all internal doors. The kitchen had risen from 57F to 63F. [14-17C.] The bathroom and rear hall had risen from 55F to 61F. [13-16C]

 The down jacket has had an hour to soak in the special detergent. I have now given it several gentle rinses with luke warm water until the water was clear. Each rinse involved very gentle squeezing but little bodily movement in the water. To avoid damaging the internal structure or seams. The weight and drag of the water makes the lightweight jacket vulnerable. I am now leaving it to soak in clean water for an hour. 

 Meanwhile, the Gore-Tex jacket is almost dry after being out in the wind and sunshine. So I have brought that in. The horrible smell of laundry perfume is difficult to detect now. I still have some waterproofer left after cleaning and reproofing my winter, Ventile jacket. I will treat the Gore-Tex jacket with that next. To reduce the rapid wetting of the jacket surface. Such wetness destroys the breathability of the garment. Rain should bead off the outer material for as long as possible to avoid sweating.

 Dinner was chips, eggs and sausages. I cooked the eggs separately. In a small frying pan on a low heat. It seemed to work. My best fried eggs so far. I can't imagine any of  this is healthy!

~o~

29.10.2023 The trials and tribulations of buying firewood logs!

 ~o~

 Sunday 29th 47F/8C. Very dark again even at 8am. A wet and windy morning is promised. Up at 7am after three tours to the bathroom in the night. Four times since I got up an hour ago! I drank my last tin of beer with dinner last night. Case proved I think. No more beer! No coffee in the evening. A small glass of milk seems to be the answer to my need. To drink something after dinner. It may even help me to sleep.

 61F/16C in the living room. It was only 65F/18C at bedtime after I let the stove go out. Bathroom and kitchen hovering just above 55F/13C thanks to the electric radiators. I am dressed warmly to avoid lighting the stove prematurely and using up more firewood unnecessarily.

 Purchase of more firewood is a choice between very doubtful morality at a large timber yard. Going back over two decades. Or oversized mixed logs at a furniture factory. The former pretends to sell dry firewood but chooses not to. Overt racism? 

 The latter will require lots of my splitting with a heavy maul. Plus several stages of manhandling from one place to another at home. I have to split at the back of the house to avoid damaging windows or the greenhouse. Logs fly everywhere while splitting! The last time I asked for beech logs but was given a very mixed load including lots of birch. 

 Both suppliers use a large front bucket loader and scrape the ground. Completely unnecessarily, as they load my trailer. Resulting in large quantities of wet bark, dust and soil being mixed in with the logs. It's not so much that I resent the trash displacing real firewood. For the considerable sum of money I hand over. 1000kr = £120. The price rose when gas prices went high and people started buying firewood instead. The price never came back down again when gas prices collapsed. The ridiculous excess of dust and bark is a real nuisance when handling the logs. The bottom of the trailer is always several inches deep in completely unusable, rubbish, wood waste.

 I am always polite and friendly with the staff. So they have no reason to treat me any differently than any Dane. Yet from the very first visit to the timber yard the foreman has acted strangely. A younger member of staff was helping us load our trailer manually from the huge stack. Instead of using one of the many large bucket loaders. One scoop and the trailer is full to overflowing. The foreman told him off and sent him to work elsewhere. Leaving us to continue loading the trailer by hand. A splinter prone and time consuming pastime.

 8.50. Still depressingly dark. I am going for a walk to ease my aching back.

 9.30 Returned from my walk. My lower back pain was reluctant to ease. The Gore-Tex jacket quickly darkened all over in the wind driven rain. The roads were plastered with fallen leaves and countless windfall apples. The wind was roaring so loudly in the roadside trees. That I kept looking for the vehicles supposedly racing towards me from behind. The pond on the back field continues to grow. More bright puddles are scattered widely. Still nothing visible near my boundary.

 I checked my fleece jacket carefully after I came home. I had worn it under the Gore-Tex jacket as a test. Only one slightly damp forearm suggests a leak or rainwater soaking through the membrane. I felt very comfortable throughout. Except for my unprotected and now damp fleece trousers.

 My friend is visiting later this morning. Luckily the clocks have gone back. So I have an extra hour for spring cleaning. [Like a Dervish!] 

 10.30 52F/11C. Overcast and blowing. It has rained on an off all morning. I have the living room up to 67F/19C! Whew! 😅

 13.10 69F/21C! My friend has left after an enjoyable natter. Time for lunch. A few glimpses of sunshine. It has stopped raining at last.   

 Dinner was mackerel on toast with fresh, cherry tomatoes.

~o~

28.10.2023 It's all built on sand.

 ~o~

 Saturday 28th 42F/5C. Another grey day. Though the rain seems to be falling elsewhere. 

 North Jylland faces further flooding from the forecast 40mm of rain. The Danish government is under heavy criticism. For its lack of ambition regarding flood prevention and climate change amelioration. "Sandcastles in the air" regarding reliance on unproven and expensive CO2 removal or storage. Where the energy input exceeds the savings in CO2.

 Dumping a billion Kroner's worth of sand in the sea: To combat coastal erosion and provide protection against rising sea levels. It will probably kill the wildlife on the sea floor. Then the tides will carry the sand out to sea. Cynicism or just horribly predictable?

 A new "energy island" is to be built. To provide a highly vulnerable base for energy production. One missile would take out the whole lot. This will also involve millions of lorry loads of sand being quarried and delivered along existing roads through heavily built up areas. Probably for years. With the sand being dumped in the sea! How much CO2 do millions of lorry loads and the quarry machinery produce? When is the break even date? When the vast, CO2 burden of construction is finally paid off and a reduction of CO2 actually begins? 

 Every large Danish building project overruns its budget and timing. 10 years to build a hospital with multiples of initial cost increases. Multiples of the expected time to complete. Now it has water running out of the walls and through the roof. I wouldn't trust this lot to build a small, garden shed on budget and to time!

 Meanwhile the Farmers Rule Party is preventing any limit on factory farming. When it is well known that their practices produce vast quantities of CO2 and methane. Ironic considering how vulnerable Denmark is to rising sea levels.

 Up at 6am after another restful night but with more strange dreams. I had to get up only once. My hands and wrists hurt again from too much cycling! I don't think wrist supports are compatible with winter gloves. I have fitted the shortest riser stem available but still can't avoid strain on my hands. The saddle i as far back as possible on its rails. To try and balance my torso.

 It would be difficult to be more upright than I am now. Even though it greatly increases my wind resistance and frontal area. Drag becomes ever more important with increased speed. Which is where the battery energy goes to obtain higher e-bike speeds.

 Yesterday I was struggling to maintain 25kph in Sport mode. Straight into the easterly wind on the way to Odense. On the return journey it still felt like a headwind. Yet I was averaging an indicated 30kph. My calculated average speed was 25kph for the 2.5 hour, out-and-back, 61km ride. It would be difficult to lower my frontal area without causing physical pain. I sometimes bend my elbows and try to achieve a more aerodynamic position into a headwind. That doesn't last for long before my hands and wrists begin to ache badly.

 There is no way to swap handlebars to give me a lower riding position. I would not be physically capable of riding at a more prone angle. There are also strict legal limitations on modifications to a "45" e-bike. It would be technically impossible to use dropped handlebars, for example. Given all the MTB style levers, gears, saddle and motor controls. There is hardly room for them all on the wide, slightly bent MTB style bars. 

 Besides, this would also be a major and easily recognisable change to the original design. The wide bars give me control on rougher surfaces. Of which there are many on "cycling friendly" Danish roads. The full, front and rear suspension has it limits. Don't believe a word of the manufacturer's propaganda on "comfort!"

 Designing some kind of windscreen regularly occurs to me as the wind roars in my ears. Though I doubt it would be able to reduce my wind resistance unless it was strongly curved in 3D. Which would mean I'd have to try and hide behind it by bending low. It just can't be done. However fit I feel my hands and wrists are my weak point. This has been true for years on the trikes. Along with back pain from leaning forwards for hours at a time.

 08.30. It is still struggling to get light. I should have gone for a walk by now.

 09.00 Still very dark but I'll go anyway.  

 The fields look like endless lawns. All thanks to the immature crops. Stretching as far as the eye can see.

 09.45 43F/6C. Heavy overcast. Back from my walk. I made it to the lanes but no further. A red kite flapped lazily into the wind as it crossed the road ahead of me. Before circling off to the south over the vast, open fields. 

 An eye wateringly cold, easterly wind was reinforced by the dark grey sky. I wore the Gore-Tex jacket over my down sweater. The result was rather neutral except for my extremities. My face and neck could still feel the cold. The GripGrab gloves were hardly adequate today. Just as they were too cold yesterday. I should have gone in their split mitts instead. Perhaps taken the gloves in case the mitts proved too warm. Better that, than having cold hands. 

 Now I am back at home my Patagonia, down sweater is much too warm at 62F/17C. While sitting at the computer in the living room.  

 10.15 Morning coffee over. What am I to do today? 

 15.30 Not a lot. Just back from local shopping in the MM. Had a chat with an enthusiastic admirer of MMs.

 I have had to relight the fire from scratch three times. Because the kindling is fireproof. It is split from old pallets at a sheltered workshop. They must have had a run of fireproof pallets. I seem to have bought three large sacks of fireproof kindling. They threw in a fourth bag as an apology. For selling me the other three bags of fireproof kindling. The 4th bag is fireproof too! What makes it worse is that they doubled the price from previous years. Stop laughing at the back! This is serious! I am spending a fortune on firelighters! 😐

 I forgot to mention it yesterday: I was overtaken, on my bike, in a village, by a Tesla. I saw immediately that there was something seriously wrong with his right, front wheel. So I chased after him and by sheer chance he turned into a farm. As soon as he stopped in the yard and got out I told him about the wheel. He walked calmly around the car and gave the protruding wheel trim a hefty kick. Problem solved. 😄

 18.30 I bought sausages instead of chicken and mushrooms. It is Saturday. Tomorrow is Sunday. Is Sunday dinner permissible on a Saturday? Who cares? I am in charge. Half the sausages, mashed potato, carrots and peas with gravy.

~o~

27.10.2023 SOREL M Mac Hill Lite WP Boots at 1500kr leaking after only two days! NO refund. NO replacements!

 ~o~

 Friday 27th 43F/6C. Outside temperatures are falling slowly but steadily. Denmark is heading for another unwanted record. Wettest year ever. This despite a drought in the spring. The living room dropped from 67F at bedtime [11pm] to 61F overnight. Slept well, got up only once at 5am. Then decided to get up at 6am as I was lying awake. The small glass of milk after dinner is working. No more beer or coffee in the evening. When should I drink a small tin of beer? I have no idea. I don't seem to need to go to the toilet all day either. Too much information? Try living with it! 

 I shall have to take the SOREL boots back to Odense. These boots were great. Until they LEAKED. So comfortable that I didn't notice I was wearing them. Usually I rush to take off my outdoor shoes as soon as I get home. These were like slightly clumpy slippers. Not heavy and with relatively smooth soles. Deliberately chosen for the e-bike's flat pedals. 

 Light enough not to be noticed while pedalling furiously uphill at over 100rpm. Stayed put on the pedals without twisting or slipping sideways. Smart enough not to look out of place. In any setting in which I am likely to find myself. 

 Plain black, leather uppers with understated grey and black soles. Grippy in every situation I have encountered. The perfect winter cycling boot. Except that the attached label, which claims they are "Waterproof," doesn't hold water!

 08.30 Still dark grey but light enough for a walk. I'll try out the new/old jacket.

 09.00 43F. Heavy overcast. The back field flooding looks about the same. Nothing to worry about so far. The flooding on the field adjoining the drive has vanished. Unusually quickly. The flooding on other fields was even worse.

 The new/old Goretex jacket is windproof but has no warmth of its own. It stinks of the washing cycle the charity shop [?] has presumably put it through. A popper is missing at the front. Leaving a gap at the midriff unless the full length zip is also used. Closing the zip reduces breathability. 

 I like the high neck to protect against wind and heat loss. Didn't like the [typical] short [stylish?] length at the back for cycling. Not even with my very upright position on the e-bike. Deep side pockets provided shelter for the hands and any small items. A nuisance on a bike. Because they would interfere with pedalling with anything in them.

 Good value for the £5 equivalent outlay? Probably, for walking, with a little extra work. Not least a wash to be rid of the chemical "perfume." At the original £20 asking price? No. I would have been disappointed. Would I pay hundreds of pounds equivalent for a new one? No. I'd seek a more cycling oriented jacket. Long at the back, with rear pockets, not at the hip. And, only if I was in the market for something "better" than the Endura. 

 The latter ticks most of the cycling boxes but no doubt there are more modern [Hi-tech lighter and moe breathable] materials. It is a bit too warm [breathability?] in milder weather. Undergarments are required for cold and wet conditions. No doubt this is also true of 'big name' waterproofs too. "Layering" is a well established clothing system for extreme conditions. If only one could trust online reviews to agree on best performers! 🙄

 Shouldn't 'labels' for Asian manufactured goods be prosecuted for public endangerment? For selling black and dark colours for cycling specific jackets? I think Sky team was responsible for starting this dangerous trend. Yet another cynical ploy for publicity at lowest cost. The TdeF became a boring, predictable train. Big cycling "labels" are still pushing the same, dark colours. The managing directors of these "labels" should be made to commute for miles in heavy rain and heavy traffic. 

 After dark, in winter, mixed town and rural roads, puddles and blinding headlights. While wearing the same black shite these profiteering barstewards push. Onto the drooling cycling morons who buy the stuff! Just because they remember their favourite, foul  mouthed, drug-addled racer wearing the same strip. Forgetting that the riders often have no choice of kit and don't race after dark. And if it rains many riders will abandon! Because their clothing isn't up to scratch! 

 14.10 Returning from a ride to Odense. 61km on one battery starting at 100%. Down to 20%. The Bosch batteries are obviously temperature sensitive. I was getting higher mileages in the summer. 

 I took back the leaking SOREL boots to the shop. Four days after purchase! Three days after first being worn. Denmark doesn't have consumer protection. So I have no idea where I stand legally under EEC rules, if any. 

 There was no mention of a refund or replacements. Just straight into a claim under guarantee for faulty goods. Which could take UP TO A MONTH. The boots have to be returned to SOREL for testing. If it takes a month then they must be weighed down! With testing claims under guarantee! I wonder if I can claim interest on my loan of 1500kr to the shop for one month? While I continue to wear a pair of running shoes. Instead of the boots for which I paid 1500kroner/£175!

 My right sock became wet this  morning when I tried on the SOREL boots. The SOREL boots had been in the warm overnight but the wet one hadn't dried out. I shan't be going back to that shop once they sort out my claim. Consumer protection in Denmark means protecting the dealers. Not the customer. You aren't allowed to mention them online. In case it breaks a law protecting THEIR privacy.

 Dinner was a fish pastie with chips and peas. Followed by a glass of milk. I enjoyed the milk.

 I forgot to mention that Goofle is allowing Firefox to upload images to Blogger again.

~o~

26.10.2023 New [Recycled] Jacket?

 ~o~

 Thursday 26th 45F/7C. Overcast. A grey day with medium, easterly winds. Got up twice in the night. 

 The cooking class is cancelled because of a member with Covid. Which leaves me free to choose what to do. I'll have a short walk to check for flooding. I saw lots of water on different fields yesterday.

 The natural pond had doubled in size and there were several large puddles on the back field. No sign of flooding anywhere near my boundary. It is difficult to capture images of the puddles directly. Because they reflect the dark trees beyond. When I need clear sky for clarity. The drainage stream lies in the foreground and is rather higher than it has until recently. Nothing unusual.

 11.00 I left for a ride to the north west. There is a village charity shop which I have never found open. I checked online for opening hours. Against my better judgement I decided to test my cool/wet weather gear with a ride.

 14.30 45F 7C. Finally I found the shop open today. A delightful group of cheerful and friendly, mature, lady volunteers were in charge. The forecast was dry but there was constant misty drizzle. The Endura cycling jacket kept me dry but was not warm. Fortunately I was wearing a long armed "sports" cardigan underneath. This helped insulate me from direct contact with the jacket. Though I was regularly reminded of how cool it was today. The jacket's material had darkened early on from surface wetness but I did not feel wet. My stretchy cycling trousers were wet at the top from the jacket's run-off. The legs hardly noticeably wet.

 The brand new Sorel boots leaked badly in the right foot. I climbed off the bike at the charity shop and was immediately aware of having a cold, wet, right foot. It has remained cold and wet ever since. Even as I ate lunch back at home. The sock still feels wet and cold to the touch after half an hour indoors. The left foot feels fine. 60km. 

 I ran the 1st battery deliberately down to 15%. To avoid stopping in the wet to change to the reserve battery. The easterly wind made itself more felt. As I returned by another route. To take in yet another village, charity shop. I rode though the forest to enjoy the autumn colours.

 Later, I caught and passed a chap pedalling hard on an e-MTB. Presumably a normal speed version of the Bosch motor. Since I left him standing once he ignored my friendly greeting. I only said "Hi" as I pulled alongside at the traffic lights. Having chased him uphill and into the wind for at least half a  mile.

 I found a Gore-Tex jacket for sale at the first charity shop. Which proved to have a torn lining while I was trying it on. The kind lady volunteer immediately offered me a bargain. Which I could not turn down. It would otherwise have been discarded. Even if I cannot repair the lining myself it will still be wearable with care. 

 I rescued the waterproof, front chest, pocket zips with candle wax. They had become rather stiff. Each pocket is deal for a mobile phone or reading glasses. Ideally placed not to involve the usual acrobatics to reach a rear pocket on a cycling jacket or jersey. My shoulders are increasingly painful when I reach backwards.

 I have never owned a Gore-Tex jacket before. They are usually well beyond my price range when new. It may need to be reproofed but looks to be in excellent condition. It is most attractive in understated, drab green and dark grey, ripstop nylon. Presumably a discontinued colour choice. Since it doesn't show up on the dealer's website. I may just have found a new, lightweight walking jacket. Testing will follow when it rains. It weighs a mere fraction of my Ventile cotton, winter jacket.

 I wonder if it would work on the e-bike?  It all depends on its waterproof qualities V breathability. The only safe way to find out is to try it. Its typical length should not be a nuisance while pedalling.

 The hood just about accepts the voluminous ABUS cycling helmet. Though perhaps the jacket hood should be worn inside the helmet over a warm, GripGrab, medieval cap. That would be better for road safety. Without concealing the deliberately chosen, high-viz qualities of the bright, yellow/green helmet. 

 18.00 45F/7C. I could not put it off any longer. The stove had to be lit. The temperature in the living room has been stuck on 61F all day. The kitchen at 57F/14C did not trigger the radiator thermostat and it felt cold. While the bathroom was at 55F and showed the light on the radiator only briefly. 

 18.15. The room has reached 65F in quarter of an hour on only one split log. 

 20.00 67F/19C in the living room. I'll let the stove die down. Dinner was beans on toast. You know what that looks like. A small glass of milk to follow.

~o~

25.10.2023 Why only [impoverished] idiots shop on a bike!

 ~o~

 Wednesday 25th. 49F/9C. A grey day is forecast. Though the radar shows the rain avoiding this area. There is flooding reported on roads and motorways in east Jylland. Vejle and Odder are flooded after 50mm/2" of rain.

 Museum day, but we [the farm museum volunteers] are all going to another museum for an outing. I shall go in the Morris. Not only to avoid the possible showers but because it is so much more relaxing. No special weatherproof clothes, shoes, gloves, helmet, bags, security, batteries, insurance papers, assorted keys or glasses required. That's before I can even leave home! Once I reach my destination I have to change clothing to something more suitable. Then store that which I have bee wearing on the bike. All change again before the ride home. 

 All acceptable for longer rides, in suitable weather, but increasingly irritating for local journeys. The idea was to do most of my shopping on the e-bike. In reality, apart from the long list above and probably more besides. Is that I have to dole out the shopping from the carrier bags to go in the panniers. If only to avoid damage to the very different items. Tins, packets, bottles, jars, bags and cartons. Then the whole process has to be repeated in reverse back at home! You can't just carry the shopping bags indoors!

 The trike had a rear rack. Which I modified with a larger, plastic tray. So I could fit a huge, 40L Overboard, PVC, water sports bag. Whole shopping bags could/can be lowered straight into that. Making shopping much less of a struggle. 

 The major downside was its short mouth. Due to its roll top design. Making the maw much smaller than the total footprint. Warm weather made life easier as the bag was soft. Colder weather made it as stiff as a board! Making loading and unloading much more difficult. Upside was the ability to not roll the top. This provided a huge, clear volume for things like boxes.  

 The Ortlieb panniers are fine in themselves. Capacious but tall and very narrow. Only rarely can I lower a full carrier bag into one of those. Despite early promise. Even the largest Carradice saddlebags are "girly" purses in comparison with most duffle bags. Carradice saddlebags are less waterproof than a blotting paper purse. They hang upside down and have stiff straps with rusting buckles.

 The Moustache rack would have to be modified with a large, preferably, lightweight tray. To properly support the entire base of a 40 litre, water sports bag. Its footprint is far larger than the tiny rack. The bag needs to be safely retained so it doesn't fall off when loaded! 

 

 A basket or deep tray would be good. Is there one on a  shelf somewhere? The duffle bag could then be taken into the shop. Loaded straight from the belt and then simply dropped into the tray or basket outside. A bungee or strap could take care of keeping it in place. 

 Perhaps I should consider doing this mod. If only to reduce my car mileage and petrol consumption. Got to think of the climate. Even if nobody else does. It would have to be a quick release arrangement. Definitely no messing about to go back to panniers for longer rides. If there was any hassle I would quickly get fed up and ignore the option. 

 Ortlieb do a 40L duffle bag but it costs £140! Double the price of the Overboard bag of the same size. Te upside is it has a long, waterproof zip. The main downside to a duffle bag on the rack is having to swing my leg over the top. Already a serious struggle lifting it over the saddle. Even after I fitted a dropper post.  The top tube is far too high to lift my foot over that. 

 Even with my dropper post right down, I often struggle to reach the road. Whenever I have to come to a halt. All due to the very high bottom bracket height. Grounding on corners, or rough stuff, is very unlikely. I tend to pedal through every corner, no matter how sharp. The Moustache Friday came from a line of e-mountain bikes. I consider the height a serious danger to most users! Including myself. I have literally dropped the bike sideways onto the handlebar end several times. To my acute embarrassment! Usually while trying to balance briefly. As traffic lights were about to change. Or some idiot overtakes me in a car and then brakes to turn. 

 I note Moustache now fit a dropper post as standard. Not to mention the latest "J" model has a much lower step-through height. Bottom bracket height? I have no idea. It still looks very high. Try the smallest size, if in doubt. Practice getting on and off repeatedly in the shop. Before parting with your many thousands of pounds! These e-bikes cost too much to waste your money.

 The trike had a very low bottom bracket. It didn't lean on corners. So no hitting a pedal on the ground. I didn't even need to put a foot down on that. Just remain safely in the saddle. Perhaps the trike is the real answer to local shopping? Only in fine weather of course. I haven't ridden it for months. The e-bike has made cycling so effortless, comfortable and fast in comparison. It's a mental no-brainer as an option. But so is going in the car. By a huge margin!

11.00 Returned early from a group visit to another museum. Again, largely run by volunteers. We had a conducted tour by one of our own committee members. He manages to find time for both. The Flax museum at Krengerup was beautifully arranged and presented. Masses of incredibly complex weaving and preparation machinery in delightfully restored, old farm buildings. 

 All tastefully and suitably decorated with proper lighting and associated with Krengerup stately home. The house itself is not open to the public. There is an adjoining Skoda museum in another vast barn.

 https://hoervaevsmuseet.dk/?lang=en

 The overall impression was again reinforced. That elderly volunteers can enjoy a social life which would otherwise be denied to them. They can participate at any level they like or are able to. The rewards for feeling needed, while remaining usefully active, should not be forgotten. Cost savings in health care?

 There was more admiration for my old Morris Minor. They were not only impressed but had their own stories to tell.   

 The fields were now showing clear signs of recent rain. With large pools and puddles forming in many places. The field adjoining the drive is partially flooded. Quite normal in the winter months. There is a clay component to the soil with high, winter water tables. Trenches or holes will partially fill with water at less than 60m/2' depth. There are still only a few puddles visible in the field behind.

 12.15 Early lunch over. I now have to find something interesting to do for the rest of the day. It would be a waste to sit on the computer or nap. The DMI radar shows only isolated showers well outside this area. Not really cycling weather but I could have a drive in the Morris somewhere. I know where too.

  15.15 50F/10C and overcast. I visited every charity shop as far as Middelfart and two more off the other main road coming back. I saw a few metal baskets which could have served on the e-bike. Nothing else took my fancy but I studied the glass display cabinets. To see how well they matched their purpose. All of them had much thicker glass shelves than the flimsy IKEA Milsbo examples. Talk about penny pinching!

 Several people stopped to admire the Morris and chat about it. Including one teenager who said it was; "a fine car." 😊

  Dinner was a salad. I forgot to buy eggs so went with what I had. No potatoes either. It would have been late by the time they cooked.

~o~

 

24.10.2023 Roasted chestnuts.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 24th. 46F/8C. Up at 6.30 after a quiet night. Got up only once after having only a small drink of milk after dinner. I am now wondering if I could have dinner around midday. The often heavy meals I have in the evening are not ideal. 

 I usually have to use half, or a remaining half, of chicken plus mushrooms. Half a pack of something  is often more than I need or want. Which means I often go to bed feeling too full. Which can't be good for my sleep or my health. My continued reliance on a small range of foods is not very sensible. Which is why I have toast every other day. 

 I know I don't have nearly enough fruit or vegetables. I have far too many oven-ready chips. Boiled or mashed potatoes are healthier but require more work and take longer to cook. Which just means I should start earlier but don't. Pasta is an alternative but requires tinned tomatoes to work for me. Which limits its application. Perhaps I should just have pasta and tomatoes on their own? 

 I have rather gone off curry as an alternative meal. Almost always involving chicken and mushrooms. The sheer quantity on the plate is part of the problem. Even "Sunday Dinner" means chicken and inevitably mushrooms. A huge plateful of the same again but with gravy. 

______________________

 The local forecast is for all day rain. So I shall drive to cooking class in the Morris. To avoid a soaking on the e-bike. Elsewhere there is a heavy rain warning in the forecast. Which may lead to local flooding. The inland drains are still full. After the record high, sea levels prevented normal outflow. Made worse by the very heavy rain during the storm. 

 14.30 50F/10C. Returned from cooking class. With shopping on the way home. We made several dishes involving sweet chestnuts. As there was a bumper harvest. There was lots of admiration for the Morris Minor. I wore my new, winter cycling boots. Which were very comfortable. Raining heavily and windy. With puddles and minor flooding on the roads. The wind was blowing the tyre spray horizontally. 

 15.00 The living room is just below 15C/59F. So I had better light the stove.

~o~

23.10.2023 Goofle has broken Blogger again!

 

~o~

 Monday 23rd.45F/7C. A quiet, autumn day with some sunny periods possible. Any showers will be local. Up at 6am after a quiet night. I only got up once despite having a beer with dinner. No coffee though. It is approaching 8am but is still very dark outside. A few, small pinkish clouds to the north. Lots of small grey clouds elsewhere.

 Google has not only blocked image uploads in Firefox but has now screwed up the image placement! Blogger Post editing has become impossible! After multiple attempts and deletions in html I have finally tidied things up.

 I am wondering if a ride would be possible today. It is not expected to exceed 11C/51F. Which is definitely on the cool side. A 5m/s westerly breeze with a maximum of 10m/s gusts. Will usually mean a headwind coming home. Because there isn't much to see to my west. Before I reach the sea around 12km away by road.

 The westerly coastline is mostly large fields. With only a few small hamlets. There is no serious, commercial exploitation of the often small and narrow beaches on the west coast. Often there isn't much room for parking on the ends of the tiny lanes which eventually reach them. Just one large campsite.

 My usual goals are to the north but mostly to the east of Chez Hovel. There are towns on each corner of Fyn. A roughly, egg-shaped island. Tilted with its base upwards to the NW. With the one, major city of Odense. Offset to the north and east, of centre, on a complex estuary. About 30km away by road. 

 So quite a nice outing if the route is chosen carefully. All of which I have ridden and driven many times. I'd like to go to IKEA in Odense again. Just to familiarise myself with their display cabinets. I shall take the usual security measures required for a city. Suitable weather for a ride, of several hours, must be enjoyed when they crop up.

 8.30 Light enough for my walk now.

 8.45 Actually leaving for my walk. I have been searching for a unique USB cable. 

 9.15 It was cool but sunny. The sky had cleared almost completely. There were many more puddles on the back field. The natural pond had grown considerably. No sign of anything one could call flooding though. Just impermeable, marshy soil exposing the recent rainfall. Photography was all but impossible from any useful angles. Dues to the low, blinding sun. The pheasant were absent from the drive today. Two male have been foraging in the drive for several days. Always making a run for it when they see me.

 9.30 I can't mend the Blogger post editing. So I'll potter on with my preparation for a ride to Odense.

10.15. Leaving.

 15.00 Returned after a 74km/46 mile ride to Odense and back. After trying at several shops I found a pair of Sorel waterproof boots. With flat soles for the e-bike. My [discounted] running shoes are fine in warm and dry weather. Hopeless in cold and/or wet conditions. 

 I had another look in IKEA at the Milsbo display cabinets. The weak point seems to be the thin [tempered] glass shelves are unsupported at their centre front. The doors meet there but there is no vertical bar there. So  nothing on which to hang shelf supports. With a clear span of around 67cm it is no wonder there is only a 5kg weight limit per shelf. The designer obviously wanted a completely invisible cabinet. With items on the shelves seeming to float in the air. That works to a high degree but at the cost of fragility. Imagine breaking all of my wife's beautiful, glass vases. Just because the top shelf gave way! 

 Polycarbonate would be a suitable substitute in sufficient thickness. I'll have to do some homework on matching thickness to flexibility. 3/8" [8mm and 10mm] Plexiglass/Perspex shelves are offered as replacement shelves. Though they would be far more obvious to the eye in that thickness. Than the original, thin, IKEA glass. The four edges of the clear, plastic shelves would also have to be polished. To make them slightly less obvious.

  Changing the battery at 60 miles gave me a huge charge reserve to get me safely home. I was tiring as I had to fight a cold and constant headwind all the way home. Even stopping to change into my Enduro waterproof jacket. Just to keep out the cold wind. I was very close to leaving it at home because there was no rain forecast. So it was very lucky I stuffed it into a pannier. It weighs very little and packs down quite small. 

 After the battery swap I could use Turbo mode as much as I liked. The last leg is far hillier than any other part of the route. I have years of memories of the misery. Of dragging myself up those last hills by my own leg power on the trike. Often after a longer ride than today's.  

 19.00 It's time to think about dinner. I have to use up the chicken and mushrooms. Not with chips again! I've had mashed potato and gravy. What else can I try?

 The poached eggs were completely superfluous. As were the beans. The chicken and mushrooms needed something but not that, nor those. 

 I have been wearing my new boots for hours. They are very comfortable. I'll try not to sleep in them. 

 ~o~

22.10.2023 Classic Car Messe.

 ~o~

 Sunday 22nd. 47F/8C. A mostly grey day is promised with light winds. 62F/17C in the living room. Everything is saturated. With high humidity and heavy dew.

 Up at 6.30 after getting up three times in the night. The beer and coffee were not a good idea and I was feeling very full last night. Even as it neared midnight. To the point where I sat on the computer and watched YT videos to kill time. 

 That's not my house! I did not take a single picture today. So had to make do with an earlier one. Taken outside a typical, thatched farmhouse. Which does B&B. The house once had three similar, adjoining buildings forming a closed square. Which provided shelter in the often harsh winters of the past.

 As farming modernised such building arrangements became obsolete for housing large implements and tractors. Many farmhouses were sold off for non-farming ownership. With the land sold off to other farmers. Sometimes leading to ever larger holdings. Others had the adjoining barns demolished when they needed expensive repairs. Many two, three and four sided homes do still exist. Though not all survived with thatch. 

 Corrugated asbestos-cement roofing 'Eternit' became popular as a replacement. Since it was light enough to be supported by the lighter roofing timbers employed for thatch. Thatch has to be repaired and renewed at intervals. Eternit lasted longer but discoloured and grew unsightly moss and lichen. Patching damaged or  missing plates, lost after a storm, was often impossible to match the rest of the roof. Those who could afford it would choose tiles. New timbers were often required o carry the greatly increased loads.

 Later reinforcing fibres replaced asbestos but left a backlog of dangerous materials to be safely disposed of. It is now illegal to sell or re-use asbestos-cement roofing. It must be delivered to specific recycling yards once [carefully] removed from a roof. Modern Eternit is available in different sizes of corrugations and in different colours. From white to black. With several variations of red, orange and brown to order.

 I am almost out of beer so shan't bother to restock. It is too tempting to enjoy a small beer with dinner. I like a drink afterwards to help clean my palate. It is not beyond my imagination to find a small cup. To savour and enjoy a more sensible amount of coffee. Perhaps to make it a ritual instead of mere consumption. 

 There is also the caffeine and alcohol to consider. Which may well be affecting my strange and vivid dreams. I am deliberately working towards earlier evening meals. To avoid sleeping on a full stomach. I am not even sure why I usually eat at eight [20.00] any more. Or why we ever did in the first place.

  There is a veteran car messe and auction in Fredericia. There will be stand for the Nordic Morris Minor Klub. Which I have joined. I'd call the messe "a fair" but I haven't quite pinned down a proper English translation yet. It can mean "exhibition." There is a large used car parts market and displays of classic, vintage and veteran cars and motorcycles. With many for sale.

 It is important to get there without running into the aftermath of the flooding. Fredericia is a coastal town right on the narrowest section of the sea strait separating Jylland from Fyn. The main road into Fredericia, from Middelfart [Fyn] runs, quite literally along the docks. The town centre was badly affected by the flooding. I want to avoid the motorway because of the relatively low speed of the Morris. Perhaps Google Earth can suggest a better route? 

 OK. Left after the Old Bridge onto Kolding Landevej. Then turn right into Skærbækvej as if going to Vejle. I can stay on the high ground all the way to the exhibition halls. Avoiding the town altogether. It is a slightly longer route but that is hardly important. I don't want to burden those working hard at the weekend. To clean up after the devastating flooding.

 9.00 Had my shower. I have given the Morris a wipe over with an old T-shirt. Mostly to remove the dew but also the leaves plastered all over the bodywork and windows from the storm. I am wondering how warm it will be in the several exhibition halls. Visitors shown in the archive pictures are wearing a mixed range of clothing. From T-shirts to outdoor jackets. I don't want to be dripping with sweat. 

 My only casual jacket is knackered and frayed. The down sweater will probably be too warm. A jumper over a shirt might be best. Leaving warmer clothes in the car if needed. My 40-year-old tweed jackets would have been period wear in context with the Morris Minor. All were donated to charity in the great clear out. Following my wife's death.

 9.15. Time to go.

 15.00 53F/12C. Returned from the classic car & motorcycle show/auction/spares market. There were lots of beautiful cars on show. Many with price tags and quite a number sold. The halls were full of sales stands, cars or motorcycles. Thousands of people spread across them. In fact the halls were absolutely vast! I think I covered them all. I was looking for an English language, Haynes Workshop Manual for the Morris Minor. No luck at any of the book stalls. Nor those with just a few books. Then I discovered my Morris Minor neighbour, in the next village, has an English example he will sell me. 

 It was fun as I arrived. I was waved straight into the special cars, car park. Which was rather flattering. My car is smart but not concours. The examples on the Morris Minor stand really were immaculate! I chatted with several members whom I knew. My mileage today was 101km/63 miles. I need not have worried about avoiding the docks. I drove along that road on the way home. There was no sign of any problems whatsoever. 

 Going via the long, straight, main roads might have been boring. Fortunately some sunshine lit up the hedgerow berries and the autumn leaves. Making it really beautiful. I took a more meandering, rural route on the way back. Many drivers had no interest in keeping to the speed limit. They would overtake where there were multiple crossroads and junctions. Only to have me catch them when they reached the next back bumper. Which was travelling at the legal speed limit. As was I of course. The national speed limit is 80kph. A handy 50mph. Which I can keep to without too much effort even on climbs. So these drivers were risking multiple lives for no gain at all.

 14.00 Lunch finished. I lit the stove as it was down to 61F/16Cin the lounge/bedsit/living room. The towels on the outside airer were still cold and wet. So I brought them in to go on the old clothes horse.

 16.00 53F/12C Overcast. 65F in the living room. It was lucky I brought the towels in because it has rained. Those I brought in yesterday are dry. I ought to tidy the airing cupboard. The top half is full of product packaging. In case items have to be returned under guarantee. As the 2-year period is long over there is little point in wasting useful space on such pointless material. Though I have no idea what could go in that space. Winter duvets? How many do I need?

~o~

21.10.2023 The aftermath: 120 year high, sea level records, causing coastal flooding.

 ~o~

 Saturday 21st. 45F/7.2C. Overcast and breezy. Modest wind reducing slowly but steadily. Wet afternoon.

 A disturbed night but only two trips to the loo at 2 & 4. Up at 7.15. 60F/15C in the living room this morning. 55F/13C in the kitchen and bathroom thanks to the oil filled radiators.

 8.30 Everything outside is plastered with wet leaves blown from the trees. No sign of damage or felled trees locally. I had a look round through all the windows. I shall go for a walk soon to check water levels in the field/marsh behind me.

 Sea floods: At least two sea water level sensors were damaged or destroyed by waves. As extreme sea levels broke 120-year-old records. As high as 2.4m [8'] over normal. Many local towns had over 2m above normal sea levels. Temporary dams were damaged, punctured or washed out to sea in some places. A huge waste of taxpayer's money in some cases. The giant "water tubes" seem to have fared badly.

 Temporary dams using big, hay bales were shown in some videos. I haven't discovered if they survived. The one at Kolding was two bales high and leaking badly against a 2m higher tide than normal. Though it must have had some useful effect in stopping the damaging waves. Or reducing the reach of the floods. A brilliant idea in such an emergency with short notice.

 There were some evacuations from campsites and summer houses to local halls. Many boats and lightweight, sea front buildings are damaged or lost.

 We should all thank the emergency services and everyone else involved. In dealing with the extreme conditions. Particularly as they had to cope with heavy rain and severe, storm force gusts as well as the flooding. It can't have been much fun in the dark. Electricity supplies have been lost in some areas. With the hope for a return to normal later today. The fact that salt water was involved. Will mean more damage than fresh water might have caused. The flooding is expected to subside fairly quickly. long with the winds in most places. Though north Jylland is still experiencing fierce winds. 

 I found an old news report about Assens safeguarding its harbour against flooding. With the title: Never Again! It has flooded repeatedly since then. Fortunately the high street rises steadily away from the harbour. So hopefully the nearest houses and shops were spared. Though there are supermarkets in the danger zone.

 9.45. I went for walk to confirm that the pond in the field behind me had overflowed slightly into small puddles. The emphasis was clearly towards the drainage ditch and pipe. So nothing to worry about so far. 

 The rain can't have been that heavy locally. Because the other fields, which are usually puddled, were not affected. A few small branches had fallen. Nothing thicker than my thumb. The landscape looked damp and a bit battered but otherwise undamaged. 

 I have been watching the Danish "Head & Shoulders," TV news brigade updates. They really can't help themselves. They all think they are David Attenborough. Who was never knowingly upstaged by any living creature. Unfortunate enough to have crossed his path. These news reporters really do believe that they are the news. It's the same right around the globe! No war exists until a BBC News "Celeb" stands Head & Shoulders, in front of a pile of rubble! How else will they improve their astronomical income for the coming Cleb dance off?

 There wasn't much new to see from either TV2 nor DR. You only need to watch some idiot. Standing in driving rain and a gale, while holding a microphone. Up to his knees in seawater. While wearing normal trousers and a bum freezer, fashion jacket. So see how totally unprepared, or totally uninterested [?] they really were. For reporting this "once in a 100 year" event. Mind you, the football and badminton were both well covered! So that's alright then.

 10.30 I'll have to go shopping, or starve. The house is empty. Two eggs and two slices of frozen toast bread left.

 12.30 Returning from a three bag, shopping trip in the MM. Nobody could ever accuse me of being a "Prepper!" It stayed dry but occasionally windy. I saw two trees which had been brought down by the wind. Falling onto the adjoining fields fortunately. A large, bushy branch had fallen but remained on the verge. Several fields had large puddles where they had collected rain from steep hillsides. 

 13.00 48F/9C Overcast. Lunch. Reports are flooding in [?] of the damage caused by the record high, seawater levels. The German/Danish border town of Flensborg, in particular, looked badly affected. With streets and large open areas visibly under water. Elsewhere, summer houses have collapsed or are flooded. There is a warning of the risk of contamination from sewage and chemicals in the floodwaters. Which may remain in the mess which it leaves behind. Contact is to be avoided.

 15.30 I have lit the stove. The towels I put out this morning feel as wet as when they went out. Rain is supposed to arrive at 16.00. So I brought in the first batch of towels. To be replaced by another load going outside. I always wash the towels in batches. They go into the [bathroom] laundry basket as soon as they are too damp to use. A hand towel often after only one day and bath towels always after a shower. Poorly heated rooms do not let towels be self drying.

 Drying indoors increases the risk of mould. As the moisture settles on cold surfaces. I doubt anything would dry in the greenhouse in this colder, overcast weather. The DMI is showing 94% humidity today. It is breezy but it doesn't help to dry anything. Besides, the surrounding trees act as a windbreak. 

 Permaculture is strong on wind breaks. It not only protects gardens but is supposed to reduce heat loss from buildings. Since I have no control over most of the local tree growth. I might as well look on it as a positive.

 19.15 49F/9C Since I may not feel like Sunday dinner tomorrow I shall have it tonight. Chicken, mushrooms, peas, mashed potatoes and gravy. I was silly and had beer and coffee. No self discipline! 

 Just to add to the misery of the flooding in summerhouse areas. Some of the protective dykes are now keeping the flood water in. After it had flowed over the top without destroying them. So it will all have to be pumped out. The sea levels were so extreme that some experts are talking about a once in 300 year event.

~o~

20.10.2023 Head & Shoulders and "The 100 year flooding" [and storm.]

~o~

 Friday 20th 40F/4.5C. Overcast and windy. The forecast is for gales and heavy rain. I just tried to embed a video of my stove but broke the blog post instead. Something may be missing compared to earlier updates.

 I am adjusting the small radiators in the kitchen and bathroom to maintain 55F/13C. There is no point in having them warmer than needed. I spend as little time out there as possible.

 The "100 year" flooding: Sea levels are already exceeding those predicted. Sometimes by as much as 20cm [8"] With official warnings to storm tourists to stay well away from affected coasts. However tempting, leave your photography and videography to the "Head and Shoulders." Of the "TV personality" news reporter and their 20 production staff. All busily blocking your potential view of the flooding on your TV screen. As they ham out their usual performance. From a well-rehearsed script of superlatives and a safe vantage point. That is if they ever leave the studio in the capital. 

 I have just watched a DR News video of a "TV reporter" shouting at the camera with water up to her knees. Which could be filmed almost literally anywhere. There is no context or viewpoint. Some small power boats have sunk in the marina. So what?

 Next up is another Head & Shoulders interview in close-up of a boat owner who came down to check. You really couldn't make this up for drooling, pedantic stupidity! Do these TV "outside broadcast" people actually get paid? With real viewer's, TV license fees? How do they sleep at night? Talk about false pretences!

 There's a wonderful irony here. DR TV is appealing to the public for videos and photos of the flooding. While the emergency services are appealing for people to stay at home! DR TV is showing worthless views of Head & Shoulders of their own staff and little else. When everybody wants to see the historic "100 year" flooding. There were 15 trees reported to have been blown down in the night on Fyn alone. Not a single picture of a fallen tree? Nah. Back to Head & Shoulders.

 8.00 40F/4.4C Up at 6.30 after a relatively peaceful night. Having to get up only once at 02.30. Thanks to my small cup of milk after early dinner. Rather than my usual, small tin of beer with dinner and a mug of coffee to follow. 

 Not sure about a morning walk. I want to monitor the water level in the back field/marsh. Between my northern boundary and the new, earthworks dam. It is easier to walk along the road to check. Than to peer through the thrashing trees from my own garden with stuff hitting me on the head. The trees mostly hang down to the [wet] ground. 

 9.30 Enjoying morning coffee after a quick tour along the road to check on water levels. Any change in the drain inlet through the dam was too subtle to notice. The natural pond looks unchanged. A few twigs blown down onto the roads. The wind wont reach full strength for some hours. It started raining so I went no further.

 I have just watched yet another Head & Shoulders, TV2 News interview. With only a tiny area of flooding grudgingly allowed into the background. The producer must have been napping after the long drive from the capital. With the snacks truck and celebrity news reporter's caravan in convoy, of course.

Meanwhile, the news headlines are now monopolised by yet another drug gang warfare shooting. Yawn. It is far easier to film an empty street in the capital. Than to risk getting your designer coat and shoes damp on an outside broadcast "out in the sticks." How would they find a Michelin Star restaurant for their own snacks? The food truck is only for "the staff."

 10.00 The living room temperature has been stuck at 60F/15C since I got up. I am dressed warmly. So wont bother to waste firewood yet. 

 OMG! This is awful! The latest news headlines is that a Head & Shoulders TV News Reporter is stuck on an [inhabited] Danish island. After all the ferries were cancelled. Surely a case of bringing in a rescue helicopter? OMG! He may easily suffer from malnutrition. If there is no nearby Michelin Star restaurant for his snacks. A license fee millionaire has to keep up his standards after all! 

 OMG! The salt water spray could easily spoil the shine on his stretched limo if he has to "sleep rough" overnight. Some "local" [peasant] is bound to give up his sprawling luxury home for such a celebrity. There won't be the Emperor Penthouse Suite, hotel accommodation, of course. 

 OMG! He may even need treatment for PTSD! Poor dear! What if the gloss goes off his hand stitched, designer, mink microphone, wind stopper? His career could be in serious danger. Unless he finds a suitable replacement of the same quality. 

 Why did he agree to leave the Capital? It was all so unnecessary! They could just as easily have green screened him. Against a flooded backdrop from some archive material. From some other, god forsaken, backwards hole. Like Gravely Blighted, or somewhere like that. Nobody would notice the difference. As long as there was water, just visible, behind him.

 Meanwhile, back at the [flooded] ranch: A kilometre long, 1metre diameter, water filled sausage has been laid in Aabenraa. To try and stop the flooding from causing unnecessary damage. They are expecting 2.4m over normal high water. Summer house owners have sandbagged their properties to YouTube instructions. Then abandoned them to the fates.

 11.00 The living room dropped under 15C/60F. So I lit the stove and brought in a ring rack full of split logs. It takes about 5 baskets full to fill the rack. Having handy surfaces at each point. Where doors need to be opened and closed. Helps to avoid heat loss. While reducing the effort require to put down and and lift heavy loads repeatedly. 

 I shall have to fetch another trailer full of logs from the timber yard. To restock the greenhouse. The wind sounds much louder out there. Barely noticeable indoors. Though I can see the trees thrashing about outside.

 11.15 Already up to 62F/17C and I can feel the heat from yards away. The trick is to get the air supply low enough that the logs last. Without causing oxygen starvation and explosive gas mixtures. Where the usual, orange/yellow flames disappear. The outside temperatures remain at a steady 40F/4.5C. The high winds are probably causing increased draughts and infiltration into the rockwool, roof insulation.

 What I should be doing is working on something indoors to keep warm. Rather than sitting here waffling on the computer. First find the motivation!

 12.00 65F/18C.

 14.00 Lunch over while I chatted on WhatsApp. The stove powered fan is working well. Still only 65F.

 21.00 40F outside. 66F in here. Mackerel on toast for dinner. The fridge and larder were empty. A small glass of milk instead of beer and coffee with dinner. 

  The harbour at Assens was flooded over the road level. 

~o~

19.10.2023 Storm force winds and extremely high sea levels.

 ~o~

 Thursday 19th. A grey day is promised with rain after lunch. Wind increasing with gusts to 20m/s. 44mph. Up to 26m/s in the next days.

 Up at 6.15 after getting up only twice in the night. The small cup of milk after dinner may be working. 

 I have a haircut appointment at 11.30. My beard needs a trim too. No walk. The trees are thrashing and it isn't warm.

 After my haircut I drove to my friend's place in the rain. We chatted technical stuff until his wife came home. 

 Whereupon I drove home and had an afternoon nap.

 After which I moved the outside thermometer sensor. So now I can monitor outside temperatures without having to go upstairs. The sensor itself is back under the northerly roof overhang but the lead rises from one of the lounge windows. The siting of the sensor should continue to minimise ambient heating affecting readings. Not remotely likely on a cold, windy day without a hint of sunshine. 43F at 17.30 = 6.1C.👍

  22.00 41F/5C. Dinner was chips, with fish fingers, tomatoes and peas. I should have bought more chips but forgot to. I am really trying to be self disciplined and had only a small cup of milk to follow. My last cup of tea was at 17.15.

 The stove has been burning since 17.00. With only one log at a time. This has only raised the temperature in the living room from 62 to 65F. [17-18C.] All the internal doors and all the windows are tightly shut. I have the oil filled radiators going in the kitchen and bathroom. Not to heat them but just to keep the chill off. The fridge doesn't like being in an unheated room and becomes unreliable.

___________________

 A "once in a century" flood warning is in force for parts of Southern Denmark. This is due to strong winds piling up the sea in the narrow strait between Fyn and Jylland. Also right across southern Fyn and southern and eastern Sjæland coastlines. The expected sea levels are also unprecedented [by a whopping 60cm!] in 100 year, computer forecasting models.

 Over two meters above normal is possible on south eastern, Jylland coastlines. Meteorologists are looking back to 1903 as the last example of such raised sea levels. There was considerable loss of life on Langeland and Lolland further east. Both of which were badly flooded.

 Aabenraa and Assens are both coastal towns closest to the highest expected sea levels. The sea levels are already 40cm above normal. The massive shift to continuous, storm force, easterly winds is expected to lead to severe coastal flooding later on Friday through to Saturday morning. 

 The high water warning is extended up the eastern coast of Sjæland almost as far as Copenhagen. Being sited on exposed coasts, many summer houses are at greater risk of flooding. There is usually no insurance cover for flood damage.

 The risk of coastal flooding is frequently mentioned as a result of global warming. As ice sheets and glaciers melt at an increasingly alarming and accelerating rate. Sea level rise will only add to weather induced flood risks. Affecting the majority of coastal cities and capitals around the world. Many of which were sited around a harbour or estuary for historical reasons of trade. 

 The cost of future flooding could well be astronomical. With many businesses having head offices in prestigious but costly buildings. Which may become completely cut off from normal road transport. By quite modest rises in average sea levels. Do they all move to higher ground? Forcing massive land value inflation and speculation? As capital city, land values sink beneath the waves?

 If Antarctica should melt entirely, then Denmark would simply cease to exist. It would be entirely underwater with a modest 60 meter sea level rise. The map of the rest of northern Europe and the Baltics would change beyond imagination. The Netherlands would be gone too. 

 Update:  The weather and flood risk situation is being constantly updated. Storm force, easterly winds are now expected across the whole of Denmark. Peaking from 3am on Friday to Saturday mid day. 

 With potential sea levels now being predicted up to 2.4m [8'] above normal on the coast of south east Jylland and SW Fyn. Wave heights to 6m, or above, are likely in some places. Though not expected to be so high in the easterly highest water regions. The greatest danger is predicted to be later on Friday 20th and overnight to Saturday 21st of October. Wind gusts peaking at 26m/s at midnight Friday 20th.

 The emergency services are recommending evacuation from affected, low lying areas. To avoid unnecessary loss of life. Or the demand for rescue under extremely dangerous sea and hazardous weather conditions. Normal vehicular access is highly unlikely. There may be deeper and unexpected flooding in your planned escape path.  The authorities warn against storm tourism. There may be drain covers forced up by pressure from below. Which would be invisible beneath the murky waters.

The official advice is to leave affected areas by Friday morning at the latest. Water filled tubes are being set up to reduce the impact of likely flooding. 24 hours before the culmination the sea level is already well over a meter higher than normal. 

 There is expected to be between 30mm and 50mm of rain falling over Friday and Saturday. I found a new flooding risk map. KAMP. Which shows that even prior to the earthworks, to my north, there was a high risk of flooding after heavy rain. The earthworks form a high dam. Which will channel water outside my northern boundary from the hill to my east. Into a collection space probably less than 1/4 of that area before the earthworks. Will a 40cm pipe be enough to lead the water away? Not even before the dam was built according to the new map! It never rains but it pours!

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 Google Blogger is still blocking image uploads from Firefox. Effortless uploading in Google Chrome. Which, by coincidence, is releasing a facelift. Meanwhile MS is updating Outlook and making life so difficult that I may never glance at it ever again.

~o~