15.10.2023 No welcome home.

 ~o~

 Sunday 15th. Thin, high overcast. Promise of sunny periods, local showers and slightly less windy. Up at 7.45 after a night of waking every hour to add to the bucket. 

9.00 Time for a walk? The radar shows a band of heavy rain heading this way. I'll go anyway. Or not at all.

 10.00 Sunshine? Back from my walk. On an impulse I crossed the fields by the spray tracks. To reach the main track up to the woods. It used to do this all the time but haven't walked that way for ages. The ground was sticky and puddled after the recent rain. The sky darker to the north. Though not particularly threatening.

 I was pondering where to go next. When it started blowing and raining. Just as I reached the forest entrance. So I turned about and retraced my steps. The rain eased off before returning, still lightly, as I neared home. The wind was highly variable. Cold on my hands but I had the deep pockets of my winter, walking jacket. 

 Perhaps I should start wearing my winter, walking boots again. They have been resting for most of this year. I cannot be rid of the deeply depressing thoughts. That my wife will not be there on my return home. As I glance up the stairs. Where she would always be sitting. Watching her favourite YouTube channels. On the big TV screen. Up on the landing.

 I have to get out of this habit of sitting on the computer all day. I just need a suitable goal. Somewhere tempting enough to get me moving. I can wear waterproofs on the e-bike. Though the wind will be a problem at times. Or, I can go somewhere further afield in the Morris Minor. It does seem to be brightening up as promised.

I know! A flea/antique market in an old factory near Ringe. It is only open on 1st and 3rd Sundays. We used to go there all the time. Even bought some furniture there. I'll have to go in the Morris. It's not a great day for a longer ride. There will also be a headwind coming home. 38km each way [50 miles round trip] is fine on a sunny summer's day. Not ideal with wind and rain.

 13.30 Back from a pleasant drive to a closed market. No sign of life. Nothing on the door. For some peculiar reason I found myself whistling as I was driving along. This is not something to so easily downplay. It is so long since I whistled that I was struggling to maintain mellifluous continuation. Worse, I had no idea where the tune came from. Somehow familiar but lacking either title or lyrics. The Senile Whistler? Suit yourselves. 

 I drove along many narrow, twisting lanes today. Just following my nose. With only a few close squeaks from oncoming vehicles. As I have already mentioned. The Morris Minor brakes are crap. Swapping the drums to useful disks is a common practice in the UK. Not allowed on "safety grounds" in socialist Denmark. Where any vehicle modding is strictly frowned upon. Meanwhile the well off can have their luxury cars chip tuned to boost performance. 😲

 With the poor brakes in mind, I am never sure whether I should push the Morris up to a steady 80kph/50mph. Or drive at a more comfortable 70kph and let those who are following overtake.

15.30 I have opened the internal doors out to the greenhouse. To borrow some of the excess warmth out there. The kitchen has risen 6F in the last hour from 60F. 

 20.30 Dinner was cheese on toast with fresh [wrinkly] tomatoes. I grated the cheese and piled it high but still couldn't cover the corners. It tasted fine.

 I lit the stove and burnt two split logs. 20C/68F.

 

~o~