5.11.2023 Silent witness.

 ~o~

  Sunday 5th 47F/8C. Heavy overcast and windy. With rain or showers. It forgot to get light again. Up at 6 after getting up only once in the night. I had only a small glass of water with dinner. It seems to work.

 08.15 The room is at 64F/18C this morning. It reached 68F/20C last night after feeding the stove for hours. I can see small spots of rain on the greenhouse roof. Time for a walk?

 9.30 The wind was light and southerly. So I was protected by the overgrown, roadside hedges. The misty, light drizzle petered out. I checked pointlessly for flooding beside the dam and plodded on. Even going beyond my usual turning point in the lanes. A large, brown bird of pray sailed though the field of view of my binoculars. As I watched three nervous deer retreat into the shrubbery, two fields over. 

 A red kite floated over the tree lined road on my last stretch for home. At less than 50 feet altitude it was well within easy reach of my cheerful greeting. Which, sadly, caused it to wobble erratically. As it scrambled to gain height. All too rapidly in the faltering wind. Despite everything it was soon well out of reach of further, polite discussion. I must hope my presence did not lose it an easy breakfast.

 Three redwings were holding down the overgrown ash tree in front of the abandoned, dilapidating thatch. Another, silent witness to depopulation of the Danish countryside. The drive is thickly carpeted with its fallen leaves. A cat in the drive soon gave up peering into the hedge for prey. As it quickly abandoned the hunt on my approach. I have no idea where the rumour got out. That I was a predator on cats. I do like cats but couldn't possibly eat a whole one. 

 18.30 I spent the afternoon helping my friend rearrange the furniture. After I came home in the MM I tried to light the stove with the non-inflammable kindling. Two lighter blocks and half a newspaper later it is finally alight. The kindling looks like softwood but crackles loudly when it burns. It is certainly not a lack of draught. It is only 16C/61F in the room. 

 Having almost run out of kindling I am now faced with the problem of obtaining more. Do I go back to my usual source in the hope that they are selling anything useful? Should I take a blowlamp to test their wares on the spot? Was I just unlucky to have bought three large sacks of worthless sticks?

 Dinner was salad. With tuna, grated carrots, grated cheese, lettuce and cucumber. With two poached eggs on top. Whoops! I forgot to add the cherry tomatoes! I cut the heart lettuce into small strips. Then added the rest in a hand mixed pile in the colander. Plopped it all onto the plate, spread the tuna around and then added the eggs. The result was delicious. Tasty from beginning to end. The poached eggs had four minutes. Which was just right for the yolks to be just firm but not runny.

 20.30 It has reached 66F/19C in the room.

 22.30 20C/68F.

 

  ~o~