~o~
Monday 15th 58F/14C. Heavy overcast and breezy. There was torrential rain roaring on the greenhouse at bedtime.
Up at 6.20 after a restless night.
The TdeF is producing its usual highlights. As a result of France throwing open the gates of its lunatic asylums for the event. We have one portly, brain dead dummy suddenly springing to life. To throw crisps at the leaders. Yeah, right. Another supreme athlete, wearing flip-flops, decided he could outrun Pogacar on a bicycle. Only for the unlikely footwear to bounce off Pogacar's wheel. What charges could the loony have faced had he brought down the Yellow Jumper?
I have no real idea who is winning. Not that it matters. It's surely only a matter of time before today's heroes are found out for cheating. It's always the same story. Clean, until proven guilty. Covid is still throwing a spanner into the spokes. I thought that was all over bar the rumours and recriminations.
The irony is that cycle manufacturers are all going broke. Only they could afford the thousands of pounds it costs for every single accessory. Desperately needed to perform as a Weekend Warrior. They killed their own golden goose. It was crushed by fragile, over-hyped, overpriced tat. Masquerading as built-in obsolescence. We must all pray fervently that they never have an eTour-de-France.
In breaking news: The big fish tank has achieved parity with the air temperature in the room. 67F/19.4C. So that's alright then. The mistiness is persisting but thinning slowly. Despite my having dosed the tank with "Starter" fluid. It is still premature to move the fish in yet.
My walk was seriously foreshortened due to an upset stomach. It seems jogging is no longer beyond my powers. Which is just as well!
12.20 Returned from town in the Morris. Where I bought some 4mm thick,
transparent, twin-wall polycarbonate sheet. To make a new, lightweight,
aquarium cover. Plus a length of aluminium channel flashing. To make a
neat and compact cover for the new LED light. The shiny aluminium will help to reflect the light downwards into the tank.
The heavy metal cover, which came with the tank, is simply not needed.
The toughened glass shelves I found yesterday are a potential risk to
the tank. If they slip while being handled while wet. Their considerable
weight is a serious hindrance to tank maintenance.
I am still working out how best to use the plastic sheet. To allow easy access to the top front of the tank for cleaning and effortless feeding. The
central crossbar of the aquarium frame will support the middle of the
sheet. If I should cut a narrower strip for easy, tank access.
I have now cut the sheet to fit neatly into the rebate in the the top frame of the tank. A simple hobby knife was all that was required for cutting the thin material.
The lightweight, LED assembly can simply rest on the new top cover. Which will reduce losses to evaporation and avoid fish practicing their sky diving. The new LED lights are no longer a serious shock risk. As were the previous, mains operated, florescent tubes. With their heavy ballast unit requiring increased cover stiffness for safety. All now obsolete.
Dinner was fish fingers and chips. I looked at the packaging. The oven ready chips contain only potatoes and sunflower oil. Does that make them toxic?
~o~
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