20.09.2024 Another 59km.

 ~o~

  Friday 20th 57F/14C. Overcast but sunshine promised for later.

 Up at 7am after a 6.00 damp squib. No ill effects from yesterday's physio workout.  

 My tomato plants in the greenhouse don't look well.

 9.00 Back from half an hour's walk going the wrong way. Still overcast, same temperature, a light easterly breeze and too warm in a jumper and jacket.  

 A chap went past on a moped with a bike trailer. I don't think I have ever seen such a thing before. Not even sure about the legality. Well, it seems to be okay. According to mobility websites which sell them.

 10.00 Still overcast. I feel the need for a ride, but where? North/south to avoid the wind. Taking in several, village charity shops. About 45km.    

 13.30 68F/20C. Back from a 59km ride. Only much later in the morning did the sun come out. I seemed to be fighting a headwind regardless of my direction. 

 A criminally insane driver overtook me at very high speed. Missing me by inches. Just as the only oncoming car on a very long, clear straight drew alongside. The other driver made an emergency stop to try and reduce the risk to all of us. 

 I wore a pair of padded, racing shorts under denim shorts. Suffered saddle soreness from about 40km. It improved after wandering around a charity shop. Only to return later on. My cotton jacket over a jumper and racing jersey remained buttoned up until I walked back indoors.

 18.00 Returned from a shopping trip into the village. I couldn't bring frozen stuff home on the bike. A lady admired and chatted about the car. 

 Dinner was fish fingers and chips.

 ~o~

19.09.2024 [b]Limey!

 ~o~

  Thursday 19th A grey slightly misty start but soon turning to sunshine.

Up at 7.15 after failing to lift off at 6am. A quick shower before driving into town for physio. I was early so did some shopping.

 10.30 Returned home in bright sunshine. I am removing water from the fish tank to make an exchange for fresh.

 12.00 65F/18C. One third water exchange completed. The greenhouse has reached 100F/38C! I forgot to open the exterior doors to cause a through draught. The temperature has dropped to 83F in only a minute. 68F/20C in the room.

 17.30 Back from a ride to the shops in the next village. 21km. I had to ride through a huge cloud of lime. As the tractor was working close to the road with a crosswind onto the road. It was so dense that visibility was much reduced. At least, I assume it was lime.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast with halved tomatoes.

 

  ~o~

18.09.2024 Taking my e-bike for a drive.

 ~o~

  Wednesday 18th 54F/12C [7am] Thin overcast. Another sunny day expected after a grey start. It could reach 21C/70F.

 Up at 6am after an unusually quiet night. No leg pain today. Dentists appointment in town at 8.30.

 9.15 Safely home from town. The sun came out at 9 only to disappear again. I had a ten minute conversation with an elderly, Morris Minor fan.

 I feel the need for a ride but haven't a clue where to go. Kolding! I haven't been there for ages. 55km km each way is too far for a comfortable ride and back. Three, large cycle shops. I can take the e-bike on the rear carrier. It is lockable onto the tow ball. Park and ride! As I always intended but haven't so far. I can wear civilian clothing for tootling around the town. 

 10.15 Finally ready!

 16.00 Late lunch after returning from my drive to Kolding. I took the bike for over 120km and never removed it from the carrier. The main problem was not finding a long, free, parking space. So I drove around the town. I eventually found all three bike shops. A lot has changed and I didn't remember much. There used to be a free space by the river but they have built over the whole area. It must be years since I was last there. With my wife. In the car and on foot.

 Dinner was salad. Followed by half an hour of washing up the backlog!

 

 ~o~

17.09.2024 Garden waste.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 17th 54F/12C. [7.15] Overcast, misty and breezy. Another sunny day is promised. The large scale mist warning for Jylland to the west is spreading here. Only silhouettes visible at 400 meters.

 Up at 6.30 after a quiet night filling the fire bucket. I blame the after dinner coffee. He never learns! Lower back pain back again. I'll have to have a walk.

 68F/20C in the room this morning. All thanks to the greenhouse sharing its heat yesterday. I have removed one layer of shade netting and leave the end doors closed. This raised the greenhouse to 86F/30C yesterday. It took a long time for the heat to dissipate too. Still 75F/24C at 7pm. Presumably due to the brick floor and the southern house wall absorbing heat from the sun. 

 I'll probably visit my English friend on my e-bike later. Hopefully the mist will have cleared and my quadriceps stopped hurting. The latter probably the result of multiple squats at yesterday's physio session.

 8.15. I returned from my walk. My thigh muscles continue to hurt. There will be no ride today. I'll have to drive there in the Morris. 

9.45 The mist has lifted. Still no sunshine.     

 Enjoyed an hour and half chatting with my friend. It was easily warm enough to stand about outside.  Admiring his large garden. Then I returned in time for lunch.

 17.00 63F/17C. Overcast. Tea break. I have been steadily reducing the huge pile of branches. Using loppers and an electric chainsaw. Then stuffing them upright in the trailer. They proved willing to be be easily compressed. So that three quarters of the pile is now ready for a trip to the recycling yard. The vicious spines only added to the fun.

 18.30 I decided to deliver the branches to the recycling yard. Just to be rid of them. The trailer tipping function may be manual but is very easy to operate. Being nicely balanced. After dropping the tailgate I used a rake to unload. Which saved my gloved hands from damage by the nasty spines. Most of it was wild plumbs or hawthorn.

 Dinner was sardines on toast.

 

  ~o~

16.09.2024 Out and about.

 ~o~

  Monday 16th 51F/11C [8.00] Bright start with a mild sunny day promised and for the rest of the week. Though it will be colder overnight.

 Up at 6.40 after another quiet night. No ill effects from yesterday's "gardening."

 Physio class this morning. I have to make another appointment to have my new teeth adjusted. They hurt when I bite. I also have to make time for a breath test at the doctors. There is some concern over my occasional breathlessness. I can drop in for the first as I'll already be in town. 

 11.00 53F/12C. Bright sunshine. Safely back from exercising. No ill effects apart from my lower back and getting very hot. I have made appointments for my teeth and the doctors. 

 12.30 65F/18C. Solid sunshine. Returned from the village with a load of groceries. Brought the empty, recycling, wheelie bins back.

 Had a lazy afternoon and evening. The door out to the greenhouse was opened to lift indoor temperatures nicely.

 Dinner was chicken, mushrooms and .. broccoli? I seriously questioned the logic of this choice but it was fine. I should have added some butter but decided it was unhealthy. The way the huge pile of broccoli shrank in the saucepan was actually beneficial.  

 

 

  ~o~

15.09.2024 Letting in the sunlight.

 ~o~

  Sunday 15th 46F/8C [8.20] Bright but cool. It could reach 17C/63F this afternoon as temperatures recover.

 Up at 7.20 after dozing away a quiet night. My lower back pain has become routine. I need a walk.

 9.45 54F/12C. Back from my late walk in light, Sunday traffic. It was completely calm and unusually clear. There is often distant haze obscuring the horizon. The wind turbines were unusually still too. This is almost a rare occurrence. 

 I made the mistake of wearing my down sweater over a jumper. It wasn't long before I removed the sweater. The work to clear the sad cottage and overgrown garden on the lanes continues. It encourages me that I could do the same.

 10.00 It has clouded over. I was considering having a modest ride. The great escape. Lots to do at home and in my own garden. 

 12.10 59F/15C. Bright sunshine. I spent the last two hours cutting down tall hedges and attacking the brambles. The parking space is filled with felled trees and tall branches. I need to leave room for the Morris to escape without running over the spiny branches. I'll use the chainsaw to clean up the logs worth keeping.

 I have removed one layer of shade netting from the greenhouse. The door into the house is open to let in some warmth. 84F/29C out there. Only 63F/17C indoors. Now I need a rest!  

 17.00 My day in the garden has made quite a dent. I did four days of washing up, cleaned the recycling tubs and took the two wheely bins along the drive. A legend in his own time! The mower batteries have spent hours on charge today. As has the chainsaw battery.

 17.30 The room has reached 66F/19C. I am enjoying a cup of tea and a rest before whizzing over the parking space with the mower. 

 18.20 I have mowed the parking space at No4 and the western lawn at No6. A new compost heap has been established inside the front hedge. The grass cuttings go mouldy lying in the trailer. Until I make my next run to the recycling yard. 

 Dinner was cheese on toast with halved cherry tomatoes. I wasn't very generous with the grated cheese. Must try harder.

 

 

  ~o~

14.09.2024 Convoy!

 ~o~

 Saturday 14th 43F/6C[8.15] Bright with sunshine promised. NW winds.

 

 Up at 7.00 after a fairly quiet night. I had to get up and put on a jumper to get warm. The room has dropped to 62F/17C. I am wearing my down sweater to avoid lighting the stove this morning. I should remove the shade nets from the greenhouse to gain a little warmth from the sun. My thigh is still burning from the bite and/or treatment. 

 12.00 Returned in continuous sunshine from my first group outing with the Nordic Morris Minor Klub. We drove in a convoy of about 30 cars into town. Very thoughtfully the leader pulled into the side of the main road on a long straight. To allow the traffic to pass and to allow tailenders to rejoin. Where they had been dropped at various junctions along the route. I ended up chatting to two delightful ladies about the Morris Minor and their long term relationship with the car and club. 40 years!  

 Dinner was a fry up of chicken, mushrooms and eggs. I had lit the stove briefly to boost room temperatures. From 62F to 66F. [17C to 19C] I still slept with a jumper over my usual t-shirt. I may bring down a warmer duvet from upstairs. Only as a temporary measure before lighting the stove becomes the norm.

 ~o~

13.09.2024 When the cure is worse than the bite!

 ~o~

  Friday 13th 47F/8C [7.50] Bright with a sunny morning promised. Peaking at only 14C/57F.

 Up at 6am after a quiet night.

 14.00 Returned from a 97km ride. I saw a Morris Minor almost identical to mine near the road and stopped to speak to the lady owner. She had only had it for a few months and was enjoying driving it around town.

I was bitten on the thigh early on in my ride and it stung like mad. So I found some Dock leaves and applied the crushed foliage. Well, it works for nettles! 

 My leg went on stinging all the time I was out. As the clouds steadily thickened. I wore the Endura rain jacket zipped up all day and it was perfectly comfortable. Even when I turned back for home and discovered the headwind.

 Now I am back at home I can see that my whole thigh is bright red. Whether it is the bite or a reaction to the Dock leaf juice I have no idea. 

 I have washed the area, wiped it with a wet wipe and applied cornflower water. The latter works well for gnat bites. It is still stinging badly. It is Friday and the doctor's surgery closed ages ago. I have tried Tee tree oil cream. It stings even worse. I'll ask Google for home remedies. Roll on deodorant?  No, that's worse! Baking soda? Do I have any?

 They may have home remedies for severe saddle soreness too.

 Dinner was poached eggs on toast. I forgot to add the time the eggs sat in the cup in the boiling water. They were fine but no longer runny. I prefer runny.

 

  ~o~

12.09.2024 Autumn chill.

 ~o~

  Thursday 12th 47F/8C. Rather cloudy but some clear sky. Threat of thundery showers. It feels much colder this morning. I have just been hanging out some laundry. The room has dropped from a steady 73F/23C to only 65F/18C. The greenhouse to 54F/12C this morning. I had better bring the Monstera back indoors. It has been enjoying its summer holidays out in the greenhouse. Under the two professional  quality shade nets. Which cover the entire greenhouse. 

 Up at 5.30 after dreaming about my wife. I was trying to catch her as she climbed a long, steep hill in a city somewhere. With multiple hurdles presented on my struggle to close the gap.

 A busy morning. I have my physio exercise class in town for an hour from 9.00. Then I have to drive nearly 30km to cooking class afterwards. Which means a change of clothes to remain socially acceptable. I quickly start sweating in closed rooms under heavy exercise. The kitchens have been unbearably warm too. Thanks to the all glass wall facing the summer sunshine at the old school. Not that this is likely today.

 It is odd how different age groups present themselves collectively. I once turned up for the cooking class on the wrong week. The alternative week team seemed years older than my own group. Then there is the physio class which follows mine. Many of who are using walking frames. 

 The difference in apparent age is really striking. As our team strides out and they hobble in to replace us. This is not remotely meant as a criticism. Merely an observation. No doubt others much younger would see us as all similarly older than themselves. 

 On my first morning at physio I quickly realised. That I have been carrying a completely false impression of my own age and fitness. Being able to ride an electric bike and do a bit of heavy gardening. Says very little about overall fitness levels. The bike can easily compensate for any weakness. No doubt an observer would see an octogenarian. Struggling with gardening tasks which would pass unnoticed to a younger person. Fortunately my level of exercise and sheer luck have kept me from gaining much weight. I can't imagine the struggle I would have to overcome extra stones, pounds or kilos.    

 12.00 58F/14C. After an hour of exercising I had nearly an hour's chat on my health with one of the physiotherapists. This was a follow up to the chat on the phone from the hospital. By the time I left it was too late for cooking class. The sun has come out. I shall go shopping this afternoon.

 16.45 Back from the shops and the recycling yard. The trailer full of weeds have been delivered. The sky was black up ahead on the way home and there was a rumble of thunder. Only a few spots of rain on the windscreen before it passed over.

 Dinner was fish fingers, oven ready chips and peas.

       

 ~o~

 

11.09.2024 Keep on tippin'!

 ~o~

  Wednesday 11th 51F/11C [8.00] Heavy, uniform overcast. Early rain and later. With a pause mid-morning.

 Up at 7.00 after a night of dreams. Follow up dental appointment early this afternoon in town. Rain is forecast. So it will have to be another trip in the Morris.

 I had a phone call from the health authority. Checking up on my progress and fitness. It's nice to know somebody cares. Having access to my journal means everybody involved is quickly and fully aware of my situation. One of the huge benefits of computers. Those with paranoia about sharing private details, albeit with authorized personnel, need not apply.

 10.00 Sunshine! Only briefly. I can load a modest wheelbarrow with huge heaps of weeds and brambles with a few stabs of the fork. Then effortlessly trundle it up the slope to the parking space. Which saved my dragging the trailer down to the western lawn level. 

 With the trailer body tipped I was easily able to transfer the weeds and spiky brambles using a fork. No need for thick gloves to protect myself from the bramble stems. Our large digging fork handle rotted and broke some time ago. While digging up weeds. So I should probably buy a new fork. The present one was the lady's version of a pair. 

Refitting the rear grill and returning the trailer to normal attitude. Allowed a considerable volume to be securely housed for transport. Probably as much as the larger trailer once housed. Though that one had much lower sides. Adding further weight, like grass cuttings on top of the weeds, will compact it all even more. The tipping motion leaves the draw-bar horizontal and still attached to the car. 

 I really like this small trailer. Everything is so much easier to deal with. No stretching or struggling with the great weight and sheer scale involved. The big one could carry long branches. I'll deal with that problem with an electric saw or loppers.

I have moved onto heavy lifting. A round, concrete lid to the old septic tank must weigh 200kg. It was removed years ago to allow the rainwater downpipes to flow somewhere. Without wetting the lawn. There is an old drain pipe which runs into the woods. No human waste has gone into the system for a couple of decades.

 The water in the septic tank is clear right to the muddy bottom. It was pumped out when the new local sewage system was installed. I had to move the heavy lid back again using manpower. A combination of sack truck and a spade was at the very limit of my remaining strength. 

 The sack truck handles had to be literally horizontal before it would balance. Achieving this, required brute strength and silliness. The concrete lid had been parked about three meters from the tank. The sack truck would not roll on the soft grass. 

 Anyway, it is now back in place. So I can finally cut the grass at the western end of the house. The problem is I have absolutely no idea why I am doing all of this. A vanishingly small number of people will ever see any of it. 

 15.30 58F/14C. Returned in sunshine with new teeth and new glasses. The first set of new teeth in probably 50 years. Fist real pair of [prescription] glasses in over 30 years. 

 I bought a 25 liter, plastic container for drinking water while I was in town. To satisfy the government's recent advice on being able to survive unaided for a few days in an emergency. 

 Having failed to find a decent gardening fork I came home to have some lunch. I still have to go grocery shopping sometime. Though I could shop in town tomorrow morning before physio. Provided it isn't anything perishable. 

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast with halved cherry tomatoes. Sorry, no pictures.

 

 

 ~o~

10.09.2024 A prickly problem.

 ~o~

   Tuesday 10th 54F/12C [8.15] Bright overcast. A dry morning with rain and wind this afternoon.

 I woke at 6.00 but dozed until 7.30. Dental appointment after lunch. 

  Time for a walk.  

Just a short walk down the neighbour's drive. It probably adds up to a kilometer in total from leaving the door to returning. A cloud of about 100 starlings was moving constantly between the trees. Sunny, but increasingly cloudy and rather breezy but not cold.

 12.00 It is becoming very windy. Back in for a rest and to cool down. I have been attacking the bramble patch with the hedge clipper again. Then dragging the debris outwards for loading the trailer. Handling the spiky stems is the next problem. Ideally, I need heavy, leather welding gauntlets but will try a fork and a rake first. 

 Back from the dentist. It rained and blew while I was out. Neither builder's merchant had welding gauntlets. None of the outlets, of the three I tried, had replacement heads for string trimmers. Though I did managed to get more DeWalt wire/string. 

 Dinner was chicken and mushroom curry. With whole grain, organic, brown rice well past its best by date.

 

 

 ~o~

9.9.2024 Expansion.

 ~o~

  Monday 9th 60F/16C 7.00] Heavy overcast. Rain is forecast. Possible thundery cloudbursts. Temperatures dropped to a more normal autumnal. Lucky I mowed the grass beforehand.

 Up at 6.am after a restless night. Physio in town at 9am in the new venue. Removals permitting.  

Bramble patch from upstairs.
The pond is all but invisible at front left.

 I haven't mentioned how much some, once familiar, towns and cities have changed. Vast new buildings are going up everywhere. Both in city centers and on sprawling industrial estates. Denmark must be doing very well. Villages are expanding with many new estates on greenfield sites. 

 Meanwhile, village supermarkets and shops are often struggling. The big chains are closing uneconomical outlets. Depriving locals of shopping facilities and postal services. Which can severely alter the balance of shopping high streets. While others are expanding. Or changing hands. Most noticeable is the shrinking of the cycling retail sector. Village bike shops cannot compete with online prices. So yet another local service disappears. 

 Repairs are vital to keeping the countless bicycles running. In the absence of a local workshop then many are forced into their cars. For their daily commute or journey to school. Buses seem to be completely out of touch with the need for easy and affordable rural travel. With huge vehicles often empty. Or carrying only one or two passengers. 

 Even if they halved the size of the bus it would still need a driver and maintenance workshop. The need for rural transport for the elderly is hardly met by occasional buses. With subsidized taxis, or minibuses largely taking over responsibility for healthcare transport.

 10.00 The physio exercises went well. After the exercise cycling I moved onto the various machines. Three repetitions of 15 exercises on each is the norm and recorded on a personal record sheet.

  13.15 After that I drove to visit my English friend. The roads were badly puddled from heavy rain. Though there was little or no rain while I was traveling. I shopped on the way home to restock the larder.  

 18.00 63F/17C. Heavy overcast. I have just exhausted myself attacking the bramble patch and assorted overgrown hedges. The heavy duty, DeWalt strimmer is crap. It's only purpose is trimming medium length grass. It bogs down in thick, long grass and has no effect on anything thicker than a medium nettle stem. The heavy, DeWalt hedge clipper is more useful at attacking brambles and thick stemmed weeds. 

 I made a dent about a meter deep in the bramble patch in half an hour of really struggling. Then the recycling bin had to be brought back from the corner as well. So I am dripping with sweat and knackered now. I dare not work any longer than about quarter of an hour on the brambles. It is such hard work it makes me feel unwell. They are far taller than me and many stems as thick as my thumb!

 Dinner was fried chicken, mushrooms and eggs. The egg was already broken in the shell. One shell already broken in the box.

  ~o~

8.09.2024 Home exercising.

 ~o~

  Sunday 8th 65F/18C [8.15] Promising to be the last summer's day. Much cooler, rain and wind from tomorrow.

 Up at 6.15 after a fairly quiet night.

 8.15 Going for a walk.

 9.00 70F/21C. Returning from my walk. Too warm in a t-shirt. Clouds of tiny flies out again. There lots more yesterday on my ride down to the coast. A tractor was ripping last years spray tracks. Few gulls today compared to the hundreds of thousands I have seen over the past couple of weeks. Another two storey tractor went past. With a great stretch of polished blades hanging off the back. The attempts at field drainage seem to be over for the moment. The low ground becomes a natural pond every year. They have left bare gravel and a big, plastic pipe visible. Not the usual hide and seek. 

 No idea what to do today. I ought to cut the grass before the rain arrives. Depending on the amount of dew and how soon it evaporates. The sun doesn't reach the western lawn until later. 

 11.30 75F/24C. Cloud obscured sun but hot and sticky. I am dripping! The grass is dry and all but finished at a lower setting. 5 or 6/10. The batteries went flat before I could tidy some final pockets. I have been collecting the grass and filling the trailer. The indoor recycling bins have been emptied into the outdoor wheely bins. Now I have to wash up to be able to eat or drink. A short rest first.

 15.30 79F/26C. Hot and humid. I have finished mowing the grass. The relevant recycling, wheely bin has had its run walk to the far end of the drive. I should go shopping but lack momentum. I could empty the trailer at the garden waste, recycling yard. Preferably before the grass starts to break down and go mouldy. Or it rains and makes a total mess in the trailer. Whichever comes first.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast with halved cherry tomatoes.

 

  ~o~

7.09.2024 All our yesterdays.

 ~o~

 Saturday 7th 63F/17C. Another summer day is promised.  

 Up at 6.10 after a quiet night. 

9.15 67F/19C. Returning from a sweaty walk to the lanes. I had completely misjudged the rapidly rising temperature and quickly removed my jacket. Highlights were field drainage using a digger. A roaring tractor out of sight over the hill and my builder neighbour's trailer. Reappearing in his parking space after an absence of some months. All of which add up to near rural excitement. So that I can hardly contain myself.

 What to do with today? Warm, mostly sunny, 26C/79F and lighter, easterly winds. The record breaking [what else?] summer weather is threatening to break soon. So I ought to maximize the dwindling potential days left for a ride. Even if it isn't to the ends of the earth.
 

I'll ride down to the unspoilt southern shore. Very hilly, but that doesn't matter on my e-bike. I'll take my spare battery for extended range. Just in case I get all silly and detour. I'll wear my trekking sandals. The new pedals offer a much larger platform.

 

 13.30 77F/25C. Returning from a ride down to the lighthouse on the tip of Helnæs peninsula. 63km/39miles. I was getting tired and very saddle sore towards the end. Not friction. I was aching badly where my sit bones rest on the hard, leather saddle. 

 I ate three sub-micro Corny bars and drank three organic, sub-micro cartons of apple juice. The 1st battery was still hanging on at 25% as I reached home. It was at 92% charge when I left. 

 Almost exactly 1% charge per kilometer. Mostly in Sport mode at an average speed of 23km/hr in 2h42m [while moving] in a mostly, north/south/north direction. All the while suffering from a sense of melancholic nostalgia.

 Helnæs was where we lived for our first few weeks in Denmark. That was twenty eight years ago. Having sold up the house we built and landscaped with our own hands in North Wales. With the plan to live with my wife's mother over here. In her sprawling farmhouse on 7000 m^2 of land. No, not the pretty one shown in the image above. It was never meant to be but there was no going back. So we bought Chez Hovel in a hurry and so started another, much longer term rebuild. This one was never quite finished. 

 Dinner was the last tin of Heinz Scotch Broth. Bought from the UK in desperation in case it rekindled my late wife's appetite. It was in vain. Eaten today with a buttered bread roll. Only because I was too lazy to make anything else.

 The Google software won't let me place the images correctly.

 

  ~o~

6.09.2024 Off we jolly well go again.

  ~o~

 Friday 6th 63F/17C [6.45] Another warm, dry and sunny summer day is promised. Quite breezy from the east will help it feel cooler.

 Up at 6am after a quiet night. The T-shirts, which I deliberately left out overnight, are rocking on the clothes airer.

 I have to deliver the Morris to the workshop. To have the clutch examined and adjusted. I'll take the bike on the carrier, leave the car and go on from there. I fancy another ride, but where? I keep meaning to visit Otterup. A town which lies north of Odense. It's about 35km away by the most direct route. I have driven and ridden that way many times but usually via main roads. I need a variation over new ground.

 The various map route finders are very unfriendly unless I choose the Walking option. Which then gives the most direct route via minor roads and lanes. Taking the Cycling route all too often uses main roads. Which is anything but what I want. 

 Riding beside roaring lorry traffic is exhausting! Not to mention the lack of segregated cycle paths. Often there is little more than a broken, potholed line. Only a few centimeters from the verge or kerb. If anything at all. Often the road asphalt is flawless. While the "cycle lane" demands a full suspension mountain bike and firmly glued false teeth!   

 8.15 Ready to go. The bike is fixed on the carrier on the back of the Morris. The ramp, panniers and spare battery are stored in the car. To be added after I unload the bike. I have removed the number plates for reasons of privacy. Not that there are that many Morris Minors in the area but there is masses of detail available online.

15.00 77F/25C. Returned with the car after calling in on my way home. A rubber bush had broken up and spoilt the operation of the clutch. I had reached Otterup after fighting a strong and gusty wind all the way. I even managed to stick to the planned route. It wasn't completely unknown but years since I drove that way. I had managed 84km as I pulled into the workshop yard. 

 The new pedals were fine. So grippy it was almost like being clipped into SPDs but without the usual looseness and play. The expensive bib-shorts were not worth the ridiculous outlay. I had  hoped for much more. Lifting the nose of the saddle slightly on the way home. Did more good than the thicker padding. The Brooks B67 has hard edges. Which press through any padding. It would be an exaggeration to say the new bibs added 10km of extra comfort to my best old bibs.

 Dinner was fish fingers and chips. I forgot to take a picture so you'll just have to imagine it.

  ~o~

5.09.2024 New pedals and bibs.

 ~o~

  Thursday 5th 63F/17C [7.15] A warm, bright sunny day is promised but rather windy. The capital has a heat wave warning. Three days of 28C.

 Up at 6.20 after a disturbed night. I must fight the urge to have coffee after dinner. 

 Physio class today at the new [old] venue in town. I'll go in the car. Or not. Today's class has just been cancelled. Due to an incomplete move up the road. That leaves me free to do what I like. Within reason.

 While a longer ride might be tempting. I shouldn't risk more saddle soreness. Not so soon after the 95km ride on Monday. A trip to more distant towns in the Morris would be fun. I have ridden there on the trike but that was several years ago. It would push me over 100km on the bike. Which is rather silly. Or, I could take the e-bike on the carrier. Park and ride? I'll have to think about it.

 16.30 78F/26C. Returned from a drive to Vejle.  Despite wasting an hour on foot I never did find the bike shop I was looking for. So I went to another shop and bought some flat pedals to replace the worn ones. Crank Bros Stamp 2 Large. The new pedals have adjustable grub screws. Hopefully I can now wear the Puma shoes. Which just don't grip on the smooth pedals. They slide about. Whether it is wet or dry. They slide on wet roads and pavements too!

 I also bought some new bibs. With thicker and firmer padding for those longer rides. I had a look around in the shop. The most expensive racing bike was a Cannondale at 200,000 Danish kroner. Nearly £26,000! Reduced from 300,000kr! 😕

 I was an idiot and took nothing to eat or drink with me. It was like an oven all day. I visited several charity shops but found nothing interesting to buy.    

 I have fitted the new pedals. The old ones were easy to remove thanks to the greased threads. 

 Despite not being here for most of the day I managed to get quite a lot of laundry done.

 Having filled my face with bread rolls on my return home. I didn't need any dinner. I made do with an apple. No coffee after my last two nights disturbed sleep.

 

 

  ~o~

 

4.09.2024 Recycling on steroids.

 ~o~

  Wednesday 4th 62F/17C. Rather overcast. We are promised thundery showers all day. With perhaps a little sunshine. 26C/79F.

 Up at 5.40 after a disturbed night. With weird dreams and an overflowing fire bucket.

 8.15 Returned from a shortened walk to the lanes. I used the doctor's advice and tried the nitroglycerine spray. When I became breathless on a gentle climb. It seemed to work immediately. It was so calm today. That even the giant batteries in the wind turbines towers couldn't keep them turning. It felt humid and just comfortably warm. A lot of very large tractors on the roads. Most of them are colossal these days. With 8' rear wheels. Some of them with duplicated wheels all around for more grip and lower ground pressure.

 I need to go to the village to catch up on my missing prescription tablets. Some shopping would help to avoid selective malnutrition. 

 12.30 75F/24C. It was hot and sweaty in and out of the car. Like stepping into a greenhouse going outside. I had a collection of empty cans and bottles going back years. It was never convenient to drag them the length of the supermarket and feed them slowly, one at a time, into the one, old machine. Often with problems of rejection. Or miscounting. Which meant finding a staff member to solve the problem. Not always easy! So why bother?

 Today I checked the facilities at the supermarket on the other side of the road. It had never occurred to me before. This has an external bottle recycling room. Albeit inconveniently placed relative to the parking but with multiple machines. There is no need to count anything. It is all tipped into a machine with a large drum. Which can automatically cope with tins and plastic bottles in all sizes. Then provide a receipt to be taken to the checkouts. 

 The recycling refund can be paid out in cash or straight into one's bank account. I quite enjoyed the novelty of the experience. Instead of it being an unnecessary labour I had been putting off for years. That said, I still had to walk the thousand yards through the shop and wait at the checkout. It's all swings and roundabouts with recycling.

 13.00 It became dark and rained for a while. A huge, double tracked tractor was tilling the nearest field with discs. Amazing scale and technology. It was all over in a few minutes.

 16.30 Completion of half an hour's washing up. 😒

 It has been warm and sunny all day with only a short intermission.

 Dinner was poached eggs on toast.

 

  ~o~

3.09.2024 Heart scan and/or clutch?

 ~o~

  Tuesday 3rd 59F/15C[6.40] Another, warm, sunny day is promised. Possibly peaking at 26F later this afternoon.

 Up at 6am after lying awake in the night. Lower back pain is worse than ever but usually fades. No obvious ill effects from yesterday's ride. I sit too upright these days to connect back pain with my rides. There are reports of an increased risk of back pain with statins. Though not by a large margin.

 I have an ultrasound  heart scan in the city just after lunchtime. I had completely forgotten about it until the hospital sent me a reminder SMS. I'd made an appointment to have the clutch adjusted on the Morris today. So I'll ask the garage if they can do it while I wait. It's [allegedly] only a quick job with the car up on the lift.

 8.30. Bike loaded on the Morris carrier. I hope I have everything I need. 

 9.20. Back from the car workshop. He had a car up on the lift without wheels. So it suited him better if I came back on Friday. No problem then. I was chasing a small hare along the lanes. It refused to turn off. Despite plenty of opportunity on the verges. Zigzagging in from of my car. As I slowed right down to let it escape.

11.30 The rest of the morning was spent changing a quarter of the water in the goldfish aquarium. 

 15.15 80F/ 27C. Returned from my appointment at the city hospital. It was more of a follow up regarding the rest of my arteries. I have an oversized artery in my stomach but nothing to worry about unless it hurts. Suggesting a burst requiring emergency treatment. It might never happen in my lifetime. 

 An ultrasound scan of the arteries in my legs showed no enlargement. It was useful being able to get answers to some of my many questions. Which have arisen following my earlier treatment.

 Dinner was fried chicken, mushrooms and eggs.  With a bread roll.

     

 ~o~

2.09.2024 95km.

 ~o~

  Monday 2nd 53F/12C. It will be bright. With another warm, sunny day promised. Possibly reaching 22C/71F later.

 Up at 6.15 after a restless night. Weird dreams and abusing the fire bucket.

 Physio class this morning. Going in the car I think. My lower back is aching worse than usual.

 9.15. And back again. Idiot! No physio because they are moving up the road. 

 Going for a ride. I still haven't reached Ringe recently. I like the converted railway cycle path. Apart from the peace away from the traffic the countryside is beautiful. 

 16.30 I made it to Fjellerup at 45km. Just beyond Ringe and fighting a headwind all the way. The Fjellerup bike shop was closing after 109 years with only two proprietors. 95km altogether today. The Brooks B67 saddle was a pain. Literally! 

 I paused at my friend's place for a refreshing cup of tea and a much needed rest. At least I did it properly today and took my lunch rolls. As well as several Corny sub-micro, chocolate bars. Two sub-micro apple juice cartons too.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. With a whole can of Heinz Tomato Soup and a bread roll.

 

 

  ~o~

1st September 2024 Sun dog and a Sunday tootle.

 ~o~

 Sunday 1st 53F/12C [7.45]. Bright with lots of high cloud.

 Up at 6.00 after a quiet night with extra dreams.

 7.45. I must have a walk.  

 8.30  I have returned from a walk to the lanes. I was quite breathless on the gentle climb to the junction. A sun dog hung in the vapour trails to the right of the sun. The upper atmosphere must have had special conditions to show persistent vapour trails. A rainbow wash coloured the clouds just above. The Sunday traffic was pleasantly light. A veteran Vauxhall car went past.

  I forgot to mention that a black weasel ran across the road in front of my bike yesterday. Perhaps 20cm long and no thicker than my thumb at the extended waist. It was fast moving but almost comical. In that it looked like two pantomime animals playing chase. Joined in the middle with a flexible hose. Later a brown vole ran across just as I neared home. An odd coincidence when this happens so very rarely.

 13.00 67F/19C. Continuous sunshine. I have returned from a delightful tootle in the Morris Minor. Up to Bogense on the north coast. Via the winding and hilly, rural lanes. 

 Several people approached me to chat about the car. Others waved. Bogense was very busy. The harbour crowded with yachts. I bought a large, beveled mirror. In a smart wooden frame. For only £10 equivalent at a large flea market. The mirror looks flawless. It nicely hides some of the ugly north wall.

 A horse and carriage waited for me to pass in the lanes. I stopped to take a picture as we exchanged pleasantries. It is such a rare sight to see horses on the road these days. Such a beautiful animal too. So I did my bit to encourage them.

 16.30 I have just come in from mowing Hovel Acres. Or Grovel Acres as it will soon be known. If I carry on like this. Hot! 67F and a jumper? Silly old wotsit. Almost finished but the batteries died. So they have gone on charge. While I have a rest and a much needed cup of tea.

 18.50 Mowing finished. Started on making the dinner. Which was fried, sliced chicken and mushrooms. With pasta and tinned tomatoes. I experimented with the tomatoes. They are usually rather wet. So I only cook half a tin and discard the rest. Today I cooked the whole tin and then sieved the water away. This worked fine but could have been left slightly wetter. I shall know what to do next time.

 

  ~o~