15.10.2024 First white frost!

 ~o~

  Tuesday 15th 36F/2C [8.00] Bright with small, pinkish clouds against turquoise to the east. All  day sunshine forecast with light winds. 

 Up at 7am after a reasonable night. I shan't be cycling anywhere far today. Much as I would like to. I can still feel the B67 saddle! I shall probably be visiting my friend today. So I shall go in the Morris.

 8.30 A walk first.

 9.15 Returned from my walk to the lanes. The first real frost. With snow white grass and hard black ice on the Morris. I emptied the 28mm of rainfall from the gauges to avoid potential ice damage. There was not a breath of air movement. A neighbour's chimney smoke couldn't decide which way to drift. Yet the local wind turbines were spinning vigorously. Which makes absolutely no sense at all. Perhaps the silly rumour, that the towers are full of batteries, is actually true? 

 I wasn't cold thanks to the absence of wind. My hands were a bit chilly but soon warmed up with intervals in my pockets. No doubt the low, blinding sun was doing its thing.

 Two cormorants went over without deviating. Geese and gulls will always change course. At the sight of my plodding figure below. Magpies were interested in a fresh, roadkill rat. Until I disturbed them by crossing their path. A huge, white, bird of prey was sunbathing in a distant tree. It stood out like a swan had crash landed!

 The MacSlobs had been distributing their toxin packaging again. A car was heading for me like a cruise missile. Only inches from the verge. So I quickly took to the grass. Only for the blonde driver to wake up and steer away with a smile and a wave. Of apology? Or admiration for my fast reflexes?

 The washing up has got away from me again. I am rinsing individual mugs, bowls and cutlery. Just to be able to continue eating. 

 13.15 Returned from visiting my friend. I very sensibly went in the car. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the leaves were brightly coloured on many of the trees.

 I had the room and kitchen up to 69F/21C from the greenhouse. IT fell back to 66F/19C later. So I lit the stove. Only one log later it is back up to 70F/21C and rising.

 I have to do some more tidying before my visitor arrives tomorrow. The hall coat rack looked rather untidy. I have ten jackets hanging there! All used at intervals. With half a dozen more upstairs. 

 Thanks to a nudge from my friend I have just seen the bright comet. I caught it just before the moon flooded the sky. All my pictures were hopeless. Camera shake! Despite borrowing a fence post to steady the phone.

 Dinner was mince with tinned tomatoes and chips. An experiment which worked well. I used a slotted spoon to spread the tomatoes on top of the mince. This reduced the amount of liquid. I ought to sieve the tomatoes next time. Probably try mashed potatoes with it instead of chips. I am not sure it wouldn't be too soggy. It would need the tomatoes to be much drier.

 ~o~