24.11.2024 A queue of roundtoits.

 ~o~

 Sunday 24th 44F/7C [8.00] Incredibly dark this morning! Rain forecast until just after lunch. Windy too. I can make out the absent neighbour's hedge rocking. Overnight rain has removed most of the snow. 

 61F/16C in the room. So more logs will be sacrificed for a little extra comfort. I am getting through two whole baskets a day at the moment. The kindling has not only gone through the roof in pricing but sunk to a new low in quality. I buy it by the sack [or three] from a special workshop for the disabled. So I am not sure whether I dare join the long queue for a refund.

 Up at 6.30 with another nose bleed. Removed a giant, dark red slug from my left nostril. Then plugged it with tissue again. I was up half a dozen times to use the fire bucket in the night. The opposite of last night. When I didn't wake up at all. The latter was a record for me. Guinness said it didn't constitute a "real record." Because I wasn't wearing odd socks. A bit of an oversight on my part.'

 I could feel a breeze on my face in the night. Though it could not be felt on my hand. This morning I attached the TOPDON infra red camera attachment to my phone. The window proved to have a small hole in one corner where the windowsill should have been. Now stuffed with cotton wool roundels. The cobwebs will soon hide this crime against building regs.

 This was just another unfinished job. When the quality of my [unfinished] workmanship was rudely questioned. I had allowed the spray foam to encroach on the newly painted, new windows. Though they represent a fraction of the entire exterior wall surface, the windows are the major heat loss. Even when covered by the lean-to greenhouse. 

 I fitted these newly purchased windows shortly after we took possession of Chez Hovel. Until then these living room "windows" were just bare pieces of glass. No proper frames. Nothing. Just a narrow batten around the edges for show. I bought the double glazed windows from a posh, window display centre. From a now defunct firm in a village not far away. 

 They required some assembly. The panes and glazing bars had to be fitted after painting. My wife did the painting. I did the fitting. We could never agree on suitable sills. Neither inside or out. Several panes have blown over the years. Causing them to steam up. The panes were correctly installed using corner spacers.

 Though described as "energy" windows [of the time] this did not extend to insulated panes. The glass was supposedly reflective. To keep the sun out and the heat in. There was no thermal gap in the aluminium frames between the two pieces glass. Gas was supposedly inserted between the panes during manufacture. To further reduce heat loss.

  If you think the windows are bad then you should peer at the image of the back door. I made this to measure from thick, pine, recycled floorboards. The door is a very odd size. So there was never anything suitable at the architectural recycling yard which we constantly visited. Buying new was well beyond our budget. 

 The rear entrance hall is unheated. Gaining only from leakage through the living room, kitchen and bathroom doors. All of which are kept closed in winter. This the main entrance door form the parking space and is unpainted. The door is hideous as well as cold. Frequently enjoying a layer of frost inside hen outside temperatures are low enough. I fitted sponge draught excluder but it resists the door closing well enough to be locked. Another roundtoit. 

 I would like a glazed back/main entrance door. To let some outdoor light into the hall. Whether this would be sensible from a thermal point of view I can't be sure. The door faces north into the boundary trees. So light infall would be minimal but still desirable. Security? Does it really matter? Thieves need only break a window to gain entry. I'd have to learn to wear a dressing gown to cross the hall. Just in case a solitary visitor should turn up on a shower day.  

 The third image shows the recycled, double glazed, double door I fitted to the front hall. Prior to this there was a solid, paneled, front door. Fully exposed to the elements and blocking any light to the hall. With a four inch [10cm] gap underneath. To ensure easy access for the rats. Or any passing cat, mink or stray dog I suppose. The replacement double door is covered by the lean-to greenhouse and only used for access to the greenhouse. Hall's sliding greenhouse doors do not make a serious point of entry. 

 The infra red image shows how poorly the foolishly expensive, foam draught excluder works. At combating draughts. The front hall feels like walking into a fridge, with a fan going, in winter. It relies on leakage from the adjoining rooms through [normally] closed doors for warmth. These internal doors are left open outside the heating season. For easy movement between rooms. The living room door to the front hall was closed for years while my wife was still alive. Covered in heavy curtains to keep the meager heat in the living room. We lived upstairs. Where it was warmer and there were no obvious draughts. 

 I planned to go for a short walk but the outdoors is is hardly inviting. Dark, raining and blowing. I'll put on my heavy, Ventile jacket and go anyway! It has a proper hood.

 10.45 False optimism! It was hardly spitting as I left. Alas, it could not resist having a token downpour on the return journey. The gravel drives were soft from the double whammy. Of being thoroughly wetted and simultaneously thawing. The stream/bæk was nudging its muddied banks. The neighbour's guard dog was not happy. Complaining bitterly about the weather it must endure year round. Another recent neighbour has gone again. Taking their worldly belongings with them. Empty houses in our hamlet now outnumber the occupied homes. 

 The nice neighbour's mini-goats have made a serious impact on their allotted bit of turf. With multiples of prairie awaiting. To which to next turn their rapt attention. Once released into the recently fenced paddock. A solitary cockerel popped out to check on the weather, sniffed and returned to base. And who can blame him? 

 I have changed my wet trousers and hung my clothes to dry. Three hours of stoking the stove and the room has only just reached 64F/17C.

 I went for a drive to an antique market after lunch. They had two display cases by the same manufacturer as mine but they weren't for sale.

 Dinner was sardines on toast with tomato soup. It eventually reached 69F/20C in the room.

 

 ~o~

23.11.2024 Crunchy.

 ~o~

  Saturday 23rd 30F/-1C [8.45] The sky looks clear but the sun hasn't risen yet. 2-3cm of snow lying. The forecast is mostly dry with some sunshine. 16 hours of rain rain tonight. Starting around 20.00.

 8.45 Up at 8am after sleeping through to 7am. Filled the fire bucket and went back to sleep. My back is aching. Nothing unusual and will respond to a walk.

 9.15. It has just taken me five minutes to open the recycling dustbins. Using a 60cm/2' long batten. Snow had melted and refrozen right around the lids. Making it impossible to lift them. I was afraid of breaking the plastic while using the makeshift lever. Fortunately they responded to careful leverage and whacking the ice locally.   

 9.30 62F/17C indoors. I have lit the stove. There is a mountain of washing up to do. Before I can eat and drink again. The sun has broken through the absent neighbour's hedges. Snow on the greenhouse makes it dark indoors.

 11.00 35F/1.7C Weak sunshine. The room has reached 65F/18C and feels warm. Returning from looping around the neighbours' drives. The snow was crisp and very noisy to walk on. Too stiff to brush away from the back door. Even using a yard broom. I used a snow shovel with little real gain. Tonight's promised rain will wash it all away. The road is now cleared of slush and dry enough not to cause tire spray.  

 12.40 37F/2.8C. Brighter sunshine. I'll have to wash up if I want any lunch. 😱 And did.

 17.30 36F/2C. Despite a mostly sunny day the greenhouse has dropped to 38F/3C. It is not well sealed. The Halls Silverline has an inherent design flaw. The glass retaining clips provide little linear resistance to the long glass roofing sheets sliding downwards. Which pushes the rounded plastic shoulders away from the frame. Causing massive air leakage. 

 Had I known this I would have applied clear, silicone adhesive to the roof glass and frame. To inhibit downward movement of the roof sheets. The clear plastic sheets forming the rounded shoulders are also prone to crazing over time. 

 I would never buy another greenhouse with plastic panels. They are highly prone to sweating inside compared to sheet glass. I replaced some glass panels with polycarbonate after storm breakage. These plastic panels always dew up while the glass can remain completely clear.

 Dinner was chicken, pasta and tinned tomatoes.

 

 ~o~

22.11.2024 Well, that was stupid!

 ~o~

  Friday 22nd 31F/0C. Breezy, overcast and snowing steadily. Perhaps 2cm of new snow lying after it mostly vanished yesterday.

 Up at 7.50 after a "busy" night. Topping up the fire bucket at hourly intervals. My own fault for having a small beer followed by coffee after dinner. Will He never learn? 🙄

 I need to shop but don't want to risk driving on snow again. Not even into the village. The problem is not my driving slowly and carefully. It is being caught by speeding traffic on winter tires. Then being pushed along by tailgaters. As occurred yesterday.

 There were several cars and vans driving at "normal" speeds 80kph/50mph + on snow covered roads yesterday. While I thought 40-60kph/25-40mph was much safer given the minimal adhesion of my Hankook tires. It wasn't the driving but touching the brakes. Or attempting lower gears which quickly found my limits of grip. So I used engine braking and stayed in top gear to minimize the risk. 

 I haven't ridden the e-bike on lying snow.  Though I have ridden in falling snow on my way back from the city. Thus I have no useful data on tire grip. Which is normally superb on wet or dry roads. There is other road traffic to contend with. While I would be riding at a low speed. Increasing the risk to them and myself.

 I could ride the trike but it needs work to put the dropped [racing] handlebars back on. I changed the stem to fit the straight bars but all the cables were far too short. I could ride it, as it was, but that means stretching to reach the hoods. Not insurmountable for such a short ride but uncomfortable. 

 I have ridden many miles on snow but would usually pull off when traffic approached from the rear. Not always easy when the snow ploughs have raised a ridge right in the cycle lane. There are no cycle lanes or paths on the road to the village. So I would be forced out into the traffic lane. With very few options to pull off.

 Or I could walk to the village. It's 5km or three miles away to the supermarkets at the bottom of town. About an hour each way in these difficult conditions. Fifty minutes walk on dry roads. I have high visibility jackets and will give the traffic lots of room to pass safely. As I do under normal conditions on my walks. I'd wear my winter walking boots. No problem walking on snow. As I have done so often in the past. 

 Getting in the way of traffic. Or demanding my bit of the road. Could easily push them beyond their safe driving skills. Particularly on slippery roads. So I need to be able to hop onto the verge. There should be little traffic in these conditions. Even less mid morning. I'll walk along the drive to the road. To check road conditions.

 I don't have a rucksack. Though I could take normal [cloth] shopping bags and hope to find a rucksack in the charity shop. To get home more easily once laden. There are usually kids school rucksacks for sale but larger models are harder to find on a chance visit. I could look in as I pass on my way down to the shops. Then shop appropriately. 

 I have just remembered. I have the yellow PVC duffel bag from the trike. It has a shoulder strap. So would be easier to use for shopping. No, it is heavy and the shoulder strap was removed years ago. To fix the bag more neatly on the trike rack. The tape handles will be filthy after years of being wrapped around the trike. So would ruin my bright yellow/green jacket.

 Now I have found the sports bag. Which I bought to carry my clothes to the city for my visit. Grey, so not high visibility, but my jacket will still be seen. The bag is light and roomy. So I can fit plastic carrier bags in there. To stop things moving about and protect things from the wet. It has a sensibly wide shoulder strap too. I'll probably walk. 

 I walked the 200m to the road. Which  doesn't look ploughed or salted. Only the traffic causing the usual darker ruts in the lying now. The wind was driving the snow into my face. Making it uncomfortable without shielding glasses. I'll need my waterproof trousers too.  I'll leave after morning coffee. I left a 10.30. Just a salting lorry passed. Though it had no snow shovel on the front.

 Walking to the village was one my most unfortunate decisions. Not because of the distance. Or even the weight of shopping I brought back. The problem was that Danish drivers on autopilot don't recognize pedestrians. I was repeatedly sprayed from head to toe with filthy slush. As numerous drivers drove through the ridge of filth. Had they kept to the dark lanes of clear road it wouldn't have mattered. The spray there was minimal. 

 Being splattered by wet slush was an entirely other matter! I retreated to the back of the verge as each vehicle approached. This was enough for most drivers to stay in lane. Too many, however, chose to swerve wide. So that I was splattered yet again! 

 The first time it happened I had my coat open because I was too warm. So my jumper was wet through to my t-shirt. My hands were wet too. So I couldn't put them back into my gloves. So my hands were frozen and getting worse. As the wind blew across the snow covered fields.

 I should have driven there. Or even ridden the e-bike. Two scooters and a moped passed. They seemed to be doing okay. There were no rucksacks in the charity shop. Not that it mattered. I swapped shoulders with the strap at intervals. It snowed, rained and sleet fell going in both directions. 

 Only one in 100 of the houses with pavements outside had cleared them of snow by 11.30. The time I arrived at the village. Perhaps twice that number were cleared by 13.00. It is a legal requirement to keep the pavements clear. Just as it is a legal requirement to keep below the speed limits. If they fitted speed cameras widely in Denmark. They could repay the national debt for most of Europe in under a year. Judging by the vast number of home owners, not clearing their pavement, a hefty fine should be introduced. Presently a measly 150-200 kroner. Somewhere around £16-22 British pounds equivalent. 

 Dinner was cheese on toast. It was overdone trying to get the tomatoes to cook.

    

 

 ~o~

21.11.2024 Snow stopped play.

 ~o~

 Thursday 21st 32F/0C [7.30] Wintry showers promised. No white frost on the car this morning. It took ages to remove the ice yesterday. That was with the engine running, spraying liberally with de-icer and using a sturdy scraper.

 Up at 6.30 due to another nose bleed. I managed to get it under control by pinching. I was breathless from running about by the time I took my first blood pressure reading. 188/113! Then 140/69 after five minutes of rest. So I may yet live.

 8.00 Only 62F/16.7C in the room. Too late to light the stove.

 Physio, then cooking class.

 11.00 32F/0C. It started snowing on the gym skylights during the exercise class. About 2cm or nearly an inch had fallen by the time I left. So I had to drive slowly home with very little adhesion on the snow covered roads. It wasn't worth the risk of driving further. So no cooking class today. 

 Only 60F/15C in the room. So I have lit the stove and put on a fleece jacket. Monday will be my last physio class. I have been given the details of a physio supervised exercise classes in another village. At the sports and culture centre. 585kr [about £60 equivalent] for 13 sessions. With a modest discount for Heart Forening members. I am not a member.  

 11.30 I have been out in the freezing cold greenhouse. 38F/3C. Stacking the new load of logs against the house wall. The last basket, from the previous load, is waiting to be brought indoors. So about two day's worth. Before I have to start on the newer logs. I still have several bags of briquettes to use up. I'll throw a briquette on every so often. They are not recommended as the sole source of fuel for this new stove. 

11.45 The snow stopped after I came home. It has started again but only lightly. The car was plastered earlier but is now thawing. 

 15.00 It has snowed and rained lightly on and off. The drive is now clear. The room has reach 66F/19C. My fleece jacket is still on. I have swapped my habitual open sandals for sheepskin slippers. An unusual occurrence.

 I have been checking for better winter tires online. Many Danes swap to winter tires on steel rims for the colder months. The police report today that most of those who lost control on the snow were not using winter tires. That said, some test reports suggest that all season tires are a fair compromise in winter. The Morris is rear wheel drive. It is fitted with 165/70/14 Hankook tires. 

 It is not recommended to drive these older cars in winter. Road salt and rusting potential suggest they stay safely in a garage. Having scrapped my old car I no longer have any choice in the matter. Dropping my e-bike on ice and snow covered roads could be fatal. 

 My trikes were almost immune to winter conditions. I used to go out in 10cm/four inches of snow on 23mm high pressure slicks. All thanks to Trykit's 2WD [two wheel drive] systems. Built into Shimano style freehubs. It just required that the handlebars were kept fairly straight when climbing. To retain two wheel drive grip. Unlike differentials. Which are always trying to send power to the slipping wheel. 

 Dinner was a fry-up. Chicken, mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes and a broken egg. I should have had a bread roll but forgot.

 10.00 25F/-4C. The winter's first hard frost. I have just been outside to rescue the rain gauges. From the risk of ice expansion cracking the clear plastic. Another ten millimeters of precipitation were added today. The sky is crystal clear with the stars shining brightly. All the towels were dry on the upstairs hangers. The temperature up there is 67F/19C. Just below the room temperature of 68F/20C.

 

  ~o~

20.11.2024 Y'all couldn't make it up!

 ~o~

 Wednesday 20th 27F/-3C. A thick coat of white frost on everything. Including the car and the greenhouse. Though it's not really a hoar frost. The sky looks fairly clear. With lots of sunshine promised.

 61F/16C in the room this morning. I had a strange night. The new digital clock was great. If you ignore how often I looked at it. I seemed to be awake for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. Though somehow I resisted getting up. Or tormenting myself with memories of my wife. 

 The clock was oddly comforting but is supposed to be wall mounted. It is propped on a box on the untidy bedside table for the moment. I'll think about it before I start drilling more holes.

 My intention is to visit the museum to catch up on their progress. They sent me a nice email suggesting I visit and attend their Xmas lunch. I found some leather bound, Danish farming books and will take those along. I know there are many more hidden in the rows of boxes of books. Which still line the walls of the attic. Accessing them is difficult due to all the storage tubs and clothes rack. I saw much better clothes racks for sale at a big shed, furnishing store in town. I'll have a proper look tomorrow. When I am in town for physio. 

 10.30 32F/0C Bright sunshine. Returning from visiting the museum for morning coffee and a chat. Everybody seemed happy to see me again after a long absence. Shopped on the way home. Snow has fallen elsewhere in Denmark. The stove was still alight. Though only 64F/18C in the room. I have put a large log on to try and boost the temperature a bit more.

It is reported that up to 21cm/9" of snow has fallen in North Sjælland. North Zealand. With wayward lorries causing motorway closures.

  13.00 Overcast. I have been battling with the spin drier. Almost unused for a couple of years. Despite having a stainless steel drum it had rusted at the junction between the side wall and the base. Which stained a fleece garment I spun. I have been scrubbing the drum with a sponge backed, washing up scourer and scouring paste. 

 After numerous attempts it finally seems clean. I have poured gallons/liters of water into the drum to try and rid it of soap. Still it produces suds when spinning without clothes. In winter there is little chance of drying clothes on the outside airer. Spinning and then hanging clothes upstairs makes far more sense. The top loading washing machine does a very poor job of spin drying. The less water I introduce to the atmosphere upstairs the better. Hence the return to spin drying. The Thomas does a great job of spin drying the clothes.

 I had a phone call from the heart department at the city hospital. They want me to do some home, blood pressure tests and forward the results by email.

13.20 32F/0C. Still feeding the stove. Nearly 68F/20C in the room. I had avoided double handling the trailer full of logs. By stacking them loosely in a pile in the middle of the lean-to greenhouse. Having almost completely used up the previous stack. I can start laying the new load neatly against the house wall. Then collect another trailer full from the timber yard.

 13.30 Haircut appointment after lunch. I had better get going. 

  12.45 End of an era. "My" hairdresser is retiring next month. I have been going there for around 25-26 years. Another woman is taking over the salon. 

 I bought myself a new coffee mug in a charity shop. White with a flower painting wrapped right around it.

 Y'all couldn't make it up! <spit> A teacher has told young schoolchildren [6-7 years-old] that Father Christmas and elves don't exist. Just before Christmas too! Yet this <cough>"teacher" <cough> supposedly teaches religion. [Allegedly] 

 I wonder which one of the 4,300 presently recognized and perhaps 10,000 throughout history. This truly tragic person pretends to belong to. Such that Father Christmas goes against their strict, brain washed and freeze dried doctrine? What a very strange world we live in! 🙄

 20.30 29F/-2C. 69F/21C in the room. Dinner was poached eggs on toast. One yolk was already broken in the shell. The other was perfect.

 

 ~o~

19.11.2024 Frost and light snow.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 19th 34F/1C [8.00] Overcast and possible wintry showers. White frost on the grass.

 Up at 7.10 after waking earlier. I need an easier way to see the time. At present I have to switch on a blinding table lamp and stare at a small, shiny clock dial. I have a digital clock with large red digits from my observatory. I'll see if I can find it in the chaos. 

 And did. After searching high and low I finally found it safely stored indoors. The time setting button had stopped working. So I had to open up the case and short out the contacts on the push button switch. It is running a few seconds slow but I can live with that. Anything which demands my attention is likely to wake me far more than a glance. So now I can check whether it is a sensible time to get up.

 The intention is to visit my friend this morning. As the roads are expected to be wet and slippery there will be no ride today. I hope the Morris tires are grippy in the cold. 

 I just checked. The software updated Bosch Nyon computer has been storing my rides for over a month. Without being able to show them on my phone. Or even the Nyon screen itself. Now I can see all the details. My total distance from new is 10,569km.

 13.00 37F/2.8C. Returned from visiting my friend. My voice was going after two hours of chatting. Light rain. Shopped on the way back. The roads were fine. Just a few puddles.

 13.20 Only 59F/15C in the room. I ought to light the stove.

 9.00 32F/0C. There was light snow falling when I went outside to the bins. It can't have lasted for long. Because it looked no thicker than a frost. When I checked again two hours later. 70F/21C in the room.

  Dinner was a salmon pasty. With boiled potatoes and peas. I deliberately overcooked the pasty again to avoid previous greasiness. The mini-oven doesn't get hot enough. So needs a longer duration of cooking for the same effect.

 

 ~o~

 

18.11.2024 85km.

 ~o~

  Monday 18th. Wet start then sunny morning.

 Up at 7.45 after a fairly quiet night. Physio. I had better get moving! 

 10.15 Back from physio and light shopping. Sunshine but breezy. My nose is still trying to bleed but I am avoiding blowing my nose.

 11.20 I have the second battery on charge. Readying for a ride. I'll head north to avoid a westerly headwind on my way home.    

 12.00  Ready to go. Taking lunch rolls with me. 

 17.00 37F/3C. Stove lit. 62F/6.7C in the room. Returning after 85km ride to Middelfart and back. Cold headwind going. Blue-black sky ahead. Ragged showers hanging underneath. The massive dark cloud passed over before it started with stinging hail. Turned to rain, enough to thoroughly wet my trousers. Then went off. 

 It remained cold and miserably windy. I had left my waterproof trousers at home. I did a tour to see what else was available. Nothing in the charity shops or the bike shops. The bike shops are discounting due to changing their stock but had nothing left in my size. M.

 The Contec leather Touring saddle was fine again. Best bibs worn under cargo trousers. Not quite warm enough up top. Thermal vest, racing jersey, medium jumper and Endura rain jacket. Not sure what to add. A thin jumper? Swap to my thickest jumper? Take a medium weight jumper in case I get too warm? 

 My hands were getting cold too in the thick, fingered gloves. So I changed to lobster mitts. Still cold. So went back to the fingered gloves. All by GripGrab.

 The jam rolls worked much better than the previous honey. Which leaked into the poly bag. I enjoyed the rolls much more than stuffing sub-micro Corny bars. Though I didn't drink anything at all despite taking apple juice. It felt too cold for a cold drink. Plenty of room for a flask. If I have one. There should be a stainless steel one somewhere. It hasn't been used for years. 

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce with halved tomatoes. 😋

 

 

 

 

  ~o~

17.11.2024 Bloodbath!

 ~o~

  Sunday 17th bright but cloudy. Squally showers and gales possible. 40F/4.4C.

 Bad nose bleed on blood thinners. I have saturated five tissues and lots of cotton wool but it is still pouring from my nose and down my throat. Typing with one hand while I pinch my nose. Still bleeding after 5 minutes of pinching. Try another 5 mins. And another. And another. Still running slightly but it has finally stopped pouring. Can I ride my bike while pinching my nose? Can I drive?

 9.00 First sunshine and the wind is picking up. I'll sit still, pinch some more and hope my nose behaves itself.

9.45 Nose still bleeding. Sunday, so no doctor or pharmacy. I'll go on pinching while passively watching YT videos.

 12.40 It was quite a sunny morning. With none of the promised rain. It clouded over about half an hour ago but there has been no sign of the squally showers. Only now has my nose become reliable. The wastepaper bin would look more at home in a battlefield hospital! It is half full of bloodied tissues. 

 The room is at 65F/18C. I am just beginning to feel a bit chilly. It doesn't look like I shall safely manage an outing today. So I had better light the stove.

 Dinner was organic sausages with mushrooms, organic Fettuccine pasta and organic tinned tomatoes. 😋 I ate an organic apple for pudding.

 

 ~o~

16.11.2024 Getting the jab.

 ~o~

  Saturday 16th 48F/9C. Heavy overcast and very windy. Gusting to 15m/s [34mph] until after lunch.

 Up at 4am. By the time I was feeling dozy again it was too risky to go back to bed. The alarm might not have gone off. I have a Covid jab appointment at 9.30. I wasted quite some time trying to make my phone to sound an alarm. Just as a backup to my 1970s [?] quartz alarm. 

 A terrace cottage in a side street in Faaborg.

 I managed to set numerous alarm times at intervals but the sound was pathetic and I couldn't seem to change it. The first alarm sounded at 6.15 but the rest were lost when I stopped the first. So basically, about as usable as asking a cockerel to wake me at any specific time. Ironically it has just played an alarm at 8.15.

 I lit the stove at 7.45 to be more comfortable after my shower. 64F/17.8C in the room after 20 minutes. It has hardly changed. The stove seems to be losing its ability to be fine adjusted at lower settings. Fortunately there is no shortage of radiant heat. It just consumes more logs than one would like. 

 Loading more logs at once should provide a slower, longer burn. Than putting the same number of logs on, individually, for the same overall volume. Testing this theory would safely consume some of my empty hours. Though it could be carried out simultaneously with other tasks. 

 Talking of which. I have quite a shopping list. So I'll leave early and have the jab on the way home. 

 10.20 Heavy drizzle all morning so far. The first vehicle to catch up with me, as I accelerated away from leaving the drive, overtook me. On double white lines entering a fast, completely blind corner! With may cars speeding in both directions there could have been a frontal impact at insanely high speed! As soon as they had got past me they slowed to only 60km/hr or 40mph. Thereby holding traffic up all the way to the village. The rural speed limit is 50mph or 80kph.

 I did my shopping and then went to find the vaccine centre. There were never more than about 10-12 people at a time. Mostly elderly. I opted for both flu and Covid jabs. We had to wait 15 minutes afterwards before leaving. Just in case of a reaction. I filled up with petrol and then took the shopping home. Luckily there was nothing frozen. I found some organic sausages. Just as a change from chicken.

 10.30 Morning coffee  over. Now I'll go and collect my e-bike in town.

 11.30 Returning with my e-bike. It was quite misty out across the fields, with drizzle. Several wind turbines were standing still despite the wind. The bike shop proprietor informed me that the chain and cassette were probably good until next year. He had made an update on the Nyon computer. It had no problem pairing with the phone. After failing as late as yesterday. 

 I wasted the rest of the day away on YouTube.

 Dinner was sausages with fried egg and chips. 😋

 

  ~o~

 

15.11.2024 Moustache FS27 e-Bike 10k Service.

 ~o~

  Friday 15th 48F/9C [8.45] Grey and misty.

 Up at 8am after a quiet night. I have a wet cough with a nasty taste. It started at breakfast time yesterday. I was also more breathless than usual on the exercise bike, stress intervals. We simulate climbing a hill by increasing the bikes braking load and simultaneously increasing our cadence. Then sprinting flat out for ten seconds at the simulated top of the hill. 

  A tiny building in a field near an ancient home and farm. [Østrupgård] The chimney and windows suggest it was intended to be habitable. Rather than an animal shelter. On the delightful, Trentemølle [Trente Mill] Trentevej lane leading to Ny Stenderupvej above Fåborg. [Images captured yesterday.] 

 Østrupgaard (Sydfyn) Website i Danish.

 Though I didn't notice any chest problems on my 74km e-bike ride yesterday. Probably because I use appropriate gears and assistance modes to avoid excess breathlessness. Even on the longest and steepest climbs. Which I certainly came across yesterday. On the Håstrup road [lane] out of Millinge. Chosen deliberately because I remembered the route on my trike. I'd be climbing that hill as often as possible if I was a keen, young racing cyclist in this area. It is not only steep and twisting but keeps going upwards. When it seems impossible for lowly Fyn.

 I am supposed to deliver the e-bike to the bike shop in town for a routine service. It has reached 10k kilometers since purchase. Though the Nyon computer hasn't communicated with my phone for over a month! It must still be counting distance internally. Even though it doesn't show any statistics or route maps. Not even on its own screen! I have tried repeatedly to pair it but without success. The Nyon keeps asking for a service on every start-up.

 I know the chain is tired. Because gear changes are longer and noisier than usual. Instead of effortless and snappy. The chain suffers due to the amplified effort being transmitted in the highest gears. While I may be a relative weakling at my age. [77] The motor is providing assisted speeds well beyond my physical capabilities. 

 Sport mode increases my own power by 260%. Turbo by 320%. Though I use Turbo only rarely and usually only for hill climbing. Or to get home at the end of a longer ride over the undulating, local landscape. I tend to use Sport mode almost constantly. Except when trying to conserve battery range. With average speeds around 30km/hr the chain must be experiencing similar loads. To a fit young racing cyclist on hard, training rides. 

 The smaller sprockets on the 11-40 SRAM cassette always suffer the most. Thanks to the power assistance modes. I rarely need to venture into the lowest 50% of the Shimano XT, 11 speed gears. Though I hardly ever use top gear. Not even in Turbo mode. It just feels over-geared.

Østrupgård [farm] on Trentevej dates from the early 1400s. A fascinating combination of building periods. The central white building looks medieval but has added wings in timber framing.[Bindingsværk] Tall windows show high ceilings. A rarity reserved for the wealthy. When most timber framed buildings had low ceilings. They were warmer and cheaper! The rich had servants and vast forests to feed their fireplaces.

 The outbuildings [at left] show Dutch influence in the arched gables. I have seen several Danish farms and churches with these curved gables. Skilled thatchers could and can easily manage the elegant curves. Rigid, modern roofing elements cannot.

 Østrupgaard (Sydfyn) Illustrated website in Danish.

 The cassette had to be replaced on its last, 5k km service. So the chain and cassette must be well overdue for replacement again. I have to admit the gear changes have been excellent from new. Far better than I ever achieved with my Campag Ergo/Shimano cassette hybrid set-up on the Trykit trike. It was said online at the time. That the physical sprocket spacing on all 11 speed cassettes, was standardized. 

 It seems nobody told Campagnolo. I played with different sprocket spacers but was ever able to get really clean gear changes across the entire range. The Campag cassettes have smaller freehub diameter and wont fit on Trykit's 2-wheel drive freehubs. So fitting a Campagnolo cassette was never an option.

 I have just had an SMS to remind me of my Covid jab tomorrow in the village. Telling me not to turn up early. Presumably this is due to limited car parking facilities at the site. It is Saturday tomorrow. So the nearby industrial estate will be empty. So easy parking there. Oh dear. I shan't be able to ride there on the e-bike. Unless the bike shop can manage the service the same afternoon. 

 12.00 50F/10C. Overcast. I have just given the e-bike a thorough wash with washing up liquid and warm water. Then rinsed off with lots of clean rainwater. The bike is safely on the Morris with the Buzzrack bike carrier on the tow hook. Secured, double locked and ready to go. My wife used to check all the trailer rear lights were working before I left. Now I use a convex traffic safety mirror instead. Another charity shop find. It saves a lot of running back and forth and I can check all the brake lights are working. 

 I am having early lunch. Before driving into town to the bike shop.  

 13.30 Returned from the bike shop. It is the season for ploughing the fields. So all my careful work in cleaning the bike was wasted. The Morris' tires had sprayed it liberally with mud from the lanes!   

 I have had a message to say the bike is done already. I can collect it in the morning. After my Covid jab. I have left the bike carrier on the car. 

 Dinner was sardines on toast with halved tomatoes. I experimented by using cold tomatoes. It would have been much better if they had been baked for a while.

 

 ~o~

14.11.2024 Ride to Fåborg.

 ~o~

  Thursday 14th 43F/6C [6.45] A sunny day is promised. Northwesterly wind falling slowly. Peaking at 9C/48F after lunch.

 An unusually huge and long, thatched and timber framed [bindingsværk] barn at Østrupgård [farm] above Fåborg. The building extends for a considerable distance along the lane. Such buildings have little utility in modern farming. Where vast machines rapidly cultivate enormous fields. Most modern farms have vast steel barns to house these costly machines. 

 Østrupgaard (Sydfyn) Website in Danish.

  Up at 6am. I was woken by one of the goldfish gobbling the water surface. It sounds like mice in the ceiling! It's not a lack of oxygen. It's an irritating habit. The daft thing constantly imagines food is floating there. In the light or the dark!

 I had an email from the museum volunteers. Urging me to visit them.

 Physio exercise class this morning. I ought to take advantage of the sunshine and go for a ride afterwards. 

 10.30 Back from physio. I don't have many more sessions left. I am enjoying morning coffee as I decide where I want to go for a ride.

 It is already 11.15.  So I ought to take lunch with me. I will ride to Fåborg to look in the charity shops for furniture.

 11.45 Ready or not!

 16.00 Returned from a 74km ride. The sun was just setting on the last leg. I mainly kept to the narrow, rural lanes. Lots of amazing hills around Håstrup! I saw three kestrels and two buzzards. The latter were soaring above a copse and calling. I avoided several pheasants wandering in the road.

 I took my cheese and honey rolls for lunch. So I didn't need to eat the sub-micro Corny bars. It was very pleasant eating them on a park bench by the water. I threw a few bits of crust to an immature, black headed gull. Mostly because it was small and didn't shriek at me.

 I ran the battery down to minimum allowable charge again. Stopped in the last lay-bye before home to fit the second battery. Just to avoid having to climb the last few hills without power. The saddle wasn't too bad again. Just a bit of an ache towards the end.

 16.45 Another amazing sunset! Though it was lying about tomorrow. Because the forecast is grey again. Snow is possible next week!

 Dinner was chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and chips. 

 22.30 The bright, full moon is almost overhead. Lighting up the greenhouse. The room has reached 67F/19.4C after four hours of the stove burning.

 

~o~

13.11.2024 Moustache 28 & 29 e-bike recall.

 ~o~

   Wednesday 13th 43F/6C. Another grey day promised after yesterday's sunshine.

 Up at 5am after a dreadful night. I couldn't get to sleep and then woke several times. Lying awake again from 4.20 I finally decided to get up.

 BTW: My bloodshot right eye has almost returned to normal. 

 Certain Moustache e-bike models, including the Friday 28 and Dimanche 28 & 29, are being voluntarily recalled for dealer checks. The steerer tube, on the carbon fiber forks, may be at risk of cracking under impact. 

 Voluntary recall of carbon forks Friday 28, Dimanche 28, and Dimanche 29 - Moustache Bikes

 Stop riding your bike immediately and have it checked by your dealer. Note that any existing damage will not be visible. It will be hidden inside the frame's head tube where the fork bearings sit. The website image does not even show the area affected.

 If you have sold your Moustache then please inform the new owner of the recall if possible. Somewhat ironically, the Moustache website, frame number checking link, is was broken! Now fixed. In the meantime, assume that your bike is affected and contact your dealer. Just to be on the safe side. If you know of, or meet any Moustache owners, then pass the message along. 

A sudden steerer tube collapse could easily be catastrophic! The rider could be projected face down over the handlebars! Death or very serious injury are quite possible outcomes. Particularly in traffic. Where following vehicles would have no time to avoid you. Or, you were thrown into oncoming  traffic. Assume the absolute worst for your own safety! Get your Moustache 28 or 29 checked!

 8.40 I managed a couple of hours sleep to catch up. Going for a walk. It is grey and very misty.

 11.00 Returned from a drive into the village to collect some tablets. I met a couple I knew from the museum. They suggested I return but do lighter duties than before. There was brief sunshine on the return journey but the sky has darkened again.

 13.45 49F/9C. Returning from a cold and wet 40km ride. It started raining at halfway. As I visited two charity shops and an antique/retro shop. I took the warmer GripGrab gloves but wore the thinner pair. Changing to the thicker gloves at half way. These proved to be not warm enough either but I had left the mitts at home. Which was silly. I shan't do that again. They weigh nothing and take up no room in the panniers.

 14.15 It was only 61F/16C indoors on my return. So I lit the stove before making lunch. It has only risen 1ºF in half an hour but the heat on my back is fierce now.

 17.00 I have just exchanged a 1/3 of the water in the goldfish aquarium.

 19.00 Dinner was a salmon pasty with mashed potatoes. I washed up while the potatoes were simmering. It took so long [40+ minute] for the potatoes to soften that the pasty was overdone. And all the better for it.

 

 ~o~

 

12.11.2024 Give me sunshine..

 ~o~

  Tuesday 12th 47F/8C [13.30] A sunny day?!!? Does not compute!

  Up at 7.40 after a fairly quiet night and waking earlier.

  13.00 Returned from visiting my friend. It was hard work driving straight into the low, blinding sun. Made worse by the wet roads.

 I called in at the local pharmacy and doctor's surgery on the way home. Because I had run out of specific tablets. The receptionist said my progress needed to be followed up anyway. So I have new appointments for blood tests and to see the doctor.

 I found a nice, mostly glass display cabinet at a charity shop but the hinges were worn out. Or something similar. The all glass door was hanging askew, wouldn't shut properly and squeaked loudly. I checked the undersized hinges but could not see any means of adjustment. Which is rather annoying. I had to pass on this one. 

 There was more cloud in the afternoon.

 17.00 After taking pictures of a gorgeous sunset I have lit the stove. The room is at 62F/16.7C.

 Dinner was  fry-up of chicken, mushrooms and eggs. Helped down with a whole grain, bread roll and a small, organic beer.

 It reached only 67F/19C in the room by bedtime. Heat loss is increasing as the outside, wall temperatures fall. The upstairs [attic] is also open to the living room via the open stairwell. Though it has 30-40cm of rockwool above the ceiling. A trapdoor would be difficult to arrange because of the projecting banister. A heavy curtain around the bottom of the stairs might help reduce heat loss to the upstairs. All of this has been discussed endlessly over the years on my blog.

 

 ~o~

11.11.2024 More kitchen ramblings.

 ~o~

 Monday 11th 46F/8C [5.30] A wet day is promised.

 Up at 5am after a busy night topping up the fire bucket and having weird dreams. I dashed around watering the plants while I waited for the kettle to boil. I used to over-water the plants but now have leaned the opposite way. They thrive better for being drier rather than wet. And no, I did not use the contents of the fire bucket. I used ordinary tapwater.

 Physio rehabilitation and exercise class this morning. Followed by a visit to the dental technician to see if the fit of my new plate can be improved. There is a gap in between my commitments. So I can go shopping for about an hour. I am still searching for suitable storage tubs for the kitchen. 

 I need to standardize somehow. To bring some sort of order to the unsorted chaos. Or finally begin to question the purpose of keeping much of it on show. Or keeping any of it at all! The space, where the new draining board now lies, once held the rusting cooker. That newly available space became handy for rather visible storage. Made worse by a large wheeled trolley in the corner beyond.  

 I had plans for a new, front loading washing machine. To replace the aging top loader in the bathroom. Then resented the low position of the front loader's door for filling and emptying. Only cutting the draining board away would make any sense. Since I could then raise the washing machine on a dais. To make it practical for use by an old fart like me. Perhaps a storage cupboard instead of a dais?

 I look at the sales displays in charity shops for storage inspiration. The minimalist kitchen displays at IKEA hold no strings to any reality I recognize. The arrival of the recycled display cabinet demands I fix the hideous mess I have created for myself. The unfinished plasterboard on the end wall must be attended to. Preferably with some insulation behind a far more cosmetically acceptable wall surface. 

 It used to be vertically boarded but that had become riddled with woodworm. Nothing attractive has replaced it. Since I ripped it all down after my wife died. Her badly stained, naked pine dresser no longer has any real meaning. Other than to hoard a mixed collection of drinking glasses. Which never sees the light of day. 

 A tall storage cupboard on that wall could hide a lot of stuff. If I had anything worth storing. A large cabinet with glass in the doors above could safely display my wife's glass ornament collection. Illuminated by carefully placed LED lighting. It would keep the dust off too.

 The lower cupboards could house the stuff which should not be seen. That might be the way ahead. Instead of investing in yet more secondhand, display cabinets. Or horribly expensive new ones. The image [above right] was a snap from IKEA's display. Just as a suggestion for the styling possibilities. I am not a fan of solid shelves seen from above. They might work at eye level but not below. Glass shelves can disappear with the correct lighting. Leaving the ornaments appearing to float in mid air.

 8.15 Trimmed my beard, showered, put some laundry on. Off we go.

 11.30 Returning from town. The physio class went well again. Followed by a brief visit to the dental technician. I may have to talk to my dentist about removing a lower tusk. Which juts outside my row of lower teeth. It keeps stabbing me inside my lower lip! 

 I pottered around a discount furniture and bedding shop. They had some cheap display cabinets but the quality wasn't up to much. I was more interested in judging the overall appearance. Solid versus glass shelves.

 Dinner was poached eggs on toast. I almost forgot to photograph it. I hope you like a bit of drama!

 

 ~o~

10.11.2024 The absence of activity.

 ~o~

  Sunday 10th 40F/4C [10.00] Grey and cool with a breeze.

 Up at 8.00 after waking several times. I should have done the washing up, but hadn't. I should have gone for a walk by now, but haven't.

 I wasn't in the mood to do anything or go anywhere. So I have spent some time this morning reading my medical journal online. There are secure websites which record the doctor and nurse's notes during treatment. Another which gives information on prescribed medications. 

 I was surprised how much information nurses record during their normal duties of observation, medication, testing and treatment. So I have even more respect for their skills and knowledge. Beyond my earlier, rather trivial description of their kind and obviously well practiced, patient care. 

 Much of the reports is couched in technical and medical terms and abbreviations. Which the average person/patient are unlikely to understand. Though a little online research works wonders. It was interesting to read how I behaved and reacted. Both during my hospital stay and at diagnostic appointments. 

 I usually try to be cheerful, positive, polite, grateful and optimistic with all my contacts. So reading their reports on my attitude to treatment and ongoing recovery was well worth knowing. All the various disciplines are obviously working in parallel to maximize my health and happiness. An ongoing trend was my reporting how I was still overcoming the loss of my wife. Which is true. As well as my very limited number of social contacts and my continuing to cycle fairly long distances at frequent intervals. 

 I do find my cycling vital to my mood and improving health. Following the surgery and ongoing exercise rehabilitation classes. I just wish my Danish was far better than it is. So that I can more readily communicate with the same level of articulacy as I can in English. I often find myself unable to understand Danish voices with high background noise. 

 After a lifetime of experience of English one can use minute clues to understand what is being said. Almost regardless of level and context. With Danish conversation there is often a drop in level towards the end of a sentence. As if some secret is being imparted in confidence. I find this particular aspect of spoken Danish very difficult to capture enough clues. Just to be able to translate speech usefully. 

 My expensive hearing aids do little more than amplify noise/sound levels. Despite the "hard sell" hype. That they use AI to interpret spoken sounds against background noise. I wouldn't want to be without them now but find the hearing aids incredibly frustrating in most social situations. Voices are simply lost in a sea of noise. I find the various 'modes' are of little help. I often toggle through them to find the best vocal clarity. Usually to no avail.

15.00 43F/6C. 62F/16.7C in the room.  I have lit the stove. Two of the three, recycling, wheely bins have been taken along the drive. It is cold and feels even colder in the wind. 

 Dinner was fish fingers, pasta, peas and tinned tomatoes. I used the whole tin of tomatoes but strained them to remove the bulk of the liquid. I could have left a little more of the juice. Though it was marginal whether it was actually needed. I washed up while the fish fingers were baking in the mini oven.

    

 ~o~

9.11.2024 Just another Saturday.

 ~o~

  Saturday 9th 41F/5C. Just as grey but cooler today. Slightly rougher, Easterly wind. Expected to remain at 5C all day then drop by 1º after 18.00. 

 Up at 7 after another quiet night. I was going to get up at 6am but decided to go back to sleep.

 8.30 Time for a walk.

 13.00 Drizzling. I looked in at a weekend garage sale. Went shopping in the village. Then visited the lady in the next village. Before returning home for lunch. 

 The engine of the Morris continues to repeatedly miss a beat. Unlike myself, where my heart has far too many false beats. I shall collect a monitor from the hospital in December to confirm this. Prior to possibly having a pacemaker fitted. 

 16.00 Still 41F/5C. It has dropped to 62F/16.7C in the room. So I have lit the stove. It remains both grey and very dark. Seventh day in a row without sunshine. A change is expected next week.

 Cycling's most successful sprinter, Sir Mark Cavendish, will retire on Sunday after his last professional race. 

 https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/c629l7533pxo

 Dinner was mackerel on toast with halved tomatoes.

 

 

 ~o~

8.11.2024 The prince[ss] and the dried pea.

 ~o~

 Friday 8th 45F/7.2C. Continuing grey and dry with light mostly easterly winds.

 Up at 7am after a quiet night.

 I feel the need for another ride. While I still can. The saddle problem seems to  have been largely overcome with the Contec "Exclusive" Touring leather saddle top mounted on the Brooks B67 sprung frame. With the aid of my best [millionaire's row] Assos bibs [padded cycling shorts with stretchy shoulder straps.]

 I am wearing my usual [fairly thin] cargo trousers over the top for warmth. Wearing thermal tights on top of the bibs would look pretty weird! Nobody wants to see me banned from the charity shops. Worn inside the bibs might cause bunching friction and the inevitable pain. Which I must obviously avoid. Thermal tights over the bibs with a pair of concealing fashion shorts on top of everything? I might need to adjust saddle height. Like the princess and the dried pea legend of adding mattresses. For those who missed the Disney prequel Director's Cut III.  

 8.30 I ought to have a walk. Not too far.

 9.45 Still horribly dark and grey. I have been researching a better route to Højby, south of Odense. About 32-35km away depending on my innate ability to get lost. Despite having a phone with various mapping apps and the Nyon e-bike computer. Not to mention knowing the area quite well from so many previous visits. Højby [pron: Hoi-beuw] leads to South Odense and several more charity shops on the Svendborgvej. 

 14.30 Home again from a 75km ride. It rained until 30km and then stopped. By which time I was on the outskirts of Odense. My trousers had been dark from being wet but dried again as I rode along. 

I missed Højby due to a road closure and long detour. Which took me too far north to make it worth the double journey there and back again. I managed a figure of eight, between two charity shops in Odense and then rode home. Changing the batteries at 50km. There was only 85% charge when I left. The saddle was fine throughout and I was still going well at the very end of the ride.

 12.10 Just finished watching another romance on Netflix. Dinner was chicken, mushrooms and chips. I am getting heart pains but don't think I can blame the chips for that. I sprayed the nitroglycerine under my tongue. Once I got the damned thing to work. It had given up the ghost. Because it hadn't been used.

 

 

 ~o~

7.11.2024 Cramming.

 ~o~

  Thursday 7th 46F/8C [5.30] Another grey day with light winds promised.

  Up at 4.30 after lying awake for ages. Not ideal, as I have a busy morning ahead. Physio class and then ear wax removal in town. Followed by cooking class at some distance in the opposite direction. My bloodshot eye feels wet and dry at the same time. Looks awful. 

 I am ploughing through the laundry backlog but must do the washing up. I did the washing up before 6am. Having washed up after 11pm the last time. The Guinness Book of Records has been informed and I will expect my prize in the post.

 A full sized tree sculpture. Containing a number of oversized birds made of wood and probably chainsawed from the solid.

 The oil-filled, electric radiators are now keeping the chill off the kitchen and bathroom. I am aiming for 15C/60F. The kitchen was hovering around 58F/14C. Which felt a little too chilly.

 6.15 Washing up done. Now I can have breakfast.

 My red eye reminded me that I have never washed my GripGrab gloves. Whether my wife washed them I have no idea. So I turned them inside out. Which took about five minutes and bit of practice. Then into a bucket with some sports wash liquid. After a squeeze or two the water turned dark brown with filth. Or original colouring? I'll leave them to soak, rinse well and then air dry.

 Time to get going. I have tried the eye bath. There is some sign of the white showing through the bloody redness. My career as a supermodel and babe magnet may not yet be over. 😂

14.00 I have returned from my three appointments. Four, if you count a double helping at the ear, nose and throat specialist. I wasn't quite so fit at physio as I felt on Monday. 

 I was given the all clear by the specialist. Who fed a cameras and light up each nostril in turn and down behind my tongue. My voice box looked perfectly normal to her very experienced eye. It was suggested I do some salt water nose inhalation to clear out some unwanted snot. 

 Practicing opera singing [in private] was further suggested to strengthen my voice. When I admitted that I talked to my goldfish between visits from talkative friends. She said that I ought to practice my opera singing on them too. 

 I had my ears scraped of wax while I was there [as you do] and made a new appointment for 6 months ahead. Which shows considerable optimism by all concerned but then, they had enjoyed my sense of humour. 

 After that I swung past the dental plate specialists. To make another appointment for some further fettling. I dropped by the bike shop to make an appointment for a service check on my e-bike in a week's time. I know the chain needs replacing. Finally it was back into the car to drive to cooking class. Where I was greeted like a long lost, prodigal son. 

 It was now 12.00 and just in time for serving the day's dishes. There was a complex salad. Lots of pork in a fine sauce with mushrooms. Rice to make it all look effortless. I had an extra helping of pudding. Which was cake and ice cream. Washed down with non-alcoholic beer. Just to show my appreciation for all their efforts in my absence. Of course I hung about to the end. To help with tidying and washing up. 

 Two charity shops later I was finally back at home. Carrying fresh bread rolls and a pack of cherry tomatoes. The Morris Minor had attracted warm and appreciative stares wherever I went. I have now taken too tooting at the gaggles of children being taken for walks by their jailers. They seem to like it. Several roadside houses have been demolished recently and a large, garage workshop has closed down. They used to have some very posh cars parked outside most of the time. 

 15.30 I have now caught up with my early rise with a nap.

 16.00 62F/16.7C in the room. The stove is burning safely. So I followed up with intensive hand rinsing of gloves, medieval cycling caps and shorts. It took five rinses in a bucket before the gloves no longer stained the clean water dark brown! I have left them to drain. 

 I have just brought in more logs and kindling. I seem to be getting through a basket of logs per day at the moment. That's only for the late afternoon and evening. Raising the chilly room to 70F/21C by bedtime. It all helps to dry the clothes on the upstairs airers. Nothing will dry outside in this cool, grey, windless weather. Let there be no complaints from me. At least it is not raining.

 I have moved the left side mirror. Which was/is still sandwiching the dining table window. To match the height and spacing of its twin. This made a huge difference to their combined appearance. Neither mirror alone produced the desired effect. It was a case of "look at me" and nobody likes an attention seeker. 

 Modesty prevents a picture. Mostly because the moraine of unsightly detritus on the table. Has gotten away from me again. One has one's pride. Even living in a hovel. I need more light in that part of the room but there is no handy socket. To provide the power for another table lamp on the chest of drawers. Finding clothes therein currently demands a bright day. Or an LED torch.  

 There will be no need for dinner tonight. I am replete.

 

~o~