8.03.2025 Blood bath!

 ~o~

  Saturday 8th Dry and sunny. It could reach a record breaking 16C/61F between 14.00 and 15.00.

  Whoops! The digital clock was showing a row of 5s. I thought it must be nearly 6am. I could safely get up. Without feeling too guilty after a very quiet night. I was looking forward to announcing a record sleep time. The truth was much less satisfying. It was just before 1am!

 01.55  I had lain awake for a whole hour. Unable to get a wink of sleep. Worrying about downsizing. Swallowing repeatedly, to hold down what little I had eaten. It was time for a cup of tea and another glass of water. Sit on the computer until I got tired again. The usual arrangement.

03.15  I had a nose bleed and was shivering before I went back to bed.

05.00 Awake again. Haunted by fleeting images in dreams. Which had nothing in context or even reality. I nearly fell out of bed trying to save a large mixing bowl. It was my mother's I think. I don't remember owning such a mixing bowl.

 I have been sleeping in my normal clothes. Plus the thick fleece jacket and cap again. Trying to drive away the remaining virus.  I have just taken a Pamol and an Ipren. Will I get the sparklies again? 

 An email came. Reminding me that I haven't filled out the online form with multiple blood pressure tests. Taken over several days morning and night. I had managed just one morning entry before I had man flu. I don't know whether I dare risk exposing my extremities to the room over an extended period. It's only 64F/17.8C in here. 

 The problem is they want a morning reading before I eat or drink anything. I start every day with black coffee and muesli. I am barely functioning before that ritual is over. I have already had two cups of tea in the night. There is nowhere on the form for messages about my fighting for my life with a severe bout of man flu. 

 Those of you who are new to reading my drivel. May miss the deliberate exaggerations for humorous effect. I am mostly talking to myself anyway. For years I have used my blogs as way of entertaining myself and my few, probably imaginary readers. This allowed me to fill in for the complete absence of friends over here. Until recently. The internet kept me sane in my rural isolation. I could use my imaginary audience as friends.

 My late wife suffered even worse isolation for far longer. No doubt leading to her eventual demise. We had a passable social life with charity shop staff and antique dealers over here. Just as we had done in rural Wales. We visited so many, so often, that we would be greeted. That came to an end a few years ago over here. I can't remember why. Probably because the house could not accept another item without the walls bulging outwards.

 Visitors were rare even when we lived in the city. There was a local girl. The victim of a navy, Scottish wife beater and drinker. We had a child each of a similar age. She would visit my wife. That was over 40 years ago. Nothing after that. 

 6.10 I was just having a sweating fit. So I used that as an excuse to strip off my top half. Three readings captured at 5 minute intervals and still sweating. Lowest and last reading: 99/72/63bpm. A man barely alive! My pulse was a lot slower last time. Averaging 45.

 I'll see if there is enough milk for breakfast. It wasn't the milk that was the problem. It was the lack of spoons. I had to resort to a desert spoon to measure the coffee. The [ir]regular washer upper had called in sick. Some lame excuse about a flu epidemic. Numbers increasing beyond 2000 per week for the least 6 weeks and the curve still hasn't broken. One third of Danes could well be ill. How do they know how many people are sick if they don't contact their doctor? Or are self-employed or retired?  

 12.10 There was no return to bed this morning. I am almost 80% recovered but have been sweating profusely since the early hours. Probably the body's reaction to the weakening virus. I have no appetite for lunch. 

 Several day's worth of washing up is completed. Including the use of Baking Soda to clean the stains out of eight mugs. I then moved onto peripheral trays and containers, cutlery trays, etc. I feel a need to mop the kitchen floor.

 I have watched numerous YT videos this morning. In an attempt to self-analyze my psychological type and behaviour. I share so many different traits from so many types that I remain a puzzle. Even to myself. While I lean towards the Sigma Male I consider myself damaged goods. I have sympathy and empathy, yet remain a loner at heart. Last night I cried when a child in a Japanese series was self harming. Her doctor lacks any empathy. Presumably the series will eventually find some way to restore this absence.

 I am and have always been obsessively creative. I can and have produced amazing results working entirely alone. Though I have used the hive mind amongst online forums for specialist advice. My memory is so specialized as to have been a major handicap throughout my working life. I used my large library of text books until Google came along.

 I could not remember the names of colleagues with whom I had worked with for years. Yet I can identify and remember the source of components of a lifetime of taking stuff apart. Yet not remember more than a few dates of general interest. 1066, 1947, 1953 & 1967. That's about it. I cannot put dates to any of my life's activities or "career highlights." Not within a decade or two.

 I cannot add a column of figures and get the same answer twice. Yet wrote trigonometrical software [in BBC Basic] to design and graph triplet telescope objective lenses, just as they were beginning to be made commercially. I am self-taught on many woodworking and metalworking machines and tools. I built several guitars but cannot remember more than three chords. Let alone all the notes of a stave. 

 14.00 59.7F/15.5C. It could still get a little warmer. Indoors is at 71F/22C. Thanks to the greenhouse and all internal doors open. I might even have a shower.

 14.45 It peaked at 60.4F/16C for a quarter of an hour. Shower succeeded. Hate that shower rail. Nose bleed! Started on the laundry. 73F/23C indoors. Kitchen floor tiles swept and mopped. 

 16.55 57F/14C. The outdoor temperature is holding up well. I suddenly felt very unwell after my shower. So went hack to bed with a 40 min. alarm. The load of jumpers were finished. Onto the next load. 73F/22.8C indoors. Greenhouse and internal doors closed.

 Dinner was mackerel on toast. Followed by a bloodbath. I was pressing tissue to my nose and pulling out, warm blooded, rubber snakes. 10cm long and as thick as my finger. I'll keep pinching.

 11.10 I can't go to bed until my nose stops bleeding. It won't stop!

 

  ~o~

7.03.2025 A bad case of the sparklies.

~o~

 Friday 7th 

 Up at 5.45 after another difficult night. Hours of weird dreams about plumbing systems that don't exist. I may be feeling a little better today but can't face breakfast. My lower back is killing me. I may still go back to bed.

 7.35 Another hour in bed. No breakfast. I'll concentrate on fluids. Water, tepid tea, tepid black coffee.

 Parts of Denmark are promised 15C/59F at the weekend. Slightly cooler here with 14C. The earliest spring day in 257 years.

 10.15 Been back to bed again. Slept soundly. Woken by messages on my phone.         

 11.00 I have just been chatting. I must be better. I can type normally again. In the loosest possible sense of normal. Back to the fluids. Coffee and a glass of water. I took a couple of over the counter pain killers. I might force down a digestive biscuit. Just to keep them company.

 Bright sunshine. The greenhouse is warming the house. Albeit slowly.

 12.40 It is that time. I should be making lunch but [?] I am dripping with sweat. It is 20C or 69F in the room. Thanks to the greenhouse door being open to the kitchen and living room. Via the small intervening hall. What difference does it make if I am sweating? I'll decorate my rolls with my assorted spreads and see how I get on. My brain is still not working properly yet. I keep missing out words in sentences.

 13.10 56.5F/13.6C. It is supposed to be warmest at 16.00. Rolls consumed. Sweat reducing. 

 17.15 Woke from another nap and closed the greenhouse door. 

 Most peculiar! I had a very strange reaction to something I have taken or eaten. I was seeing peculiar sparkles on things and sounds were greatly magnified. It sounded as it was very windy but wasn't. I went to bed to avoid it getting any worse. 

 Fortunately [?] I woke with the flu in retreat but no more hallucinations. I have never taken any drugs so cannot compare it to anything. The curried sild? Though it doesn't usually have that effect. Out of date, over the counter, pain killers? 😬

 19.00 My appetite seemed back to normal earlier but now it's not. I might try something tasty on toast. Cheese would do it. Nah. Too much work!

 I haven't lit the stove all day. Thanks to the greenhouse it reached 70F/21C and has remained there until now. I feel warm enough without being so sweaty. It was ridiculous earlier! Like a warm bath with my clothes on.

 Dinner was marmalade on toast. 2 rounds. I have run out of coffee mugs. Most of which have been rinsed several times for re-use. As I don't take milk in my tea. Nor usually in my black coffee. They are all hideously stained with tannin. I am not strong enough to do any washing up yet. 

 10.00 I can't stay awake any longer. I feel headachy, my neck aches to. Still 68F/20C in the room. So I didn't bother to light the stove. I'll be sleeping in my clothes anyway.

  

 ~o~

 

6.03.2025 Man flu.

 ~o~

  Thursday 6th. Bright.

 Up at 5am after a difficult night. I had a glass of water at 3am and 4am. I'll probably go back to bed. Which I did at 5.30. There followed a chain of dreams. Where I got up. Only to find myself still in bed when I opened my eyes. It was 7.30 before I finally matched reality. 

 In the meantime I seem to have lost the ability to type or move the mouse. I am hobbling about like an old man in short steps. Bent over with pain in my lower back. My nose is  just wet enough to make me a mouth breather. Though it's not really a man cold.

 10.00 44F/6.7C. Woke from another nap. Bright sunshine. 

 13.45 Shared commiserations on this dreadful disease with my friends. A couple of thousand infections per week and climbing. I thought I'd try sliced bananas in skimmed milk. My tongue hurt! Just had another shivering fit. 70F/21C in the room and I'm wearing a down jersey and fleece cap. Now I am trying weak tea. 107F/42C in the greenhouse. Perhaps I should stay out there?

 16.15 Slept for another hour. Had a toasted bread roll. Agonizing stomach aches!

 17.15 Lit the stove. It went out! I am not strong enough for this!

 17.25 Now going well.

 21.15 More sleep. The stove went out. Rekindled from the embers.  70F/21C.

 10.00 A shivering fit in 22C/72F. 

 

 

 

 

  ~o~

 

 

5.03.2025 Walking wounded.

 ~o~

  Wednesday 5th 38F/3C. Cloudy and windy.

 Up at 6am after a disturbed night. I fell sleep while watching Netflix last night. When I woke I was shaking violently with the cold and feeling dreadful. Even though the temperature in the room was 68F/20C and I was warmly dressed. 

 I added a pair of fleece trousers and went to bed early in a thick jumper. I kept waking up, dripping with sweat and my mouth was dry. The fire bucket was half full this morning. Now I feel a bit dizzy, nauseous and aching all over. Probably from all that demolition exercise yesterday. I managed to eat my breakfast but feel like going back to bed.

 14.00 I have spent the day in bed. Dressed warmly. In pain every time I got up to go to the bathroom.

 16.30 More hours in bed. Or sitting on the edge dozing in a coma. My first cup of tea today. I thought I might be dehydrated.

 

 

 ~o~

 

4.03.2025 Hypothermia, exploding dinner and demolition.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 4th 41F/5C. Dark grey overcast with a westerly wind continuing. Potentially reaching 9C/48F.

  Up at 6.15 after a quiet night with weird dreams. 

 The visit to my friend is off. His cold is worse. I don't want to pass it on to my physio class members tomorrow.  So, the demolition of the observatory continues. 

 8.15. A walk.

 8.40  Back from a walk around a field. The wind was irritatingly cold and strong.

 11.45 Sunshine. I have been dismantling the observatory again. The dome base ring was freed of its rollers and broke into pieces once it was overhanging the building. I laid two ladders across the building to support the ring until the last moment. I wanted to be sure it wouldn't hit the shed. 

 Then there were 32 galvanized nuts to undo to remove the eight, dome rotation rollers. I am hot, sweating and need a break. 

 Time for lunch.

 16.00 Back for another rest. I have made amazing progress. With some delays due to inferior Torx screws. I have been changing the Torx bits repeatedly. Once the bit starts spinning in the screw head all hope is lost. 

 Fortunately it is possible to twist the crosspieces provided one end is freed. As can be seen. The heap in the foreground is growing. I am working my way around the back of the building now. Where there is a 3' /90cm drop off the gravel I imported. To make the base for the building. Which means much longer ladders are needed. 

 It would be foolish to get too optimistic about the next stage. The screws, holding the larch flooring down to the joists, are crap. Stainless steel Torx again and designed for outdoor terrace use. The bits were spinning even when I was driving them in. So I do not have high hopes for rapid removal. 

 Dinner was a cheese omelette with sausage and tomatoes. It was going well until I tried to tip it over onto a plate. I wanted to do the other side of the egg for a while. The plate was too big. Or the frying pan too small. It instantly broke up and burnt my fingers. Leaving me to desperately scrape my dinner off a smoking, red hot ring. It tasted fine. Only my pride is dented.

 20.00 and I may have hypothermia. I am freezing! It is 68F/20C in the room and I am wearing a thick fleece jacket and hat. Yet I am shivering. I probably spent too much time out in the cold wind today. Silly old wotsit!

 

  ~o~

3.03.2025 Going the wrong way.

 ~o~

 Monday 3rd 39F/4C. Overcast. Expected to reach 7C/44F today. Trees moving in the wind. [10-12m/s gusts.]

 Up at 6.15 after a disturbed night. No immediate plans. I have to lift the heavy telescope mounting and lower it to the ground. It probably weighs a couple of hundred kilos. 

 The big stepladder is still trapped inside the building. Which blocks access for the mounting to safely reach the ground. There are some major steps to take before I can proceed with serious demolition of the building. I have been rehearsing it all in my head. As usual. 

 7.30 The clouds are breaking up to the NW. I have sorted my 7 kinds of medication into the daily dispenser. Two kinds need renewal. 

 8.00 Time for a walk.

 9.00 42F/5.6C. Brightening. Back again. I walked the "wrong way" down the road. Up the steep track to the forest on the hill. Turned left and back down by the edge of the muddy prairie. It took me an hour. I never even became breathless on the climb. 

 I saw three deer grazing. The westerly wind was cold again. The image above shows the undulating nature of the landscape. The distant phone mast, on the right, is only 8km/5 miles away. The nearer, on the left, is 3km/2 miles away.

 I brought the twin recycling bins back from the corner. They had been stabled so neatly I didn't believe they had been emptied. They are usually shoved haphazardly towards the hedge and left at random. Is this sudden diplomacy an attempt to get us to fill all the potholes in the drive? A change of staff on this round?

 12.30 I spent the entire morning dismantling the big telescope mounting. Now I have the first heavy lift. I had the chain hoist and the ladder A-frame arranged. With ratchet strap guy-lines for stability. There wasn't enough lift distance. So I am recovering my strength over lunch before trying again. 

 Two Red kites have been circling over the garden. With a harrier just a little higher watching them. None of them seemed bothered by my rattling about in the observatory.      

 14.00 The massive mounting is now on the observatory floor. It needs to be down on the ground. I may remove some of the flooring to get a straight shot down to the ground floor. Or dismantle the mounting further. Each component would then be much more manageable. It is very bulky as one unit and won't want to drop through the joists in its current form.

 15.00 Dismantled and brought individually down the stepladder to the ground floor. I am hot and tired now. I need a rest!

 Dinner was a fry up. Sausage, mushrooms and tweggs.

 

 ~o~

2.03.2025 A bit of a ride: 65km.

 ~o~

  Sunday 2nd 39F/4C. Bright overcast. A dry day with some sunshine around lunch time is promised. Reaching almost 8C/46F at 2pm. 

 Up at 7.10 after a more disturbed night. Dreams and waking at intervals. 

 8.15 The sun has just broken through. I'll give the observatory demolition a rest today. The sound of a battery screwdriver clutch and electric saws can be irritating if repeated too often. Then there is the racket of falling materials. 

 It is the weekend and supposedly the quiet countryside after all. While ignoring the occasional roaring lorries on the road. Which means I must entertain myself with a ride or a drive.  Or doing something quieter at home. Getting away is probably safer. If I stay at home I will only waste the day away watching YT videos. I'll start with a brisk walk.

 The briskness didn't last long. I had barely covered 100 meters along the road before a bird of pry landed in the hedge. About harrier sized and seemingly undisturbed. By my standing there looking through my binoculars from 20 meters. It only flew away when a great tit flew very close to it. The same hedge contained blue tits, great tits, greenfinches, yellow hammers, sparrows, blackbirds and chaffinches. 

 After that I took to the spray tracks and circumnavigated a field. Where skylarks sang overhead. I wanted to get away from the increasing traffic noise.  The view from the rear of the demolished dome was almost obscured by the garden trees. It was too cold for bare hands in the niggling westerly breeze.

 I shall have a ride. Destination as yet unknown. I'll have a look at the map. I usually like a goal. If only to ensure I get somewhere at a reasonable distance. Inevitably that ride length has to be doubled to return home afterwards. 

 13.30 47F/8.3C. Returned from a 65km ride down to the coast and back by another way. I even went off-road and explored some long public tracks on mixed gravel and rough stone. There were several pairs of cyclists out training. Lots of birds. I became saddle sore at about 40km. So got off and walked through the grounds of a stately home. The break seemed to do the trick. 

 After that I was into range anxiety. The battery was well down on charge while still a long way from home. I had left home with the battery at 100%. So I dropped into Tour mode and used the gears to keep going. 

 The landscape was corrugated with lots of small but quite steep hills. Normally I stay in Sport mode and higher gears almost continuously. With only rare use of Turbo mode to overcome the steepest hills without loss of speed.

 The crosswind went from cold to icy on the way back. Though my hands were never uncomfortable in today's raised temperatures. My face was pink from windburn. I have to go out again to do some shopping.

 14.30 Back from the shops with two heavy bags of groceries. I saw a smart green Morris Minor in a car park across the road. We passed each other on the connecting road and waved to each other. Despite their popularity it is very unusual to see another. Except when the MM club is having a run.

 On the way home I saw some kids in a Golf in my rear view mirror. They were speeding on the long straight out of the village to catch me up. They even overtook several vehicles adhering to the speed limit. As soon as I passed the speed restriction sign I drove at a steady 80kph [about 50mph] speed limit. Only I didn't slow down for every corner as they did. As they fell steadily further and further behind. They only caught me, with a scream of their engine, as I slowed to enter the drive. 

 ~o~

1st March 2025 Demolition!

 ~o~

  Saturday 1st 34F/1C. Mist clearing.

 8.10 Up at 7.20 after being awake briefly at 4am and 5am.  

 8.45-9.15 A brisk walk to the lanes. Cold hands despite the gloves.

 I was desperately trying to think of somewhere to go for a ride. Then decided to stay at home. To do some laundry and tidy the house and garden.  

 12.45-13.45 Occasional weak sunshine and still. 

 No time like the present! I started dismantling the observatory dome. It has been waiting too long. First I knocked out the lower covering panels with a 2x4. [50x10mm timber] The 2mm marine ply was no match and fell away to the ground. There followed the brutal removal of the lower crossbars.

 Then I attached a rope to each rib in turn. So I could pull from the safety of the ground. Snapping each plywood rib in turn. Being careful to ensure the stronger, shutter ribs were towards the shed at the end. So that when it collapsed it wouldn't be on the shed roof right next door. 

 The image above shows the final collapse of the dome after the last of the ribs gave way. Attaching the rope once more ensured it all fell forwards. Where it could do least harm. 

 After lunch I continued. Removing the shutter ribs, trapdoor and emergency doors out to the original veranda. Most of the upper cladding has now gone too. The remaining boards are difficult to access. Because of the proximity of the shed and the larger drop behind the observatory.

 I struggled with the quality of some of the Torx screws. They were far too soft. Allowing the Torx bit to rotate freely. As they are countersunk, the only remedy. Is a crowbar on the material they hold together.

  15.30 I am hot and tired and need a rest.

  I had a nap to catch up.

 Then returned later to tidy a little and collect my tools.

Dinner was grilled mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. With halved cherry tomatoes. I finished off with an apple for pudding.

 

  ~o~

28.02.2025 Gardening? Surely not?

 ~o~

  Friday 28th 34F/1C [6.40] A cool, grey day with a northerly wind.

 6.40 Up at 4.15. I woke up at 4am and started worrying about downsizing. 

 I have just measured my blood pressure. The lowest, of three, taken at 5 minute rest intervals, was 114/70 with a pulse of 44 bpm. Which seems reasonable. I got the stove going again from the embers with some kindling.

 9.20 Woke from an hour's catch-up nap. 

10.30 I was desperate to find a reason for a ride. Even though it isn't very warm. [36F/2C] Then I spotted the brambles from the bathroom window! I am going to get a metal blade for my DeWalt strimmer/trimmer. Google tells me they are stocked at the nearest builder's merchants. So off I go. 

 12.15 Back from a 29km ride to the builder's merchant. It was cold going both ways. My hands were very cold again. My eyes and nose streaming. Returning with a three pronged blade for the strimmer, new hearing defenders and safety glasses. The strimmer, even with its heavy duty, reinforced nylon line was unable to make any impact on the tough bramble stems. So I'll try the blade instead. It looked good on YouTube.

 Oh dear! Wrong model. The blade fits the next two, more expensive models. 571 & 581. Not my 561.  The 571 would cost me another £250 equivalent without batteries or charger. For very little real gain. I dragged out a long pole, mains hedge clipper. It could manage the thinner bramble stems but weighed a ton. We bought it years ago. For when the hedges were well beyond human reach.

 I turned my attention to my late wife's flower bed. Rather surprisingly there were four Buddleias in leaf amidst the impenetrable thatch. I had planted these myself. I spent an hour clearing the dead material. Much of it rosebay willowherb. Those which would not pull straight out were given a haircut. With the gutless, DeWalt strimmer. It is only good enough for medium length grass on borders. Hopeless on anything thicker than a matchstick.

 It took half an hour to catch up on the washing up before dinner. 

 Which was mashed potato, peas and fried chicken bits.

 

 

 

 

 

  ~o~

27.02.2025 Cooking class.

 ~o~

 Thursday 27th 32F/0C. Overcast. A cool, grey day with an easterly wind.The Morris is covered in white frost and the windows iced over.

 Up at 6.45 after a very quiet night. Cooking class this morning. I hope the Morris behaves itself. I built and maintained a mini based, kit car for years in the UK. Replacing almost literally everything myself. Engine, gearbox, differential, brakes, distributor, suspension, cooling system, hand built front facing radiator, carburetors, K&N filters, belt drive to sports camshaft, fuel system, stainless steel, braided hoses throughout, inlet and exhaust manifolds, 2" rally exhaust, oil cooler, rally seats, racing rear sub-frame, with Spax coil-over, gas struts, full harnesses, roll cage. All done on a very tight budget.

 I completely rewired the car twice. When a new, plastic covered loom later became available. To replace the cloth wrapped, 1960s original. Back then the Mini was popular and there were plenty of spares and upgraded components on the market. That was over 40 years ago.

 It was basically the same engine but with a different, transverse gearbox to front wheel drive. So I should be able to get the Morris running better than it has. The problem seems to be the quality and design of common electrical and ignition components. Originals may be over 50 years old. Replacements are probably made in Asia.  Possibly to suit the different requirements of electronic ignition, fuel injection and cost cutting. Now we have the Internet and YouTube. As well as the Haynes Manual. With its often pathetic, picture quality.

 I have just started the Morris [easily] and sprayed the windows with de-icer.

 14.00 Returned from cooking class. Where I made a complex soup of multiple vegetables and coconut milk. Lots of preparation, dicing everything small. So it could be blended in the huge saucepan. It seemed popular. Everybody had seconds.

I felt very tired for some reason when I got back. So I had a nap. The car behaved itself. Except for a couple of worrying moments. When it suddenly died but restarted itself in a fraction of a second.

No dinner required because I had eaten so well at lunch time.

 

 ~o~

26.02.2025 Nuts!

  ~o~

 Wednesday 26th 39F/4C. Overcast and misty again. Mostly dry but very high humidity.

 Up at 7.20 after drifting for hours. Physio after lunch. The new freezer is at -22C again. The lower than expected temperatures are freezing the oven chips together. Luckily the ten minutes warm up time for the new oven. Gives me time to let them defrost slightly before they go in. So I can separate the clumps of chips and spread them out. I solved the weird twisting of the baking tray. I twisted the cold tray in my bare hands to relieve the tension.

 9,20 Back from a walk to the lanes. The traffic was unusually quiet on the way. More normal on my return. Still misty.

 I spent some time cleaning and checking the Morris. I cleaned the wheels with rainwater. They were filthy. Out of three, tubular, wheel nut spanners. Which I found in the toolkit in the boot. None fitted! So I fetched a long 1/2" drive socket wrench and an 18mm socket. I'll buy a long handled, telescopic driver. To make life easier if I ever have to remove a wheel on the side of the road. 18mm seems not to be a standard wheel nut size. Most are listed as 17/19mm.  

 16.00 Returned from physio class. That went well but was hard work. 

 I visited a couple of Morris Minor contacts on the way home. The first gave me lots of advice. Based on decades of specializing in Morris Minor repair and restoration. The second kindly gave me a free starter crank with a wheel nut socket on the end. So that I could turn the engine over slowly enough to set the points.

 The points seem to have been set very close. Or had closed over time. I opened them to the recommended gap. The engine started normally afterwards but will need a run to confirm any change or improvement. Cooking class tomorrow. So it will get a good outing.

 Dinner was another weird omelette. Sausage, mushrooms and three eggs. Aided and abetted by baked beans. I poured the whisked eggs over the fried, sausage and mushrooms. Then turned the whole lot onto a plate after a few minutes. To give the second side a chance to cook. It was fine but there was nowhere for the beans except a side plate.

 

 ~o~

25.02.2025 Morris has a bath.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 25th 41F/5C. Overcast with thick mist. I can't see the neighbours at the back. 165m away. An almost dry, but cloudy day, is promised.

 7.45 Mist clearing slowly. Up at 6.50. 65F/18C in the room. I had a weird dream about exploring a WW2 torpedo boat in a harbour. No idea why. 

 8.30 I had better go for a walk. 

 9.00 I looped around the neighbourhood drives to get away from the roaring traffic and tire spray. Bad timing with several vast container lorries passing. Everything is saturated but the mist is thinning.

 11.00 I have been tidying inside and outdoors. Washed the Morris in clean rainwater. The fridge freezer is oscillating between -13C and -22C. The fridge compartment between 3C and 6C.

 16.00 A burst of sunshine fooled inspired me to have a ride into town to catch up on the shopping. I managed to fill both pannier bags. The sunshine didn't last long. It was 47F/8C when I left. Only 44F/6.7C on the return journey. The wind was supposed to be southerly but I had a cold headwind all the way home. Only 11km today.

 Dinner was organic sausage, mushrooms and chips.

 

 ~o~

24.02.2025 Oh, the irony!

 ~o~

  Monday 24th 41F/5C. Overcast with a long wet day forecast. We could get 12mm or half an inch of rain today.

 8.15 Up at 7am after a quiet night. If I am to have a walk then it ought to be now. The rain is expected to start around 10am.

 9.30 Still overcast but no rain yet. It was nearly 8.45 by the time I left. My usual walk to the lanes. A cold S-SE wind made my eyes water, my nose run and my fingers cold. 

 Oh, the wonderful irony! The refuse/recycling staff left me a note. To say that the potholes in the shared drive risk damage to their vehicle. This, after decades of dragging my bin to the junction with the main run. None of the drive legally belongs to me. I have no boundaries to it. Except the entrance to my own garden.  The problem was that none of the neighbours cared about maintenance. None would contribute to its upkeep over the years. Despite enjoying its freedom to come and go. I even had to dig my way out through the snow every winter!

  I have been fetching gravel and filling the potholes. Despite my having no legal requirement to do so. I even paid for lorry loads of gravel to be delivered and strewn along the drive. So I [alone] could even it out with a rake. 

 My heart problems put and end to my hard labour over maintaining the drive. I also sold my old car and large trailer. So cannot fetch useful quantities of gravel any more. The Morris Minor cannot tow heavy weights and the small trailer is matched to that situation. Only a thin layer of gravel in the bottom would seriously overload it.

 My neighbours, who own the entire drive legally, also had a printed note. Which like mine, was presumably trapped in the bin lid. Theirs had blown away. So I rescued it and popped it into their postbox.

 The drive exits on a blind and dangerous corner with speeding traffic. Including buses and seven axle international transport, container lorries. So there is literally nowhere for the large bin lorry to park on the road. Nor anywhere to place the bins near the road for the few houses in our tiny hamlet. Ideally the ruin left by a developer years ago could be demolished. It lies just prior to the sharp and blind bend. Leaving a modest area for the lorry to pull in, park and room for the bins to be arranged for emptying. The lorry could leave on his own side of the road with a clear view behind.

 Though this idea would add yet another 100 meters to my existing 100m drag. Of the heavy, wheely bins along to the collection timetable. Much of the main drive is now heavily potholed. Except for the 100m stretch to my home. Which was given a lorry load of gravel a couple of years ago. At my own expense. Which I personally spread out. The surface is standing up to the normally modest traffic levels reasonably well. Though the recent movements of the tradesmen's vans has ruined my self-made parking space.  

 I will have a chat with my neighbour. To suggest how this might be way to remove the hideous eyesore on the road. Which blights the view from all the houses in the area. Not to mention seriously depleting their value.

 I had a shower using my new shower rail and shower head as intended. Rather than hand held. It was not easy. There is no thermostatic control of water temperature. Which fluctuated more than was desirable. Despite there being no other water being used at the time. As I was sitting within the spray pattern. I struggled to reach the taps to adjust the temperature. 

 The upside was that remaining seated, within the generous width of the sits bath, kept the spray off the floor. The towel, which is always placed beside the bath. To avoid stepping out onto a cold and slippery, tiled floor, was dry. Perhaps I should consider a thermostatically controlled, mixer tap?

 Dinner was a salmon pasty, peas, tinned tomatoes and pasta. I washed up while it was cooking.

 ~o~

23.02.2025 No rear fog lights? Dugh!

 ~o~

  Sunday 23rd 39F/4C [8.15] Overcast and misty.

 Up at 7am after a quiet night. Feeling hot again. 65F/18C in the room.

 8.30 Time for a walk.        

 9.15 Back from a walk to the lanes. The mist was probably a little over 150m silhouette level. The trees were raining on me as I passed underneath. Great tits and greenfinches were beeping in the trees and hedges.

 There is a new level of insane laziness on the Danish roads today. Recent cars have no rear lights showing. Though 24 hour headlights remain a legal requirement in Denmark. Guess what? Those who can afford a modern car need not engage their brains in thick mist. Instead of switching on rear fog lights and quarter lights for safety. They now drive around with no rear lights showing at all! 

 So they lose at least 100m of live saving visibility. To cars catching them up in thick mist. Because no matter how fast these idiots drive in thick mist. There will always be some lunatic driving even faster. Witness all the tire tracks on the grass verges this morning. As they overshot the blind corners in their insane blindness. The icing on the cake was the empty bottle of Jack Daniels thrown into a field. 

 Another lazy morning on YT. I don't feel like doing anything. Though I did a bit of tidying. Took a recycling bin along the drive. Used up another spray bottle of bathroom cleaner from yesteryear. On the bathroom. I'll leave it to do its worst before following up. I moved the fridge next to the recycling cupboard. Having a gap between them was pointless. The fridge had been quite noisy until then but fell silent. Watered the plants. I ought to go for a ride after lunch.         

 15.30 Going for a ride to another shopping village.   

 16.30 41F/5C. Heavily overcast. Back from a 20km ride with shopping. On the way there I met a severely ill, mental out-patient driving a car. The raving lunatic was at the far end of a light controlled roadworks of some 200 meters. I passed the green light and pedaled furiously to get through the filter quickly. So as not to impede the oncoming traffic. I was averaging 35kph. Over 20mph. So the lights were not being generous with their timing. 

 It seems the deranged moron was prevented from pulling into the single lane by 0.003 seconds. As the lights changed in their favour just as I passed at speed. So they promptly had a nervous breakdown. They blasted the horn and leaned on it for several seconds. Despite my having already cleared their path. 

 How would they have coped had I been an ordinary, perhaps elderly cyclist averaging only around 8-10kph? Would they have climbed out of their car and beaten this poor cyclist to a pulp? Serious anger management issues I assume. I just hope they don't take it out on anybody innocent at home. Assuming they have managed to breed. Despite their severe, mental handicap. 

 It was unpleasantly cold and breezy going both ways. My fingers were aching in my gloves again. Though the rest of me was fine. 

 Dinner was grilled sardines on toast with halved cherry tomatoes. Not burnt.

  ~o~

22.02.2025 27km.

 ~o~

 Saturday 22nd 40F/4.4C [8.40] It started bright but has become overcast. The trees are moving to the southerly breeze.

 Up at 7am after drifting since 4am. 63F/17C in the room. The kitchen was at 17C, the freezer at -14C and the fridge a 1C when I got up.  Now settled on -18C and 4C respectively. It is set to Eco mode. Perhaps it is saving energy? By allowing itself the freezer to reach slightly higher temperatures overnight. When the doors are not being opened.

 I plan a ride to a shopping village some 10km away. It has two supermarket outlets which I don't have locally. It will be a cold headwind going. Tailwind coming home.  

 12.30 46F/8C. Back from a 27km ride. There was headwind going but not as cold as recently. I visited two flea markets as well as shopped.

 This afternoon I have stacked the loose pile of logs against the house wall. I wanted to avoid double handling but it was becoming increasingly difficult. To move around in the greenhouse. I also did two lots of laundry. Re-lit the stove when it went out. Twice. It was 69-72F/21-22C in the room. So it didn't really matter.

 I think I'll have a chicken and mushroom curry for dinner. 

 A disaster! Ben's had forgotten to add something important to the Medium Curry sauce. The jar was full of water and little else. It is usually borderline too thick to shake the contents of the jar easily. I ran it through a sieve. To avoid drowning the rice in orange water. Then tipped the sieve contents onto the chicken and mushroom. I also changed the rice to white Basmati this time. Brown rice has been the staple for years. Not that keen on the white. No flavour and no texture! 

 ~o~

21.02.2025 Lazy git day!

 ~o~

  Friday 21st 38F/3C [8.10] Grey overcast and thick mist.

 Finally up at 7.20 after occasional clock watching from 4am onwards. 

 7.45. 61.8F/16.5C In the room. Stove lit. 61F/16C in the kitchen. Fridge at -14C and +5C after being unopened all night. After briefly opening the fridge door. To remove the milk carton for breakfast. It quickly dropped to -22C and +2C.   

 8.30 Time for a walk. Despite the mist. 

 8.50 Back from a loop of the drives. It was too unpleasant being brushed by speeding vehicles in the 50 meter mist. So I left the road ASAP. 

 16.00 46F/8C! Overcast. Mist only slowly thinning. I am having a lazy day browsing on the computer. 74F/23C in the room! Though I did empty the ash can. 

 Dinner was a shrimp pasty, peas and chips. I nearly forgot to take a picture. No picture? It didn't happen. I washed up while it cooked. The new timer is working well. As it should at that price! The new oven is working well. Now I have learned to pre-heat and time it properly at the correct temperature.

 

  ~o~

 

20.02.2025 New fridge-freezer.

 ~o~

  Thursday 20th 29F/-1.7C [8.30] Bright but breezy. With a thin overcast of high and diffuse clouds in the east. Last sunny day for a while. Rain this evening and overnight.

  Up at 7.30 after previous failures to lift off. Another quiet night.

 8.40 59F/15C in the room. The stove is lit. I put a another log on last night but it went out. 

 It looks bigger in the image due to the viewpoint.

 I am expecting the new fridge-freezer delivery this morning. The poor old fridge is completely unstable as to temperature. from -30C to -8C. Who know? It may have been unstable for ages. How would I know? I haven't put a digital thermometer sensor in the freezer compartment before. 

 9.40 32F/0C. Bright sunshine. A cold SE wind. I have emptied and taken the old fridge outside. The frozen and cold stuff is in cool bags outside in the cold. I have cleaned and tidied inside and out of doors. Brought the recycling bin back along the drive.  My way was blocked by the neighbour builder the other day. The ground is frozen solid. So there will be no vans stuck in the mud.  

 10.30 The new fridge freezer is indoors. The young man was obviously experienced and it went very smoothly. 

 10.45 It took 15 minutes to reach freezing point in the freezer compartment. It is set to Eco. I am using my digital thermometers to monitor progress. The cool cabinet seems not to be cooling so far. 

 11.10 It has reached -16C in the freezer compartment. Still stuck at 18C in the fridge. 

 11.20 The freezer has already reached -18.7C. So I have put the frozen and cold foods away. The cool compartment is sinking slowly past 14C. I have added a second [third] digital thermometer sensor in case the first is malfunctioning. I am searching online for the instruction in English to avoid confusion. The tiny text in the printed instructions manual is beyond the capabilities of my magnifying glass and patience. Found, saved and understood. 

 11.45 The freezer is now at -21C. According to the instructions: It takes a while for the entire structure of the fridge and its contents to cool and stabilize. Currently at 7C and still falling. Which is fine. No plastic spacers were provided to distance the appliance grid from the rear wall. The grid is actually touching. It suggests a gap of no more than 75mm total. Presumably for a chimney effect for efficient cooling. I'll space the grid appropriately. 

 First I must decide on its exact positioning. I usually like to have the waste bin beside the fridge. Which means moving the fridge towards the pine, recycling cupboard. Ideally the waste bin would fit between the cupboard and fridge. There just isn't enough room. The waste bin is now considerably oversized. Particularly following the introduction of increased recycling sorting. It was a luxury item. In which I invested when first setting up the kitchen for myself. After my wife died. Now it is mostly used for making paper. [UK:Grease proof paper.]

 12.00 35F/1.7C and slightly weak sunshine from a rather white sky. Breezy. The digital thermometers are now reading 4C & 22C. There seems to be masses of room in the fridge. Rather less, but more than enough, in the freezer. I'll leave it to stabilize. With minimum disturbance from door opening.

 13.30 38F/3C. Still sunny. I have fitted a fresh battery in the e-bike and intended to ride somewhere. The SE breeze is not enticing me to go very far. Where have I not been recently? Where will I obtain maximum reward for my suffering out there in the cold wind?  I think I shall ride into town. That will put the wind to one side on both journeys. It will still feel like a headwind but that would happen anyway.

 16.30 Returned from town. A 32km ride. Just as I feared the wind was icy cold. The "skiing" gloves were not warm enough again. I had my glasses fixed. The left lens kept falling out. I failed to find another warm jacket like that I was wearing. I hoped for one without lap pockets. Which hinder pedaling. 

 I found another breakfast bowl in one of three charity shops I visited. To replace the one I broke the other day. Though not the same. Where I also bought an ultra-compact glasses case. [Also recycled] I bought a digital kitchen timer. Now stuck to the new fridge door with its internal magnets.

 There was more of a headwind on the way back. I caught up with and passed a gaggle of ancient cyclists of my own age. They hadn't a clue. Wandering all over the country lane three abreast. Clearly experienced cyclists judging by their bikes, e-bikes and specialized clothing. I put my foot down and had half a kilometer on them before they were lost to sight. 

 The new fridge is still wandering up and down in temperature. Then settles on -18C and +4C.

 Dinner was cheese on toast with cherry tomatoes.

 

  ~o~

19.02.2025 Shower rail.

 ~o~

  Wednesday 19th 19F/-7C. Another sunny day. Starting with a white frost. A weather change tomorrow.

 Up at 6.45 after a false start or two. The fridge is showing -30C! My milk was frozen to slushy on my porridge oats! 58F/4C in the room. Stove lit. Twice! I let it go out through lack of observation. I have reached the end of the last load of logs and must start on the new.

 Physio after lunch. I was considering riding there. The sunshine is so bright and the route so beautiful. The problem is arriving heavily dressed for the cold conditions. Which I have to remove in the open gymnasium. 

 The changing rooms are so far away as to be irrelevant. So the class member's clothes are piled in heaps on the benches. To be replaced by the clothes of the following class at the overlap. So, after getting all sweaty, exercising heavily in the warm building, I have to dress for the cold again. I had better leave the riding to class until it gets a bit warmer.

 11.30 Our hero has been tidying and cleaning the kitchen. In readiness for the arrival of the new fridge-freezer tomorrow. I didn't want to be faced with a filthy floor beneath the old fridge. Fortunately I had already cleaned that area [and the rest] when I moved the fridge over from the alcove. I have repeatedly swept and squeegeed the entire floor. I washed up and cleaned and tidied the sink area. This corner is still a work in progress. I don't like the open shelving. Far too untidy under my care. Though the various tubs do help to contain the chaos. 

 12.45 Just time for a quick lunch.

 18.30 31F/-0.6C. Time to make some dinner. Physio went well. Though I was rather breathless at times. I shopped afterwards and on the way home. I now have a shower head rail. We were never allowed to have one. In case I broke the tiles while drilling for the fixing screws. So the shower head was handheld for over two decades. 

 It was always a sits bath. There was no room for a full bath. The toilet was in exactly the wrong but only space available. Besides, sitting above the waterline is far more comfortable and hygienic than sitting in one's own filth. It also uses far less water. 

 There is a low seat at the tail end. Formed during the bath pressing. Before that it was standing room only in a shower. We searched widely for a short bath when we arrived. Eventually we found one at a tile store in the city harbour. Cheap, too! That one was replaced after years of loyal service. Both were of enameled steel.

 Today I bought a complete kit with the vertical rail, wall fittings, new hose and shower head. Inexpensive and mostly of plastic, but it solved several problems. The old head and hose were years old and getting coated with water hardness. The new head provides a sharp spray for very little water flow. A great improvement over the old one.

 Dinner was a fry-up. Of chicken, mushrooms, eggs and baked beans. Helped down with a bread roll and an organic beer.

 ~o~

18.02.2025 The absence of balance.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 18th 20F/-6.7C [7.45] Another cold, sunny day.

 Up at 6am after a quiet night.  Feeling warm for some reason. It is only 61F in the room.

 The freezer compartment is at -21C this morning. After I wound up the control knob last night. I have backed it off again but expect a slow warming to the recommended -18C. At least it is working and the frozen food is safe. It was silent after I switched it back on following the de-icing. Fortunately it started working again after my deliberate nudge. Perhaps it was just coincidence?

 I had plans for a new fridge-freezer but with the freezer compartment at the bottom. The present one is getting quite old but has kept working for years in a cold room. The freezer compartment is only just large enough for my very modest range of frozen foods. There is no room for any reserve stock. It is already stretched when asked to hold a whole, new loaf. 

 My kitchen "remodeling" called for a new, probably taller model. With the hinges reversed. Which, strange at it may seem, would require my learning completely new tricks. Old habits for removing items, on auto pilot, will have to reprogrammed. 

 9.00 The fridge is not working. No sound and it is warming up again. -9C.

  8.30 22F/-5.6C. I have started the car to defrost it. The fan heater is running in the bathroom. 55F was a bit chilly for a shower! 

 9.15 Ready to go. Fridge now showing -14C. It is obviously unhappy.

 12.45 35F/2C. Sunshine. Returning from visiting my English friend. Shopped on the way home. The fridge was showing -25C! So it is obviously working but not behaving itself. I have backed off the control setting to 4 out of 6. 

 13.30  I am going for a drive to the city. I just hope the car behaves.

 17.30 It did, but under protest. I visited all the large white goods stockists. Then, on a whim, I visited the local stockist. Where I had already bought the oven and washing machine. They made me an offer on a compact fridge-freezer. With everything I needed except being too large. It will fit in place of the present fridge but be a bit taller. Freezer below, no frost, automatic de-icing and hinges on the left. 

 The extra height gives me the capacity I wanted but in much the same footprint. I didn't know such a thing existed until now. The width didn't matter within reason. It was the projection from the back wall. Most were 65cm deep. Those that I measured in the showrooms. The one I bought is just a smidgen under 60cm x 54cm wide x 180cm high. 

 Perfect for one person. Ideal for the spot behind the door when it is open in summer. No unwanted projection beyond the recycling cupboard. Which I intended to extend with a new top anyway. Or just add a strip across the back to provide a little more room for the baskets.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. There were no tomatoes today. 

 ~o~

17.02.2025 13F/-10.5C!

 ~o~

  Monday 17th 13F/-10C. Another cold one but sunny again. It is three degrees [C] colder than forecast. 

 8.00 Up at 6.15. 57F/14C in the room. The stove is lit. The bathroom, oil-filled radiator is really struggling. Only 55F/13C in there. Despite running almost continuously according to the orange pilot light. I bought a radiator of twice the size for the kitchen and moved the small one to the bathroom. 

 A week ago it was 68F/20C in there. So I turned it right down. The bathroom is losing heat on three sides. The low, overnight temperatures are unusual. The recent winters have been relatively mild. I have often wondered if sitting at the bottom of a low hill caused it to be a cold spot. The lowest I have ever measured here was -25C/-13F. I used several digital thermometers to confirm it. The extension cable to my telescope mounting froze into a giant coil spring. I didn't dare move it until it thawed. 

 8.20 14.7F/-9.5C outside. 24F/-4C in the lean-to greenhouse. The sun will help to raise this later. Now 60F/16C in the room. Time for a walk.

 Just a walk to the lanes in bright sunshine. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my cheek when walking parallel to the sun. The opposite cheek on the return leg. Passing traffic was enough to provide a serious wind chill factor. Walking into the almost imperceptible breeze too. I stopped walking briefly. Just to prove to myself that my own forward motion was enough to make it feel much colder. My fingers were soon cold in my warmest gloves. So it's not the gloves. I must be suffering from poor circulation. I was too warm in my down sweater on the return leg and opened the zip.

 10.10 23F/-5C. The sun has reached the greenhouse: 51F/11C. Rising rapidly! Now 64F/18C in the room. I am so used to colder indoor temperatures that it often feels tropical in office buildings and shops. I dress appropriately at home. Long, thermal underwear under normal indoor clothing. Which includes a warm, wool jumper and wool socks. When we used the old stove we wore down jackets indoors. It could not compete with the modern stove. 

 14.00 Bright sunshine. 31F/-0.6C outside. 68F/20C in the room. 87F/31C in the greenhouse. 66F/19C upstairs. Still only 55F/12.8C in the bathroom. I have only been pottering about and tidying stuff. 

 It is surprisingly difficult to get an accurate temperature reading in the greenhouse. I am using the "Outside" sensors of two digital thermometers. These are mounted on the end of long leads. One sensor is behind the logs near the floor. So receive very little sunlight. Currently reading 69F/20.6C.

 I tried a white card in front of the second sensor. The card must have been absorbing some warmth as it showed a steady 87F/30.6C. Then I hung a large piece of card from the greenhouse roof to shade the white card from direct sunlight. The reading dropped to 85F. 

 Then I found a piece of polystyrene foam packaging about 10mm thick and fixed the sensor to the back of that. Again shaded by the cardboard mounted above. The temperature reading has dropped very slowly to only 80F/26.7C and remained steady. This is the same reading from a remote "pistol" laser guided thermometer. On both the card and the polystyrene.

 The sensor is at about chest height against the white painted brick, house wall. It feels warm standing in the sunshine out there but not tropical. Opening the door to the house would not provide much extra warmth. No doubt the air temperature could be raised with black surfaces on the house wall. To absorb more of the sun's heat free of charge. However the three, living room windows leave little wall space for adding anything useful in area. 

 The greenhouse is no longer well sealed to the house. The sponge draught strip having deteriorated over the years due to UV exposure. Draughts can easily be felt out there in windy weather. The curved, plastic sheeting at the "shoulder" of the greenhouse has sagged away from the aluminium frame. Causing air gaps which are difficult to seal cosmetically. 

 That said, the greenhouse provides a valuable, year round buffer for much of the southern facade. Greatly reducing heat loss. Particularly in sunny weather. I find that spring and autumn are best for borrowing free heat from the greenhouse. 

 The major advantage of a lean-to greenhouse, over wall insulation, is that you can grow tomatoes out there. Or even sit out there when conditions are favourable. Which means warmth and shade. Being under bare glass in sunshine is most unpleasant for most of the year. So don't believe the greenhouse manufacturers ads. Showing models enjoying the sunshine inside their wares! 

 I use two layers of professional growers, external shade net in summer. With open double doors at either end for a cooling draught. These doors are covered in fine metal mesh to keep the insects and wildlife out.

 The cold weather gave me a chance to defrost the freezer compartment. The ice had been getting thick without my noticing. It is -6C/22F outside. So I put the content of the freezer in a cool bag and put it out in the cold. I used a Pyrex bowl of boiling water to loosen the ice. It took a couple of refills. 

 Hopefully the fridge and freezer are now returning to normal. I have a digital thermometer reading the freezer temperature. It is supposed to be -18C [according to Google] but it is still sinking very slowly past -10C.

Dinner was a pork chop with chips and peas. I tried to cook the chop in the oven but had left it too late. So I took it out and fried it. It was fine but the chips were a bit crispy. 

 11.25. The fridge didn't want to start after switch off. It slowly rose from -10 to-6C. So I gave it a nudge and it started working again. -6C is much too warm for the naked boxes and bags of frozen goods. So I have put the cool bag in a storage tub on the table outside. So no animals can get at it. Overnight temperatures are likely to hover around -5C. The cool bag and tub will hopefully use the contents to maintain a lower temperature. Than the freezer compartment and bare frozen foods in their packaging. 

11.35 I just checked again and the freezer temperature has already dropped to -13C. Hopefully I shan't have to stay up all night to see it reach a safe temperature. It is dropping fast now. Down to -16C. I'll bring the bag in from outdoors and put the stuff away.

 ~o~

16.02.2025 42km starting at -5C/23F Brrr! 😖

 ~o~

 Sunday 16th 20F/-6.7C [7.45] The coldest hour is just before dawn. There was a dusting of snow last night. Today will be cold and sunny. Never getting above -1C/30F.  

7.45 Up at 7.15 after a quiet night. Another nose bleed. The fish have been fed. Display cabinets lit. Only 61F/16C in the room. Time to fire up the stove.

 8.10 Walkies! 

 8.50 And back again. The lanes beckoned as the sun rose over the local hill. It took quite a distance to walk off my lower back pain this morning. A few Redwings were foraging on the prairie. Otherwise it was a quiet day for the birds. 

 I was too warm on the outward journey. Then shocked by the chill of the slightest breeze after the turn. Simply pausing made the chill go away. My walking pace was causing the wind chill. I removed my double fleece hat and was more comfortable after that. The sky was almost bereft of cloud. One tiny strip in the distant northwest was all I could find. Which meant I was being blinded by the sun on the way back.

 9.45 23F/-5C. It is much too nice out there to be sitting here. A ride? To what end? The roads have been salted and seem fine. Damp but not slippery. The flea markets are all too depressing. 

 Hoarders, only pretending to offer items for sale. When all they really do is take used junk off the streets and keep it. Much of which looks worse for wear than most charity shop offerings. At least the latter sort the best from the worst and usually present it far more appealingly. If I stay at home I'll only get depressed. Or waste the day away on YT. Right. The e-bike it is! 

 10.30 Ready.

 12.40 29F/-1.7C. Sunny with a NE breeze. Back from a 42km ride. It was very cold on my face and hands but the rest of me was fine. I rode down to the south coast. To look at an old farm we might have bought cheaply, but didn't. Then I rode on to a summer house area. Which we visited a couple of times. There were lots of Whooper swans on the sea. 

 I meandered on the way back. Taking a route on a whim. Despite my hands aching constantly with the cold. I bought some fresh rolls in another supermarket. To leave the dry, over-baked ones to go in the bin. Or perhaps to be toasted. 

 My nose must have bled all morning. My right glove was covered in blood where I had wiped my streaming nose so often. There were a few bloody streaks on my jacket but who cares? Nobody will notice an old fart. Not even in a dayglo jacket with blood on the shoulders.

  Dinner was sausage, mashed potatoes and peas. I washed up while the potatoes simmered. 

 10.30 16F/-9C. It is already colder than predicted for the low point between 6 and 8am tomorrow morning: 8C/18F. It is only supposed to be -7C at the moment. I am trying to get the stove to burn a little longer than usual tonight. With a couple of large logs well alight before reducing the air supply slightly.

 ~o~