2.04.2025 Why is everything fuzzy?

 ~o~

  Wednesday 2nd 40F/4.4C. Another sunny day is promised. Close to 50F/10C mid-afternoon. Light winds. 

 Up at 6am after a bad night. I was awake for hours. No idea why. I got up eventually to have a drink of apple juice. I didn't dare sit on the computer with black coffee.

 I am expected at my friend's place this morning. With physio afterwards I will have to go a bit earlier than usual. I don't feel any ill effects from yesterday's marathon ride. Three tablets short of a set when I sorted out my heart medication. I'll have to visit the pharmacy. 

 7.20 Going for a short walk top check my fitness..

 The blinding sun was over the horizon. The birds were typically noisy. With only a chilly NE breeze spoiling the fun. I looped around the neighbours' drives. No ill effects from yesterday. Time for a shower.

 8.15 Leaving.  

 12.00 Returned from my visit. It was very pleasant wandering outside in his extensive grounds.

 13.00 Leaving for physio. The car keep hiccuping!

 15.30 Back from physio. Where I became rather dizzy towards the end. My vision became all fuzzy and sparkly. Probably pushing myself too hard. Perhaps my blood pressure has dropped too low and my medications need adjusting. I'll make an appointment for a chat with the doctor. 

 15.45 Time for a nap. I opened the greenhouse door. It is 118F/48C out there! It reached only a modest 68F/20C in the room.

 Dinner was yet another fry-up. Fried chicken, brown mushrooms, tweggs and cherry tomatoes.

 

  ~o~

1st April 2025 115km/71 miles.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 1st 30F/-1C. A white, overnight frost. To be followed by another sunny day. Promising 13C/55F maximum after lunch. With light winds from the NE going more easterly later. A perfect day for a ride? I have put the spare battery on charge. After it dropped to 50% during yesterday's short [23km] ride. With further rides before that.

 Up at 6.40 after yet another quiet night. I am aching as if I had worked hard yesterday, but didn't. An early walk will help. The room has dropped to 61F/16C overnight. I did not light the stove as it reached 71F/22C in the afternoon. Thanks to the boost from the 100F/38C greenhouse. 

 It is a chilly 41F/5C this morning. There is little thermal storage out there. Apart from the brick floor and house wall. So temperatures fluctuate violently between overnight frost and unbroken sunshine. I have made little attempt to control the shrubbery in the front garden so far this year. So I could achieve a little more solar gain by reducing shadowing. 

 A more cosmetic "gardening" approach would be rather more sensible. Because I shall soon be shading the greenhouse with commercial quality shade net. Once the excessive daytime temperatures are no longer desired. To warm the house in lieu of expensive firewood. Of which I probably have slightly more than a week's worth of reserve toasting in the greenhouse. Plus the huge heap of chestnut logs outside if times become really hard. They have been out there for three years so should be combustible.

 8.00. 33F/0.6C. Sunshine. Time for a walk. I see there is ice on the small pond this morning. I had better wear my down sweater.

 8.30 38F/3.3C. And back again. Another loop around the spray tracks and back along the neighbours' beautiful drive. Only half an hour elapsed but probably slightly more exercise than walking the busy road. I must have chosen a poor time because the traffic was nose to tail. With a few gaps. My bare hands were cold but soon warmed up in my pockets. The total absence of discernible wind helped. Despite the local turbine group all turning briskly! 

8.50  I'll have morning coffee while I decide where to go for a ride. 

 Bogense, on the north coast, would be a pleasant destination. My plan to go via the least busy lanes is thwarted by a [minor] road closure. A new railway bridge is crossing the expanding motorway. Lots of work stretching along that entire area. So I'll have to look for another route. Or another destination. While avoiding the main roads. Which I have ridden numerous times on my trike. All the roads are undulating and beautiful but spoilt by the traffic while cycling. No doubt they feel much the same way about us on our bikes/trikes. 

 Change of destination. Otterup is 50km away via minor roads. So a 100km round trip. Unless I detour. As is my wont.

 10.10 46F/8C. Lunch packed, time to go. 

 17.00 Back from a 115km ride to Otterup. The detours forced by multiple road closures were a torment! Particularly as they occurred towards the end of a long ride. Just under 7 hours total duration. Averaging 21.5km/hr while moving. 

 I felt as if I was being cut in half by the saddle for most of the ride. Having to stop frequently to escape from the pain. I was wearing my best Assos bibs. A fool and his money are soon parted. 

 I felt dizzy and my sight went fuzzy as I sat at the computer. So I went straight to bed for a 40 minute nap. Fortunately I felt better after that.

 Dinner was baked beans on toast. With a buttered roll.

 

  ~o~

31.03.2025 Twenty three completely unnecessary kilometres.

 ~o~

 Monday 31st 39F/4C [8.15] Bright sunshine promised all day. Temperatures reaching almost 12C/53F after lunch. Free solar heat from the greenhouse if I am at home. I need to fetch more logs. To have a safe reserve if temperatures should fall again. Or we have an extended period of cloudy weather. 

 Up at 7.15 after waking much earlier. I managed to stay in bed. 

 8.40 I should have gone for a walk but got sidetracked. By a digital clock which wouldn't change the time. The push buttons had stopped working. Requiring dismantling and shorting out the contacts in turn.  

 9.30 43F/6C. Bright sunshine only slightly spoilt by a cold north breeze. Returned from a loop of the spray tracks out on the fields. Passing by my neighbour. Who was exercising one of her horses. Three Mallard ducks were scrapping on the field pond. The first I have ever seen there. I kept as far away as possible so as not to disturb them. I have run out of rolls. That will teach me not to go shopping. I will have to make do with a digestive biscuit.   

 10.15 Going for a shopping ride into the nearest village.

  12.00 47F/8.3C. Back from a 23km ride to shops in the village. Going the long way both times through the forest. The ride was spoilt by the cold wind regardless of my direction of travel. It would only have been 10km total if I had taken the main road.

 13.45 51.4F/11C. The greenhouse door is open to share the warmth. Currently showing 100F/38C. It reached 71F/22C indoors.

 14.20 I have been doing some minor gardening. Moving logs and stacking pruned branches from shrubs. Pulling up bunches of dry plant stems from last year's growth. There are lots of huge water beetles in the small pond. Now that it is full I have moved the gutter down pipe away. To avoid flushing the wildlife out of the pond if it rains heavily.

 The lady from the village called. Staying for quite a while while we chatted. 

 Dinner was chicken, brown mushrooms, baked beans and two, free range eggs. I washed up first. I really need to invent a means of supporting the washing up bowl when not in use. It takes up far too much room on the tail end of the working surface.

 

  ~o~

30.03.2025 Fighting the e-bike cold!

 ~o~

  Sunday 30th 44F/6.7C. Overcast and expected to rain all morning or beyond. It has been a very dry month until now. The small pond is already almost full from the roof down pipe.

 Up at [8.15] after waking at [6am] and dozing. Guess who forgot to put the clocks forward? 

 No immediate plans for today. As usual I have lower back pain. So should go for a walk. It always helps within a few hundred meters. It's not as if I can't easily make myself waterproof. Though I seem to have developed feeling cold. I have been sleeping in a warm jumper over my usual T-shirt. The room was at 71F/22C at bedtime but I felt cold all evening.

 Is this some kind of mild hypothermia? The result of getting chilled on the e-bike? My higher average speed and windy weather may be slowly cooling my core temperature. It's not as if I feel particularly chilled at the time. Though you could hardly describe it as warm. There is none of the hard work climbing hills on an e-bike. So I don't usually get sweaty.

 I have just gone over to the Endura rain jacket as temperatures rise. From the warmer, layered jacket I have been wearing this winter. A "Game" jacket claiming to be 4000 breathable, 3-membrane, water repellent and windproof by ID Tech. After many rides down to -10C I have no reason to disbelieve them. I wish ID Tech made winter cycling gloves!

 This "Game" jacket is high viz yellow/green and always noticeably warmer than the Endura. Yet not the least bit sweaty. So it must be highly breathable too. The Endura is windproof but, being thin, flattens itself against my chest and arms due to the constant headwind I generate. Becoming noticeably cold on my front on a longer ride in colder weather. The Endura doesn't breathe nearly as well as the "Game" and needs to be unzipped if it gets too warm. As I did yesterday. Unzipping is not helpful. It instantly chills the sweat already built up in what is basically an expensively tailored, bin bag. 

 The "Game" jacket is almost perfect. Except, that it is a walking jacket with hip pockets. So, not specifically for cycling. Where rear pockets are the norm and highly desirable. This rear pocket arrangement avoids conflicts with the pocket contents when pedaling rapidly. If these hip pockets aren't used then there are usually no other useful pockets to be found. 

 Which is why I have settled on cargo trousers. Therein lies a potential problem I have completely overlooked. I have given up wearing long, thermal underwear. To avoid saddle discomfort due to multiple layers between myself and the saddle.

 Hence my constant search for a warm, windproof, winter cycling jacket in the charity shops. Investing in a brand new, cycling jacket would be very expensive and a complete lottery as to its benefits. Finding an honest product review online. Is to simultaneously believe in fairies, aliens and political promises. 

 You can almost see the wads of bank notes bulging in the reviewer's pockets! At the last count I had 16, mostly recycled jackets. Some of them from famous outdoor brands and supposedly membrane high tech. Being slightly secondhand doesn't make then any more waterproof or remotely less sweaty! So why would I be daft enough to spend literally hundreds of pounds equivalent? On a brand new version of their worthless crap at one of their corrupt "dealers?"   

 [9.45] 46F/8C. I really must go for a walk. Which jacket shall I wear? The Ventile. For its useful hood in case of rain or wind. Heavy but dependable. It also looks the part for a rural walker.

 10.30 I have returned from a walk to the lanes. It was dry with a niggling SW wind. Until a short shower at the turn. Lots of birds about. Including the pair of geese which fly in circles every day. While complaining bitterly about something or other. A small flock of Fieldfares was lodging in the big ash tree on the drive again. The sky is breaking up. With occasional bright holes and even a little blue in places.  

 11.00 I have put the clocks forwards as the sun came out. [Briefly] The times on my blog have been altered to match today's supposed reality.

 17.00 49F/9C. Watery, sunny periods. The greenhouse barely made it to 70F/21C. I actually remembered to drag two recycling bins along the drive, in daylight! For emptying, early tomorrow morning. 

 Dinner was fish fingers, peas and chips.

 

  ~o~

29.03.2025 Out and about.

 ~o~

  Saturday 29th 40F/4.4C. Rather overcast. The forecast is for sunshine after 8am. Reaching a maximum of 13C/55F. Increasingly breezy from the west.

 Up at 5.45 after a quiet night. I had been awake for a while and became bored.

 No real plans for today. I need to get some more goldfish food. The local outlet doesn't open until 11.00. I have flakes but they prefer the tiny, floating balls.

 7.00 Going for a walk. 

 8.00 And back again. I walked to my usual turning point in the lanes. Then extended it up the hill. I could already see my shadow on the road by 7.25. The mist was variable and patchy. Lifting like dirty grey clouds in the sunshine. As it thickened overall. I should have had my camera. To properly capture the scenes spread out below me. You'll have to make do with a few snaps from my phone. I couldn't see a thing on the screen. My legs had some fatigue in them at start but it soon dissipated.

 9.30 I have been removing items from the observatory. Lots of glass jars of screws, nails and assorted stuff need to be moved to the shed. Plus some weeding of dead material from last year. Ripping the stalks by the handful works best. Though I am really not in the mood for any of it. The observatory and garden reek of nostalgia. It's all just making me horribly depressed. I'll have to escape.

 12.00 Back from the shops with a fresh bag of fish food. I had a leisurely look around a builders merchant. 

 12.40 52F/11.7C. Greenhouse door open. 110F/38C in the greenhouse. 68/20C indoors. Going for a ride to another shopping village. 

 14.15 Returned from my shopping ride of 20km. It looks as if I was ripped off by Netto again. 13kr on the shelf. 13.90kr at the checkout. I questioned it and the girl said something about a machine. Which I didn't understand. As there was a long queue [again] I dropped it.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. This time I placed the tray on the next shelf down in the oven. Thereby avoiding the burnt corners on the toast. Previously caused by the close proximity to the grill element.

 

 ~o~

28.03.2025 98km/61 miles.

 ~o~

 Friday 28th 41F/5C. Bright sunshine is promised all day. Light southerly winds going westwards later. The hedges are already rocking. Which makes no sense.

 Up at 6.30 after a busy night tending the fire bucket. Vivid dreams. I presume one or more of my heart medications is having some effect.

 A mild, sunny day strongly suggests I go for a proper ride. Both batteries are fully charged. I need a change of scenery. But where to go? I had better have a look at the map.

 Nearly 9am. I have been preparing more patiently than usual. Lunch rolls and thermos packed. Spare clothes for warmer conditions later. Or warmer clothes if I become cold. Heading east. Possibly Ringe and the old railway, cycle path. Which I always enjoy. Lovely countryside by any route. 

 16.00 Returned from a  ride to Ringe, returning via Korinth. After riding the cycle path between the two towns. For a total distance of 98.2km. In a very wobbly triangle on the map. There was, or felt like, a headwind all day. Bright sunshine, but the wind made it feel much cooler. Only a single e-cyclist and two pedestrians were on the cycle path. I was averaging 30kph on the outwards leg. Only a little over 20kph on the return. With a fresh battery change ensuring plenty of reserve. To allow generous use of Turbo mode. To help me get over the hills as I tired.

 I dropped in on my English friend. As I was passing his door on the way home. It was good to have a rest for a while. I suffered from frequent saddle discomfort. Not soreness from friction. Despite wearing my obscenely expensive Assos bibs. [Padded racing shorts with wide, stretchy braces] Taking short breaks seemed to help. 

 I ate the cheese roll at 11am and the jam roll at 12.00. Several Corny sub-micro bars were consumed later in the ride. The seemingly tiny, 500ml Thermos flask was more than adequate. To supply a small cup of black coffee to go with a chocolate bar or roll. I even had some coffee left to enjoy after dinner. Still piping hot after many hours. My coffee mugs at home hold 300ml. So, the Thermos holds not quite two whole mugs worth.

 The tiny cup actually suited my needs perfectly. No waiting for ages for it to cool down. Nor excessive quantities causing indigestion or fullness. Nor needing to stop more than is usually required.  My only complaint was the lack of flat surfaces. On which to perch the cup while I chewed a Corny bar. In retrospect I could have used the asphalt on the quiet roads I used. I tended  to look out for benches but there were very few to be found.

 16.30 The greenhouse door is opened to warm the house. 70F/21C indoors. I am going to have a 40 minute nap to recover.

 Dinner was organic sausage, mushrooms, two free range eggs and boiled potatoes.

 

  ~o~

27.03.2025 A nice little earner!

 ~o~

  Thursday 27th 43F/6C. Overcast and expected to remain cloudy all day. Increasingly windy, with gusts up to 13m/s from the SW.

 Up at 7.15 after another quiet night. I woke earlier and dozed. 

 Cooking class this morning.  I'll drive there. Foolishly, I have nearly run out of petrol. So will have to detour into the village. Though I will probably still make it on time.

 14.00 Back from cooking class. We were only six today. Two hares appeared on the grass outside the kitchen windows. They paused for a moment before making a wild dash for cover. I made a large dish of mashed potatoes. About 1.5kg.

 We started with salmon on toasted french bread. Then there was a chicken dish with mushrooms and assorted vegetables in a sauce. Followed by a meringue cake covered in fruit and grated chocolate. Which I forgot to photograph.

 I shopped on the way home. Netto supermarket is back to its usual tricks. A higher price on the checkout than on the shelves. At least ten people waiting on the only checkout open. The teenager, the only member of staff visible in the large store. 

 The woman in front of me was ripped off as well and was being refunded the difference in cash. I started demanding a receipt, which is not automatically forthcoming, when I was repeatedly robbed by Netto in the past. 

 The checkout staff always feign ignorance. That they don't know what the customer is talking about. If every customer is cheated out of small change it all adds up. What the British call: "A nice little earner!" When referring to criminal activity. Unfortunately Denmark has no official consumer protection. 

 16.30 I woke from a nap to find it was 64F/17.8C indoors. So I lit the stove. Watery sunshine has broken through now it is too late to warm the greenhouse. It has been stinking for days thanks to the farmers spreading pig's diarrhea on the local fields.

 Tomorrow promises sunshine, mild temperatures and a light, southerly wind.

 

 

 ~o~

26.03.2025 A busy day.

 ~o~

  Wednesday 26th 39F/4C. A bright start to a promising, sunny day. It could reach 13C/55F after lunch. A modest NW wind.

 Up at 5.50 after a very quiet night. I am going to visit my English friend before attending physio. Which meant shifting my usual visiting times to earlier than usual. To leave me time to drive home, change, have lunch and go onto my physio class. Which is 20-30 minute away from home by car. Depending on local road closures for district heating expansion.

 6.45 The sun is already above the horizon and flooding the garden with golden light. Small birds are flitting about. The air is full of skylarks singing overhead.

 8.00 42F/4.6C. I put some laundry into the machine. Had a shower. Just another day at the office. The brightness, tidiness and cleanliness has spurred me into doing chores. Which I usually put off or ignore. This must be the earliest I ever did the washing up. I am trying to do it every day but lapsed last night. 

 I made my lunch rolls and put them in the fridge. Which will save time later. I sorted my eight, daily tablets into the dispenser.  Found the clothes I'll need for physio. The regulars wear tight, gym orientated clothing but I prefer a loose T-shirt and fleece shorts. Which help me stay cool while exercising indoors. Where it is warmer than I'd usually have it at home.  

 8.15 Almost time to leave. The Morris started well. I checked the oil and radiator. 

 12.00 Safely back from my visit. The sunshine made it pleasant to be outside.

 12.45 About to leave for my physio class. 

 15.30 55F/13C. Returned from physio class and shopping.

 17.30 My nice neighbours came over with some of their free range eggs. They came in and we had a nice chat. In English. They are both fluent. Which is nice for me. Being able to chat effortlessly. I was able to show off my new kitchen. In fact it was perfect timing. Because I had already tidied and cleaned thoroughly. For my other visitor on Monday.

 Dinner was two free range eggs, organic sausage and mushrooms. Helped down with a buttered roll and an organic beer.

 

  ~o~

25.03.2025 Demolition restarted.

 ~o~

  Tuesday 25th 40F/4.4C. Weather change. Grey and increasingly breezy today. A high of 8C/46F. Gusting to 12m/s from the WSW. Possible rain.

 Up at 6.45 after a disturbed night. I was too cold in bed after feeling cold all evening. So finally I got up and put on a warm jumper. It was 70F/21C indoors but I still had to put on a jumper and fleece jacket. 

 7.45 62F/16.7C indoors this morning. I ought to light the stove. No sun to warm the greenhouse today. It was great while it lasted. Sunny again tomorrow. Then no proper sun for a week. Outdoor temperatures averaging 9-10C [48-50F] I'll have to fetch another trailer full of logs.

 8.00 What to do today? Back to the demolition of the observatory? Dunno. It's depressing enough when it is sunny. Not in the mood for gardening either. I'll have a walk to see how I feel.

 9.00 It felt rather chilly. Though the ground was still fairly dry. So I looped around the spray tracks again. While I still could. I saw several Yellowhammers, Wagtails and lots of Chaffinches. The neighbour's cockerels were having a scrap from both sides of a wire fence. A Long-tailed tit was investigating the shrubs in the front garden. Looking for a nest site? The wind has already picked up. With the hedges swaying and the beech leaves in the front hedge fluttering constantly.

 11.45 45F/7C. Heavy overcast. In for a badly needed rest from demolition. I wasn't in the mood for a ride nor a drive. The entire outer skeleton and plywood cladding are gone. I built this expansion in readiness for the larger [4.3m/14' fibreglass] dome. Which was eventually given away for pocket change. 

 Now I can start work on the original, octagonal, observatory building. Held together by a combination of galvanized bolts and Torx screws. As can be seen I am making no attempt to be tidy. The tidy pile of timber is out of sight to the left.

 12.15  71F/22C indoors. My nose is still bleeding. I have been pinching and plugging for half an hour but it won't stop. It is running down my throat. Which isn't recommended.

12.35 I gave it another 15 minutes of uninterrupted pinching. With tissue plugging and leaning forwards. A huge blood "worm" clot came out with the tissue. The bleeding seems to have slowed. I have probably been overdoing it on the demolition. Not helped by at least three kind of blood thinning tablets. 

 I was working hard on loading [and unloading] the brambles yesterday. Even pushing the trailer around on the soft ground but that didn't cause a nosebleed.

 12.45 It has stopped. I'll see if I can manage lunch. 

 13.15 It is raining! Short lived.

 16.00 Back for a rest after another stint on the demolition. Removing the double doors and the plywood on the central pier. More daylight is visible through the structure now. I can even see my 175m distant neighbours across the back field. 

 One large Torx screw won't come out. Making the last piece of plywood very difficult to remove. Even when levering with a long crowbar. The same occurred on the door hinges. Crap quality steel or poor production tolerances. 

 Dinner was fish fingers, peas and chips.

 

  ~o~

24.03.2025 Much ado about nothing.

 ~o~

  Monday 24th 36F/2C. A light overnight frost. Smudgy brightness in the east. Some sunshine and much lighter winds are forecast today.

 Up at 6.15 after a more disturbed night. The fire bucket beckoned all too often. Though I slept well in between.

 7.00 The sun is struggling to break through the clouds this morning. The kommune bereavement therapist is visiting at lunch time. The house is almost ready for her. As always I have been very busy tidying and cleaning. I always use her visits as a spur to self-improvement.

 I need to shop this morning. Having run out of rolls and other basics. Nothing very bulky. So I could go on the bike. Or, take the trailer full of brambles. That would be more sensible. Parking at the supermarkets is no longer a problem with trailers after the recent expansion. If I go early enough there will be no competition for space anyway. 

  7.45 The trailer is back up onto the parking space and the contents lashed down. It is going to be a two trip run to clear it all. I shall have to make a proper ramp up from the lower garden. The Morris is rear wheel drive so managed it without too much wheelspin. 

 This area used to be a vast, 20' high hedge. Initially I made it into a steep slope. To clearly mark the end of the mostly level, expanded parking space and the beginning of my wife's, gently sloping flower bed. Now my nose is bleeding! 

 8.30 Back from the recycling yard and supermarket. I was too early and caught the huge yard [20m x 25m?] still full to the brim with garden waste from a busy weekend. The garden waste area is open 24x365 but not manned except during opening hours for the full container yard. Only three days per week including Saturday.

 A giant front loader promptly arrived and started pushing everything to the back wall. Which took only seconds per run. Leaving me desperately trying to empty my trailer of prickly brambles. While he sat waiting in the machine. I had taken a rake with me but brambles do not readily let go of each other. Nor the perforated sides of the trailer. So I used the trailer's manual tipping function and that helped greatly. The supermarket car park was almost empty. So I looped around and parked easily in a double parking space.

 9.00 Morning coffee over. I'll clear the rest of the garden waste into the trailer.  

 10.15 47F/8.3C. Back from a second trip to the recycling yard. I managed to fill the trailer to the brim again. Now I have just moved the last of the large, chestnut logs to the boundary. It it warming much more slowly in the greenhouse with the sun slightly veiled by cloud. Currently 82F/28C in the greenhouse. I have opened the greenhouse door to the house anyway. The room is only at 64F/18C. So will gain some warmth by lunch time. 

 11.00 Washing up done and the kitchen cleaned again. It has reached 66F/19C in the room. I had better have my shower. 

 11.45 51F/10.6C. 92F/33C in the greenhouse. 67F/19C in the room. All the internal doors are wide open. 

 12.00 68F/20C indoors.

 13.30 53F/11.7C. I have just seen my first yellow butterfly of this year. 71F/22C indoors. My visitor hasn't arrived.   

 My visitor never turned up.

 

 ~o~

23.03.2025 Brambles! Be gone!

 ~o~

  Sunday 23rd 41F/5C [7.15] Another sunny day spoilt by an easterly wind. It might reach 9C/48F after lunch.

 7.15 Up at 6.45 after a very quiet night. My legs and back are aching slightly. Another nose bleed! It feels odd to find everything clean and tidy indoors.

 I am free to do what I will today. Within the limitations of the wind. Everything is moving in the garden. Peak gusts of 15m/s at 10am. [34mph] Then averaging over 13m/s gusts for the rest of the day. 

 7.50 Going for a walk.            

 The wind was worse than I feared. It wasn't bitterly cold but strong enough to be a real nuisance. My Ventile winter jacket was chosen for its protective hood. A Red kite provided a flying display as it fought the wind over the house. Wings outstretched, tipping this way and that. A pair of Yellowhammers alighted in a roadside hedge. When they took off again they instantly accelerated to a ridiculous speed downwind. 

 The Sunday traffic was very light. So I felt no need to escape to the fields today. More and more electric vehicles are appearing on the roads. The VW Buzz van seems very popular.    

 10.30 48F/9C. I have loaded the trailer with the chopped brambles. They are stiff enough to take up far more room than they should. I keep pressing them down but there is too much resistance. 

 Then I moved most of the huge, Horse chestnut logs. Down the garden towards the boundary. They are very heavy and not round enough to roll. Most of them had to be lifted and flipped face over and face. Very hard work! I was quite breathless and dripping with sweat. Now I am back indoors for a rest.

 Dinner was chicken, mushrooms and boiled potatoes.

  

  ~o~

22.03.2025 Spring cleaning.

 ~o~

  Saturday 22nd 37F/2.8C. Bright sunshine and 8C/46F maximum will be rather spoilt by a strong, easterly wind. A chilly 61F/16C in the room. Everything in the garden is moving in the wind already.

 Up at 6.45 after another quiet night. I can stand up and sit down again without severe pain in my legs. No immediate plans for today. Continue with the observatory demolition? Get rid of the heap of brambles? The garden waste recycling is open all day, every day. So there's no pressure there. No point in wasting a Saturday when I can go at any time that the whim takes me. 

 The recycling yard is open but there is nothing desperately needing to be cleared. Except for the large heap of unusable, demolition timber and plywood. The local yard's scrap metal system is absolutely ludicrous. Very tall shipping containers and lots of old farts struggling up the steep, metal stairs. 

 If I drive far enough, to another yard. I can comfortably toss the metal over a low wall into a sunken container. Quadruple the journey time though, compared to the local yard. Which makes a bit of a mockery regarding recycling to save the planet. 

 9.30 43F/6C. My legs are still stiff and achy.  I have decided to begin the mammoth task of tidying and cleaning. In readiness for my official visitor on Monday. It takes ages to make a dent in my untidiness. I never have enough storage containers. Those I do have are always the wrong size. I am constantly trying to segregate tools and "stuff." Which demands ever more containers. Preferably shallow enough to quickly examine the contents and select my quarry without rummaging.

 11.15. The greenhouse door is open to warm the house. Another day's worth of logs saved. 

 12.00 48F/9C. 65F/18C in the room. When in doubt put everything upstairs! Out of sight. Out of mind.

 13.30 50F/10C. 68F/20C in the room. Ground floor vacuumed. Cleared all the detritus from assorted surfaces, tables and shelves. All the floor tiles have been brushed, vacuumed and mopped several times. I wiped down all the paneled doors. Dust tends to collect on the moldings. 

 The bathroom has been cleaned all over and under. The kitchen sink and the wall tiles are next. It's a constant battle with hardness in the water. It leaves orange/brown stains everywhere. Most Danish drinking water comes from deep boreholes.

 17.00 70F/21C in the room. Greenhouse door closed. The sun has gone behind the trees. My legs have recovered thanks to all the different activities. 

 I washed up first. Dinner was mackerel on toast in tomato sauce.

  ~o~

21.03.2025 75km.

 ~o~

  Friday 21st 37F/2.8C. Bright again. Increasing easterly wind.

 Up at 6am after a very quiet night. My thighs are still hurting. I am having to take tiny steps and using  the chair arms to help me get up and sit down. I shall attempt a walk. In the hope that it loosens up my damaged muscles.

 Some sick bar-steward is using superglue on the organic milk cartons again. I had to use a fork to try and break the glue bond on the pouring spout. This is just a glued fold in the top of the cardboard box. I must have opened thousands of cartons over the years by finger pressure alone. This time the cardboard was literally destroyed and the glue still held firm. Now there is a large hole in the base of the spout. Unless I overhang the bowl or cup. Most of the milk ends up on the countertop. 

 I can't discard it. Because it is my last carton of milk before I go shopping. I don't have a milk jug. If there was one it was probably donated to charity three years ago. Or wrapped in newspaper and joined the pretty china collection upstairs. 

 7.20 Walkies.

 8.00 Back again after a loop around the spray tracks. Still nicely dry to avoid muddy boots. It was too cold for bare hands. Still a white frost on the grass and the car roof as I came home. A skylark landed a few meters away on the drive. I watched it through my binoculars as it pecked at microscopic items on the gravel. Greenfinches wheezed in the trees above. My legs objected to walking downhill. Probably because they were having to resist my weight. Steadily improving throughout my walk. I have to go shopping. So I'll try the e-bike again. 

 9.30 45F/7.2C. I can climb the stairs but it is painful coming back down. I'll ride into the village to shop. Just to see if my legs will manage a few km.

 10.45 50F/10C Back from the shops. 16km. I took the hilly, forest route home to see if it caused any pain. It was fine except for the cold. Thanks to the easterly wind I just touched 50kph/30mph on a long descent. It is a beautiful route. High hedges and woods mixed with open views across the bumpy countryside. 

 I wore thinner gloves and a light rain jacket from Endura. My eyes and nose were streaming but the rest of me was quite comfortable. Ironically it was having to lift my weight off the saddle which hurt. This allowed the gas strut in the dropper post to function. Pedaling was fine and caused no pain. I used Turbo mode on the numerous climbs. I am still not sure I am ready for a much longer ride.

 12.00 53F/11.7C. I am going for a ride. So that means I need to take my lunch with me. Two rolls,[one cheese one jam] a banana, a Corny sub-micro, chocolate bar and my first use of my shiny, stainless steel, Thermos Flask. I have made black coffee as an experiment. 

 15.30 Back from a ride to the north for 75km total today. The battery had dropped to 12% charge from 82%. With barely any range left. Perhaps a couple of kilometers. Not helped by the headwind all the way home. Dropping to Tour mode gave me just enough help to get home. I visited two more village, charity shops. No pain in my legs while I was pedaling. It felt as if I was being split in half by the saddle. 

 I was grateful for a proper lunch at 1pm. Where I stopped at a rural sand quarry with a huge lake formed by their ongoing activities. The coffee in the flask was scalding hot. Cooling quickly when the tiny cup was held in the hand. Made of plastic lined stainless steel. So it didn't burn my fingers but cooled quickly enough. Not to be waiting long for it to be drinkable. Ideal from all points of view. The pouring mechanism was a see-saw switch. Very useful, controllable and safe.

 There was even enough coffee left. For another cup with the banana at 3pm. I had paused in a lay-by with seating to have a rest from the saddle and traffic. I was wearing an old pair of DHB padded racing shorts under my cargo trousers. Probably over 15 years old. 

 The work on the motorway expansion caused me major detours via main roads. With no short cuts for cyclists or walkers. The traffic was constant and exhausting. I escaped to the lanes as soon as it was possible.

 I have opened the greenhouse to share the 102F/39C warmth. It has already reached 69F/21C in the room and climbing to 70F/21C. I brought in the towels from the rotary airer. The wind and sunshine had overcome the modest temperatures. To dry the towels. My legs still hurt when I walk.

 Dinner was chicken, mushrooms, tweggs and chips. I did the washing up while the chips cooked. The eggs were a week out of date. I didn't notice when I bought them at a discount. I made sure they were well cooked. Just in case. For the chips I used 180C and fan assisted, middle shelf in the oven. They weren't rock hard like they usually area. Still far too crisp compared to deep fat fried. Perhaps this is a weakness of oven chips.

 

 ~o~

20.03.2025 Oh, the pain!

 ~o~

  Thursday 20th 35F/1.7C. Another overnight frost. Bright, with another sunny day promised. Though much more cloudy than yesterday. It could reach 13C/55F this afternoon.

 Up at 6.30 after a quiet night. I am aching all over from yesterday's physio class. My thighs are really painful when I stand up. I have been massaging my quadriceps to relieve the pain. I was doing a lot of squats yesterday. Usually with weights up to 16kg. 

 Am I fit to have a proper ride today? I had been looking forwards to going further. I had several rides this week. No ill effects until now. I had better have a walk to see if that helps. Or throws up more complications. 

 8.10. Back from a short walk. Cold on my hands. No real problems with leg pain while walking. If I take the spare bike battery I can use Turbo mode to assist me to get home if need be.

 9.15 I could barely crouch to fit the battery in the e-bike! It is painful to walk about indoors. I must be an idiot to go for a ride today! I'll have a short ride to see if it is worth going further.

 9.30 46F/7.8C. I had a test ride for a few hundred meters down the road. It hurts when I pedal. No ride today. I'll go for a drive instead. 

 12.45 57F/14C. Mostly sunny. Back from a drive to several villages to the north. I visited six charity shops. Timed it to return in time for lunch. My legs were hurting all morning. Walking, climbing steps and getting in and out of the car was very painful. Mostly due to my quadriceps on the front of my thighs.

 Dinner was fish fingers, pasta, peas and tinned tomatoes. I have been in agony all day. I can't sit from standing. Nor stand from sitting. Without fierce pain in the front of my thighs. It seems to be getting worse. I only missed two physio classes. I have been cycling decent distances. Why am I suffering?

  

  ~o~

19.03.2025 Brambles and physio.

 ~o~

Wednesday 19th 35F/2C. Bright sunshine. White frost on the car and grass. The little pond is iced over. A pleasant spring day is promised. Perhaps reaching 8.5C/47C after lunch. 

 I might ride to physio. I'll see how I feel. It might be better to go for a ride this morning. Then drive there. Otherwise there is too much messing about with clothing. The changing rooms too far from the gym to be useful.

 Up at 7.30 after dozing for ages. Nosebleed. Ten minutes of pinching finally stopped the flood.

 10.00 Morning coffee. Another half hour working on the brambles. Almost gone now. The view is from the balcony window. 25m from the western boundary. My nose is still trying to bleed. I am doing much more raking than earlier. It is easier now that the ground is relatively clear. The rake can tease out the long runners. Preparing them for the chop with the loppers. 

The cheap, unused pair I found in the shed are already rounding off on the blades. They no longer cut cleanly. Just a few hours cutting soft, blackberry stems. Garbage quality steel. Tarted up with a flash coating of something bright and cosmetic. I know I could sharpen them but to what effect? A few more hours and they will be blunt again.

 11.45 Back to the brambles. Almost finished. I had to come in. My nose won't stop bleeding!

  Using a combination of plugging and pinching I stopped the blood flow. Now I have had early dinner. To avoid exercising on a full stomach at physio class.

  The greenhouse is warming the house again. The thermometer is showing 100F/38C out there.

 15.30 48F/9C. Back from physio class. We really get a good workout. I shopped on the way home. Bright sunshine all day. I must have a ride tomorrow. Fåborg is nice.

 Dinner will be toast. Probably tweggs. Fried or boiled? Poached.

 

 ~o~

18.03.2025 Brambles and raking the pond.

 ~o~

 Tuesday 18th 32F/0C. A sunny morning, reaching almost 7C after lunch. Rather breezy from the west. A white frost on the car.

 Up at 7am after lying awake from 2-4am. The air felt cold in the night though I was comfortable under my down duvet. Currently 61F/16C in the room. Stove lit. 68F/20C at bedtime. Though the stove had gone out.

 I shall be driving to visit my English friend after an extended lull due to flu. He caught it before I did. Which doubled the period for our recovery. 

 I could ride there but am put off by the relatively low temperatures. It is almost 30km each way. Depending on the route I take. A longer duration in the saddle with no chance to warm up on the way. All routes are delightful. As they pass through undulating, rural countryside. 

 8.15 Time for a walk.

 8.45 Just another tour around the spray tracks on the fields. The wind was cold on my hands. Flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings were moving about on the fields. Skylarks overhead. The traffic was very busy and noisy.

 I have just paid for the Nyon anti-theft service. I had no idea if I was still registered. The Connect app is just circling endlessly after I agreed to all permissions and paid online.

 13.00 Returned from visiting my friend. The wind has increased and it feels cold. I shopped on the way home. 

I spent half an hour raking the fibreglass dish pond clear of leaves. The bottom was solid with fallen leaves. Fortunately the rake cannot damage the fibreglass. As it might with a rubber membrane, pond liner. It is important to allow anything removed from the pond to lie nearby. So that any wildlife can safely return to the sanctuary of their home. 

 The down pipe from the front gutter on the house has now been extended over to the pond. Not very pretty but it will soon raise the water level if it rains. The area of the roof being so much larger than that of the pond. Burying the pipe would not take more than about half an hour. After that I went back to attacking the brambles. I am making steady progress.

 Dinner was a fry-up. Of chicken, brown mushrooms and tweggs.

 

  ~o~

17.03.2025 33km, brambles and Nyon startup problem.

 ~o~

  Monday 17th 29F/-32C. Rather cool, but full sun, all day. Reaching almost 6C after lunch. Wind light and variable from different directions.

 Up at 7am after a quiet night. I got up at 6am but went straight back to bed. It is 63F/17C in the room [8.00] I ought to go for a walk.

  No real plans for today. Chopping brambles or a chilly ride? 

 9.00 I walked around the field by the spray tracks again. It was much drier than yesterday. After which I was met by a small guard dog. One of my neighbours approached but I offered only a wave. I should probably have stopped to chat. 

 There has been almost no contact with these neighbours since they rebuilt the old farm and added a drive on a vast, new embankment to their business. To avoid using the same drive as scrap man and his hideous eyesore of junk spread right right across two fields. To which end they have now added berms, bushes and trees to shield their view. A work in progress given the time to achieve any real growth.

 10.30 Another half an hour spent on the brambles. I still haven't adequately captured the scale of the operation with my phone camera. I just measured from the head of the rake in the foreground. To the boundary fence in the background. It is just over 10 meters. [32'] 

The image at left left was taken from upstairs. I should have removed the large logs from the horse chestnut I felled. They provided cover for the brambles to explode in area.

 15.00 42F/5.6C. Returned from a ride to Assens. The Bosch NYON head repeatedly refused to turn on before I left. It took probably ten minutes to wake up. The bike battery was at 100%. Imagine if that happened miles from home! Riding that way home without ANY assistance whatsoever.

 Was it a problem with the anti-theft app? No idea. It is supposed make it impossible for a thief to match any other NYON head than that which has been paired to the e-bike by the owner. Bosch charges a modest fee per year for this service. I have no idea how to tell if it is active. It advertises the service without checking if the legal owner is actually registered. The local bike shop activated it when they did their first service. I don't know if they remembered to do it this last time.

 It felt freezing cold regardless of my direction of travel. Thirty three kilometers via several detours. 70F/21C in the room. 107F/42C in the greenhouse. I have opened the internal doors again. I closed them when I went out. For the sake of security.

 Dinner was beans on toast.

 

 ~o~

16.03.2025 A 19km ride and brambles.

 ~o~

  Sunday 16th 3F/2C [8.30] Sunshine struggling to break through the overcast.

 Up at 7.30 after a very quiet night. I got up at 6.30 to use the fire bucket. Then went back to bed again. It looked like a thin layer of snow on the car. Or very thick frost. The car was just wet when I finally got up. I had a short lived nose bleed. 63F/17C in the room. The last log went out without burning. I ought to go for a walk.

 Another loop around the spray tracks on the fields. The sun lost out to the cloud. The mud was much stickier than yesterday but manageable. Two geese were circling noisily. Lots of small birds singing in the hedgerows. Redwings were sharing the field with the crows.

 10.30 Morning coffee over. 63F/17C. Stove lit. I was thinking about having a ride but it is heavily overcast, cold, breezy and drizzling. 

 Watched YT for an hour. Then attacked the brambles again. I am at least half way through. The missing trick was not raking at intervals. This exposes the long runners at ground level. It is surprisingly difficult to show my progress in photographs. 

 15.15 46F/8C. Overcast. Lunch over. I fancy a ride to the next shopping village to the north. No bananas or tomatoes in the larder. There is a northerly breeze. So I will enjoy a tailwind coming home.

 15.45 49F/9C. Rather cloudy with occasional sunshine. Returned from a 19km ride to the shops. It felt much colder than the thermometer suggested. I found everything I needed. The shortages in the previous supermarket outlet have been moved to the new outlet. So I shopped next door for organic bananas.

 Dinner was chicken, mushrooms and baked beans. With a bread roll and a beer.

 

 ~o~

15.03.2025 26km.

 ~o~

  Saturday 15th 21F/-6C. A white, overnight frost followed by sunshine. A high of nearly 6C/43F is promised for after lunch. Winds light and in variable direction. 60F/15.6C in the room.

 7.00 The sun has just risen over the low hill to the east. Up at 6.30 after a quiet night with strange dreams. I must get out today. Hopefully for a ride. No silly distances yet. I don't know how well recovered I am.

 8.55 32F/0C. Bright sunshine. Back from a walk. Looping around the fields by the spray tracks. My fingers were cold in thick gloves. While I was sweating in two jackets. I had to open them both and take off my fleece cap. The stove is still going well. 64F/18C in the room.

 12.45 40F/4.4C. Bright sunshine. Back from a shopping ride of 26km. I saw a Morris Minor and gave them a wave. I doubt they understood why a cyclist was waving but they waved back anyway. Two swans flew low over the main road. Heading for the extensive marshland in that area. It wasn't too unpleasant on my way there but felt much colder coming home. Though my hands were comfortable throughout. Over 100F in the greenhouse. So I opened all the internal doors to spread the warmth. The stove had gone out.

 I found some packets of Corny, sub-micro, protein bars at a discount. I have been refusing to pay 26kr when these bars were only 10kr when they were first released. They have shrunk too! The bags are the same size but now they are completely flat at each end. 

 Most supermarket chains stopped selling them altogether. Presumably because they considered them poor value. Or, more likely, they were simply not selling at the hiked price. I liked to nibble one as a small snack. When I was out on a ride. They didn't repeat on me or make me feel full. The latter is meant as a rather sick joke.

 Dinner was mackerel on toast. No picture.

 

 

 

  ~o~

 

14.03.2025 Water, water everywhere.

  ~o~

  Friday 14th 33F/1C. Dark overcast with a risk of wintry showers this morning. Sunnier this afternoon.

 Up at 7am after a quiet night. My neck and shoulders were hurting from all the bramble lopping. My nose is trying to bleed again. Only a chilly 64F/18C in the room. I had better light the stove.

 10.20 Returned from a 20 minute walk along the road. There was a cold headwind. So I turned back.  

 13.30 Lunch over. I have been doing a partial water change in the goldfish aquarium. Slowed repeatedly by the abject failure of the Sicce submersion pump to start. Even when it did start the flow was pathetically slow. The Sicce was recommended on several YouTube fish keeping channels for this task. Perhaps the glowing praise was skewed by the supply of free pumps for review by the manufacturer?  

18.15 Stove re-lit. The stove had gone out this morning during my walk. I hadn't bothered to light it again all day. The room was at 63F/17C just now. Not enough sunshine to gain anything useful from the greenhouse today.

 Dinner was a fry up with chips. An organic pork chop, mushrooms, tweggs and oven ready chips. I washed up while it was cooking. The new dish rack works quite well considering the backlog. With more of a vertical element [stacking] than the old plastic one. The four clean saucepans and frying pan went onto the stainless steel, draining board. I had forgotten what it looked like. The old rack had been sitting there.

10.50 Time for bed. It is 28F/-2C outside and 67F/19C in the room. I am going to put a last log on the stove. In the hope of extending the warmth for a little longer. It is a fine balance to set the air supply for an extended burn.

 

  ~o~

13.03.2025 Risking life and limb for a new oven.

 ~o~

  Thursday 13th 36F/2C. Overcast. Possible wintry showers. Snow falling in the far north of Jylland.

 Up at 7am after a disturbed night. My T-shirt was literally wet with sweat all night. The fire bucket needed my attention half a dozen times. 65F/18C in the room.

 I believe it would be foolish to attend the cooking class. I am clearly not well enough yet. My continuing symptoms may still make me infectious. Influenza amongst the elderly is always a risk. I have emailed the "The Chef."

 One of my eight, daily tablets has completely changed appearance. The original medication "name" was unavailable. I have had to update the picture I keep of my medication. With their foolishly long, inscrutable names. Set beside the images I take to aid recognition.

 The bill came for the electrical work. The less than three hours work had miraculously become five. Another £500 equivalent to be added to the cost of a rather modest kitchen makeover.

 10.37 38F/3C. First sign of sunshine. It looked too cold and miserable for a walk this morning. I could sneak out now and hope nobody notices. We don't want any negative headlines in the national press.

 11.15 Back from a modest walk. I was never warm enough. My pace and mood were picking up on the way back. So it wasn't a complete disaster.

 12.10 Coming in for a rest. I have been chopping at the brambles again with the loppers. Making good progress. Though I am dripping with sweat and feeling sick again. Viewed [above] from the upstairs, balcony room.

 Dinner was cheese on toast. I trimmed off the burnt bits. The error was due to the baking tray twisting by 20º in normal use. It would barely come out of the new Electrolux oven without severe personal injury. The baking paper was burnt to a crisp on the high side!

 

  ~o~

12.03.2025 On the rack!

 ~o~

   Wednesday 12th 37F/3C. A mixed day of sunshine and showers is promised.

 Up at 5.30 after a fairly quiet night. I am still feeling hot, fuzzy, headachy and sweating. I am in no condition to be prancing about in a gym. Let alone willing to risk infecting others. So physio class is off again. 

 It is eight days since I first felt freezing cold last Tuesday evening. That was after spending the day outside on demolition of the observatory. I had felt hints of what I thought were hypothermia before that. Usually following rides in the cold. Though I am fortunate to have a [recycled] windproof jacket.

 6.45 I finally got around to eating breakfast. Though I really didn't feel like any this morning. A uniformly, dark, grey sky. I am suddenly feeling cold despite the 68F/20C in the room.

 7.45 A hint of brightening in the sky. I am going for a slow walk. 

 8.20 I escaped from the busy traffic as soon as possible. Taking the now familiar loop around the parallel drives. It felt far colder than I had imagined. Several skylarks were singing overhead.

 The sun broke through but I had a nap to stop myself dozing off.

 10.20 I pushed the temperature in the bathroom up to 80F/27C using the fan heater. So I could enjoy a much needed shower. The new shower rail was easily tamed. Simply by not insisting on mounting the head all of the time. 

 I have a load of shopping to do. Some of which isn't available from the local supermarket. I'll have to drive to the next shopping village.  

 11.40 I couldn't face going any further than the village. So I sweated my way around the local supermarkets and renewed my tablets at the pharmacy. I hope nobody was infected when they stood in the puddles of sweat I left on the floor.

 15.30 Returning from the next shopping village. Mostly grey. I still managed to sweat profusely throughout the outing. A Morris Minor Woody passed where I was parked. I was going to buy a replacement dish rack for the drainer. The posh shop was closed. So I carried on to the supermarkets. 

 Netto had a rack on offer. For half the price of the posh shop's self destroying plastic thing. So I went with one of those. Different, in design and impossible to judge if it will suit. Not until I try. It certainly fits the draining board on the sink. The tap is just as accessible as it was with the old rack. The viewpoint is slightly deceptive. This my not be true once the rack is loaded with dinner plates.

 I may be doing it all wrong of course. Perhaps I should I stack the dirty dishes on the draining board? Then the clean stuff goes to the right on the new rack on the working surface beyond the sink. Using the supplied tray to drain any run-off back into the sink. Besides, anybody sensible would wash up every day. Then put the clean dishes away once dry. Though one might just as well wish for the moon!

 The car misbehaved all the way home. As if someone was randomly switching the ignition on and off.  

 Dinner was a pork chop with mushrooms. With pasta, peas and tinned tomatoes. I allowed the chop ten minutes total cooking time. The instructions on the packet suggested half that. I readily admit that the meat was as rare as I have ever tasted. I usually cook meat until brown or crisp.

 

  ~o~