~o~
Friday 5th 38F/3.3C [8.00] A cloudy but dry morning with rain later this afternoon. Cold and becoming colder. Light winds reducing further. The weather for a possible ride this morning? Can he drag himself away?
A new rail cutting beneath a major road. The motorway runs alongside. The distant tower cranes are seen in the next image below.
Up at 6.50 after a fairly quiet night. No coffee. Just a small glass of organic apple juice with [no] dinner. I have just rescued a medium sized spider from the sink. Where do I queue for my lifetime achievement award for protecting wildlife? 66F/19C in the room. I was feeding the stove with logs until the last moment last night. 11.00.
9.30 I am still waiting to go for a walk. It is so dark I'll need a torch! Too dark to read indoors.
9.55 It wasn't quite that dark once I was outside. I wore both pile lined fleece jackets. No wind and quite comfortable. A very brisk walk down the road and back. I ran back down the drive. Just to see if I could. I was quite breathless for 30 seconds afterwards.
14.20 Back from a 50km ride. I went to explore the new railway line again. Or rather to view the preparations for its intended route. Which involves many closed roads, new bridges and cuttings.
I found two more minor roads. Which were closed until the new year. As new bridges and drains are constructed. Mostly close to the existing motorway. There were signs of major earthworks progressing. As the undulating route is leveled to railway standards.
It was 4C cold and I became steadily more chilled. My warm, skiing gloves proved unable to prevent my hands from aching with the cold. My thick, woolly socks did not stop my feet from aching. I can no longer wear my winter cycling boots. They only support SPD plates and won't work with flat pedals.
I had put on a racing jersey, a thin jumper and a thick, pile-lined fleece jacket under my Endura rain jacket. It took some time but eventually the headwind was pressing my layers too flat. To prevent my upper arms and chest from feeling the cold.
On my lower half I wore thin long johns and an old pair of DHB padded shorts under my thin cargo trousers.
I wore a winter weight GripGrab "Aviator" medieval, tea cosy under my ABUS helmet. With my largest pair of safety glasses for eye protection. Not that they helped much with the flow of tears at times. My hands and wrists were aching continuously.
15.45 It is still incredibly dark. The uniform overcast to the north east is a dull red. I lit the stove and had lunch when I got home.
16.00 It took an hour before I felt comfortably warm again. Though the room was only 62F/16.7C and is only now approaching 64F/18C.
Dinner was mackerel mush in tomato sauce on toast. I have decided I don't like mush. The texture is revolting.
~o~
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