21.01.2026

 ~?~

  Wednesday 21st 29F/-2C. Overcast with  hard white frost. Early sunshine was forecast. Wind picking up to easterly gales. Possibility of some snowfall. 59F/15C in the room. 40F/4.4C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 8.20 after a fairly quiet night. 

 Plans for a ride are on hold. Gales, low temperatures and snow aren't conducive to full enjoyment. I have been watching YT videos by professional northerly Swedes and Norwegians on the successful choice of low temperature clothing. While Denmark doesn't usually suffer such extremes the advice is still relevant. 

 Gloves or mitts are the most difficult choice where warmth with fine dexterity is essential on an e-bike. My higher average speeds compared to my trikes adds a serious wind chill factor. While I must certainly pedal all the time I am not usually working nearly so hard on climbs. Though I am not a sack of spuds like a scooterist or motorcyclist. If the pedals don't turn then forward progress simply does not happen! My cadence is falling steadily with old age. I could pedal up to 130rpm only a few short years ago. Now I average high 70s low 80s.

 The tiny keypad controls of the Bosch motor system are a serious impediment to power mode selection. While wearing gloves or mitts. One can only presume that they don't have winter in Bosch's Germany. Or the head of design has never ridden a bike of any form. Perhaps thanks to the crudest form of nepotism. Or bullying of the design team from on high. Who knows. They certainly don't deserve their monopoly for their motor controls and computer screens. Which is why I usually stick to Sport mode. Fortunately the MTB style gear and brake levers are fine. 

 My best winter glove choice so far is a pair of Reusch "Powder Spirit" skiing gloves. With Goretex membrane and wrist bands for safety. Made in China of course. They have been warm under most conditions. Dexterity is acceptable for so much warmth and still having five digits. The don't feel too clumsy for the insulation provided.

 For years I have been using GripGrab  gloves and mitts but they have often disappointed when it is cold. Their fancy printed grip patterns on the palms and fingers are basically crap. Far too slippery even for driving safely! Hopeless on the bike. 

 I note that GripGrab no longer fills the display walls of Danish bike shops. I one swore by their two finger mitts and have bought several pairs over the years. Never again. The cold creeps in on every ride below 50F/10C. The Reusch have allowed me to ride comfortably and reliably in frost conditions. With wind chill factors equivalent to 30kph/20mph cruising speeds. I usually take a pair of GripGrab mitts in case it warms up. Though I rarely do a swap after warming up in the shops.  

 The name Hestra keeps cropping up in the YT videos about sledding at -40C. Pricing is eye watering. I'll try to find a Danish stockist within reach. To see if I can try their products on in the shop. Provided they have them in XXXXL of course! The one detail I am not keen on is the elastication at the wrist. Not the cuff. Taking gloves on and of should never be a struggle. I [usually] have no need to keep the snow out.

 9.15 Stove lit. I must go for a walk! 

 10.00 The stove is finally going well and I can stop waffling. I can go for a walk now. 

 10.35 30F/-1C. 61F/16C in the room. Back from my walk around the fields on the spray tracks. Overcast but the wind wasn't too bad. Though a passing lorry left its memory as a cold headwind for almost half a minute. The ground was frozen hard. Making me feel as if my legs were too stiff at first. The horses were curious and came out from their stalls to see me. My hands were too cold in the GripGrab mitts. Five minutes after coming home my fingers are still cold when I make a fist. I brought the recycling, wheelie bin back with me. They came late yesterday.

 

 

  ~?~

20.01.2026 E-bike fettling.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 20th 26F/-3C [8.15] Clear and sunny when the sun finally rises. Peaking at just over freezing. I missed the aurora last night. No sign of anything this morning. Even though it was still dark when I got up. It dropped to -5C overnight.

 Up at 7.20 after a rather disturbed night. It is a cold 59F/15C in the room. The stove is already lit.

 I shall be visiting my English friend I'll be going in the Morris. I foolishly left it out in the open overnight. Thinking I was going to collect more logs yesterday afternoon. So the car is now white with frost. The carport would have protected it to some degree.

 12.40 Back from visiting my friend. A surprising amount of snow left in places. Mosty shady banks, verges and where the snow ploughs piled it up. The various lakes, ponds and puddles were all still frozen.

 16.10 Back again. After lunch I had to take the e-bike into town for a service. While that was happening I visited assorted shops and supermarkets. Just to kill the time. I took the Moustache [e-bike] on the carrier. So I could motor all over town more quickly than walking. All the shops are scattered over quite a large area. I found a nice jumper in a charity shop. In my favourite dark green. To go with my hunting style clothing. And no, I don't go hunting. Nor would I.

 Eventually I received an SMS to say I could pick up the e-bike. Nothing needed replacing. So it was mostly detail lubrication and checking. So labour charges with a software update to finish off. Returning at the speed limit on the main road wasn't enough for the commuters. Who were happily going past me. As if I was standing still. 

 18.30 Still only 61F/16C in the room. The stove hadn't been re-lit. Time to make some dinner. Mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. With halved cherry tomatoes. Followed by a whole tin of Heinz tomato soup.

  

  ~?~

19.01.2026 Keep to the right! Or the left?

 ~?~

  Monday 19th 30F/-1 [9.30] A hard white frost. Lots of sunshine today but hovering around freezing. Light SE winds. The room has dropped to 60F/15.6C overnight. 38F/3.3C in the greenhouse. I have lit the stove.

 Up at 8.50 after a busy night followed by dreams. I was seriously thinking about getting up at 6am but fell asleep again. Then I was dreaming about cycling on the outskirts of a strange, hilly city.  Now I realise that I don't ever dream about cycling. Which seems odd.

 I hope to fetch more logs today. I'll ring the vendor to make sure he will be there.

10.50 Back from a walk in bright sunshine. The recycling lorry hasn't been yet. It was chilly but with little wind to spoil the proceedings. Three swans were decorating the prairie. A very unusual sight. Though they were within a stone's throw of the lake just beyond. 

 Where do DFDS get their drivers? A vast container lorry came arond a blind corner on completely the wrong side of the road. Supposedly protected by double white lines. [Which run for miles/kilometers!] Then he drove up to the brow of the following blind hump. With all wheels on the wrong side of the double white lines. He couldn't blame it on me. I was standing right at the back of the verge. To allow him a free shot at the bend. He could not have seen me behind the hedge. His only excuse was excessive speed and poor driving skills.  

 The firewood vendor is on holiday again until the weekend. He has told me I can always collect some logs there to keep me going. I can pay with my phone as usual. Though the labour involved is a deterrent.

 14.45 35F/1.7C. Back from a 16km ride to the village and back. Via the long route through the forest. Returning by the direct route. It was freezing! A large bird of prey left the drive and moved to a tree. Perhaps suggesting it might safely return once I had gone. 

 Dinner was an organic chop, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and boiled organic potatoes. With dollops of organic butter. It was absolutely perfect. I washed up while it cooked.

 

  ~?~

18.01.2026 Flying mink?

 ~?~

  Sunday 18th 35F/2Cish. [9.00] Dark overcast and just above freezing all day. 10m/s SE breeze reducing slowly. 63F/17.8C in the room. 44F/6.7C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7.15 after a busy night.  I had better light the stove. 

 9.50 time for a walk. It took a while for the logs to catch well alight.

 10.15 Back again. Cool and light drizzle. There was a fresh mink skin on the drive. It was still red inside. As if freshly skinned. 

 I checked the cameras and it arrived yesterday around lunchtime. I even cycled past without noticing it. No sign of any other animal or person being involved in its arrival. It certainly didn't trigger any videos. Which seems highly unlikely. Could it have dropped from the sky? Do birds of prey skin their prey with such obvious skill? Very odd!

 The rest of the day was spent on YouTube. Education and entertainment in equal measure. The lunacy of politics, science, UAPs, AI, travel, history, et al. Spoilt by the insertion of endless turds masquerading as adverts. They pull power from the world's entire grid. To be pumped down the sewers of Big Tech. The ads are the sand on which the whole toppling edifice wobbles so uncertainly. If only a billion of their empty dollars could pay for lessons in morals.

 If only adverts weren't always and exclusively aimed at infants and the subnormal. Or whatever woke term is acceptable this week. For the retards of this hideously inbred species. Which we laughingly call the human race. The pinnacle of dumb and dumber. Amongst the unfortunates who frequent this amazing planet. One day advertisers will be viewed with the same disdain as child rapists, property developers, dictators and estate agents. In no particular order. 

 Dinner was poached eggs on toast. There is hardly room for another picture. Which is a shame because the eggs were perfect. So I have wittered on for a stretch. Just to make enough space.

 

  ~?~

17.01.2026 25km at below 3C.

 ~?~

  Saturday 17th 39F/4C [7.50]  Another grey and breezy day. 63F/17C in the room. 46F/8C in the greenhouse.

  Up at 7.15 after clock watching and dozing for hours. My cold is still hanging on. Congestion in nose and chest.

  I hope to fit in a ride this morning.

 9.40 Back from my walk. The stove has warmed the room to 65F/18C. It was cold on my hands despite the GripGrab gloves. Two male pheasants were in the drive. Both took off in opposite directions. Complaining bitterly at their disturbance. A Red kite left a roadside tree for pastures new. Again complaining at being disturbed. Two young female deer galloped across the prairie after gunfire to the NE. They were less afraid of me than the dangers behind them. I moved to the back of the verge and hid in the hedge to reduce their anxiety. Thanks goodness there was no traffic as they hesitantly crossed the road on the blind corner. 

 12.45 37F/2.8C. Back from a 25m ride. Partially sunny becoming overcast. Cold enough to feel like a knife on exposed extremities. Headwind going. Crosswind coming back. The wind chill effect at 30kph was below 12F/-10C. The printed 3D saddle was fine without padded cycling shorts. I wore my Endura cycling raincoat over a pile-lined, fleece jacket. It was fine as long as I kept both zipped right up to my neck. Fleece trousers on my legs. Thick wool socks in Sorel boots. 

 17.00 I have been cleaning the e-bike at dusk. With the battery removed. Using car shampoo and a soft brush from a dustpan. The long bristles were useful in reaching every nook and cranny. I thoroughly rinsed the bike off afterwards with copious rainwater. It was rapidly getting dark as I worked.

 20.00 69F/21C in the room. Dinner was a chicken and mushroom fry-up. With tweggs on toast. 

  

  ~?~

16.01.2026 All our yesterdays.

 ~?~

  Friday 16th 40F/4.4C [8.30] Rather cloudy and windy but mostly dry. Though clear here, there are still large patches of snow lying out on the fields.

 Up at 7.30 after a busy night and weird dreams. I woke up shivering early on. So I had to put on a jumper and thick socks. No obvious reason for it. The room was at 66F/19C at bedtime. The stove was still going. No change in my bedding. I always shake my down duvet. Not particularly cold outside.

 I need to go to Assens. I have a small mechanical problem with my hearing aids. The monofilament, ear retention guides are disintegrating. Possibly UV degradation? I'd like to make a ride of it but there will be a 10m/s [20+mph] headwind on the way. Increasing to 25mph as I near the coast. 

 I keep having flashbacks to former cycle rides. With a strange sense of nostalgia. Almost with sadness and longing. I covered so many thousands of miles per year on my trike.  It was obviously highly addictive. Though often painful. I would return from a longer ride in a state of near exhaustion. I never took food or even water. Saddle soreness was my constant companion. Despite padded short, or bibs and a Brooks B17 saddle.

 Even in my late 60s I was extremely competitive. If I saw cyclists up ahead. I would chase them down and overtake them if I could. Even though I was dragging three wheels and heavy baggage with me. They were often young and riding a bare few kilos of carbon fibre on racing tires. Carrying nothing but a credit card and GPS or mobile phone. 

 A difference of 30-40lbs against the trike. While I was riding on Schwalbe Duran Plus tires. They cured the puncture problem but were heavy and must have had higher drag. I used to have a huge box of inner tubes in the shed. From my endless punctures on ordinary HP tires. I'd wear out several sets of "road" tires per year. They could have cured the puncture problem decades ago. All it would have taken would be a ban on swapping punctured wheels on big races. End of problem if money and prestige mattered.

 9.00 Time for a walk. 

 It was dark, raw and windy. I was shown a brief sunrise as I walked down the drive. Only to watch it become clouded over. I was facing the wind on the return journey. So I have decided to drive into town. It will be quicker. A Red kite was circling over the house as I looked across from the new drive.

 12.15  Back from town. I'm glad I went in the car. The hearing aid centre was closed. So I went shopping. I bought some different screws to see if I can get more into the carport roof. Preferably before it blows away. I bought some demister spray for the Morris windows. The rear window steams up under most conditions. Apparently Morris is not taking returns under guarantee any more. 

 Oh, and I bought some plastic cutting boards for the kitchen. We use them all the time at cooking class. I had bought a small one from a supermarket offer but it is already showing cuts. So it has to go on hygiene grounds. I bought some normal sized boards in a pack of three. They didn't sell singles at the expensive kitchen shop. 

 I also made an appointment for a service for the e-bike on Tuesday afternoon. The Nyon head keeps saying service required. So now I am following orders from a Bosch bicycle computer. Where will it all end?

 My next task is to wheelbarrow the reserve logs in from the car trailer. There are none left indoors and it is only 61F/16C. 

 15.00 42F/5.6C. All is safely gathered in. Stacked near the house door in the greenhouse. The flakes stuffed into baskets for kindling. The trailer returned to the carport. 60F//15.6C in the room. The stove finally lit. 

 Dinner was chicken curry. No mushrooms. Basmati organic white rice. I made a modest amount instead of the usual mountain.

 

 ~?~ 

15.01.2026 Back to the kitchens.

 ~?~

  Thursday 15th 35F/1.7C. A rather wet and windy day is offered. All helping to clear the snow. The car looked frost covered earlier. So it must have been colder overnight.

 Up at 6.30 to the phone alarm after a fairly quiet night. It is the first cooking class this year. I shall drive there.

  The BBC was offering a diagnostic test for Covid, flu or a cold. All based on the likelihood of certain symptoms occurring. I passed. 😊

 09.00 I left for cooking class into mist.

 14.00 Back from cooking class. I made a heart cabbage and apple salad. Only 60F/15.6C in the room. I have lit the stove. 

 20.00 41F/5C. Because I had eaten well at lunch time there was no need for dinner. I had a cup of milky coffee and a digestive biscuit.

 

  ~?~

14.01.2026 A bit of a ride.

 ~?~

  Wednesday 14th 40F/4.4C. Rain dying out. Possible sunshine this afternoon. 64F/18C in the room. Greenhouse at 46F/8C. 

 Up at 6.20 after a quiet night.  

 I need to go shopping but beyond the nearest village. The rain and warmer temperatures have melted most of the snow. The security cameras can see even in pitch dark. A few thin patches still lying on the parking area. 

 The drive is much worse. It lies in deep shade and is sheltered from the rain by trees and hedges. So will take more time to clear. Hopefully the snow is wet and soft and will flatten under the car tires.

  9.15 Back from a walk along the road. The drive was wet and icy in parts. The road mostly clear. The section where the prairie blows snow onto the road had the only banks from the snow ploughs. Mostly higher than waist height. I did not walk the drives loop today. It was too icy and steep to risk it. A long armed excavator was busy out of the fields. He kept shaking the bucket. Which is why I noticed it from such a distance. 

 12.50 Back from the shops. Going to villages to the south and north of home. Three carrier bags full just from restocking. It was difficult driving into blinding sunshine reflected off the wet roads. Despite my holding to the speed limit I was overtaken by three drivers in three different villages. 

 As I was coming out of a suparmarket a kid on an e-motorcycle went past. He decided to accelerate and instantly pulled a wheelie as his speed shot up from about 25mph to what looked like 50. He was quickly out of sight. So I couldn't  follow his progress. Or his survival.

 14.50 Back from a 11km e-bike ride to the village and back. I had forgotten to buy more honey. The sun was out and the wind was light. So it seemed a waste not to have a ride. Rather a lot of traffic. The bicycle lanes were all full of snow and slush. Where it had been pushed by the snow ploughs and homeowners clearing the pavements. The drive still had icy strips in places. So I deliberately rode along it. Just to see if it was slippery. It wasn't. 

 Dinner was organic sausage on wholemeal bread rolls. 

 

  ~?~

13.01.2026 The thaw.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 13th 35F/1.7C [9.00] Overcast and rather misty. 100m invisibility. Snow still here. Risk of light rain. Possibly icy surfaces with a slow thaw.  I am still bunged up. Coughing and snotting but steadily improving.

 Up at 8.20 after a busy night. I managed to keep the stove going until I ran out of logs at 3am. Then dozed and clock watched until after 8am. 62F/17C in the room. 42C/5.6C in the greenhouse. I'll bring in more logs and get the stove going again. There is some glowing in the fire bed. The greenhouse has been dripping on the last few logs. 

 No Tuesday visit to or from my English friend this week. First cooking class on Thursday. Hopefully the snow will be washed away by the rain by then.  

10.30 36F/2.2C. Back from a short walk looping around the neighbours' drives. The roads were wet so I was having to retreat from tire spray.  It would have been too easy to stay in and have morning coffee. So I forced myself to get out. 

 Lethal wet ice in lots of places. So I stayed on the snow for better grip.  I cleared the snow from the parking area nearest the house. Hopefully leading to a more rapid thaw. The snow is wet, sticky and heavy now. Tiring and made me breathless. 65F/18C in the room. 

 18.00 38F/3.3C. Thick mist! It is supposed to start raining and continue for over 12 hours. The area I cleared this morning is already down to the bare gravel.

 Dinner was organic sausage, organic brown mushrooms and organic mashed potatoes. I should have added Bisto gravy. I missed a trick there.

 The thick mist proved to be all four security cameras have steamed up in the thaw. I can clearly see my distant neighbours' lights through the window. It has reached 67F/19C in the room. All thanks to rising temperatures reducing heat loss.

 I trimmed my beard heavily. Going from Father Christmas to international businessman at a stroke. Well, in a few minutes. I have rather let myself go during the holiday season. With the cooking classes starting again I feel the need for rather more decorum. The beard literally makes me look old. The whiter it gets the more obviously it stands out in the security cameras. Beards may be trendy but the "homeless" look is not for everybody.  

  

 

  ~?~

12.01.2026 Keep on spinning!

 ~?~

  Monday 12th 30F/-1C [8.30] Overcast and windy. With bands of snow crossing slowly from the west. 60F/15.6C in the room. 37F/3C in the greenhouse.

 8.30 Up at 7.30 after a fairly quiet night. 62F/16.7C in the room already. I was able to keep the stove going with short, but large diameter logs each time I got up. Though I had to relight it this morning the stove was still hot. Far too hot to touch the soapstone cladding. Now I need to bring in more logs. I don't like to disturb the fish in their pond in the dark. It is light enough to see now. Without using the greenhouse lights. The fish are just dozing at these low temperatures.

 I have a problem today. There is a widespread black ice warning. Which may make the roads treacherous even before any new snow falls. Or afterwards if it goes over to rain. There is also a warning for snow drifting. An unhappy combination when I need to go shopping. 

 I have only two, perhaps three days worth of logs left in the greenhouse. The trailer has another three to four days worth of dry logs. So I am hoping to be able to reach my supplier on safe roads very soon. The Morris is limited to a smaller trailer. Compared to my previous, family car and builder's trailer. So I need to think in those terms from now on. I must keep a larger reserve in case of a run of bad weather. Simply because I cannot obtain lots more logs in a single journey.  

 I keep looking at the possibility of a heat pump. However they are still ruinously uneconomical in a poorly insulated home. I fitted underfloor heating hoses in the bathroom and kitchen years ago. An air to air system would do nothing for this option. 

While an air to wet system costs as much as a decent secondhand car. Because it uses a huge and expensive water tank and miles of visible plumbing. So neither type sells itself. Taking forever just to cover the cost of installation of a wet system. Adding hugely to the electricity bills in the case of a dry system and probably both. There is a house beside the road on the way to the village. It has SIX heat pumps installed. You can see the fan units dotted around the lower walls. With conduits for the heating fluid pipes going up the walls. Yet it is not much larger than my place. 

 9.30 The stove is going well. Going for a walk. Just to see what the road conditions are looking like. I'll wear my Scarpa walking boots. It is too uncomfortable to go far in the short wellies.

 9.50 Back again. The roads are 95% fine. The Morris started instantly after I checked the oil and water. I'll change into more suitable footwear for driving and go shopping. 

 11.00 64F/18C in the room. Back from the shops. Just as the first snowfall begins. The DMI shows a band of snow just reaching us now. I had to burn my way up the gentle slope of the drive in third gear. Then got stuck right on the far end of the drive. 

 My front wheels were on the road but the Morris is rear wheel drive. I had to rock the car in reverse and 3rd to finally pull away. The exit is right on a tight, blind bend. So one can't just roll out and hope for survival. 

 I came back with two carrier bags stuffed to the gills. The price of all meat goes on rising. I have run out of instant Arabic, organic coffee. Neither supermarket in the village stocks it. Or anything like it. I needed more tablets from the chemist too. 

 I spent the rest of the day browsing. The snow never amounted to much visually. Though it still coated the car quite thickly.  

 Dinner has to involve chicken. It is three days beyond its Best By" date. The last egg was a whole week past. So I cooked it well and turned it over. Just to make sure. 

  ~?~

11.01.2026 -13C.

 ~?~

  Sunday 11th 8F/-13C! [8.15] Anther cold but sunny day. The frost record set last night was only over five years. Not the 25 year low they feared. 23F/-5C in the greenhouse. 36F/2.2C in the pond. The glass is all heavily frosted and iced over again. 

 The sun will take some time to clear the neighbour's trees. Plus the 10m high larch hedge of course. Which ironically my wife and I planted for the elderly couple who lived there then. That was before it became a scruffy, rental property. Only to become uninhabited for many years.

 Up at 8.15 after a rather busy night. Every time I visited the fire bucket I added another log to the stove. The previous one having burnt down to a red glow in the fire bed by then. This was roughly every couple of hours. More mental activity and sleep disturbance than I would have liked. It is now 59F/15C in the room. Which is still cooling despite my best efforts with the stove. I have just used the last log from yesterday's two baskets full.

 10.15 I have just brought in more logs. Again leaving me completely breathless. I am still coughing up thick phlegm and constantly blowing my nose. So the Man Cold hasn't given up yet. Still in no mood for a walk. The cylinder lock in the postbox is frozen solid.

 Dinner was fried chicken on bread rolls. Both items were out of date. So had to be used up.

 8.00 18F/-8C. It is getting warmer. Colder in the room. Hovering between 60F and 61F. 15-16C.

 I have been going around with the Topdon infra red camera attached to my phone. Looking for cold spots. Closing off the open stairwell would probably help to keep the warmth down in the room. Something like a curved curtain rail and a full length curtain.

  ~?~

10.01.2026 Keep on stoking!

 ~?~

 Saturday 10th 29F/-2C. It should be a sunny day with the wind falling steadily.  The snow is still there. 57F/14C in the room. 40F/4.4C in the greenhouse. I lit the stove straight away. 

 Woke at 5am and then dozed until 7.15. A quiet night for a change. I got up only once at 3am.

 11.10 Full sunshine. 61F/16C in the room. No walk so far. I have been outside to collect a basket full of beech kindling from the container. 

 Then I scraped the snow and some ice from the greenhouse roof. Snow had blown down from the house roof and refrozen onto the glass. The sun has finally come around now and may be able to melt some of it. I'd like to get the maximum solar gain. Despite the sun grazing the horizon.

 The snow drifting on the ground isn't dramatic but is a nuisance for getting around. There are lots of frozen molehills completely hidden under the snow. It would be very easy to twist an ankle. 

 I brought in two more baskets of logs from the greenhouse. Which has made me completely breathless. 

 It reached 58F/14C in the greenhouse thanks to the sunshine. Most of the remaining ice and snow on its glass roof has cleared. 

 15.30 63F/17C in the room. I had a half hour nap and the fire in the stove has burnt down. I am struggling to get to relight from the hot ashes. It's going now. 

 The rest of the afternoon was spent on tending the stove and browsing. The room temperature peaked at 64F/18C and stayed there. The forecast is for -7C/20F overnight. With much lower temperatures elsewhere. 

 Dinner was cauliflower with a salmon pasty. It made a pleasant change.

 8.30 It is already down to 15F/-9.5C. The DMI is saying -5C. The coldest temperature is supposed to be between 6 and 8am tomorrow. No doubt it will be even colder by then. Jylland [Jutland] is supposed to set a 25 year record frost tonight. Below -20C.

10.30 Bedtime. 11F/-12C. 65F/18C in the room. 30F/-1C in the greenhouse. 

 

  ~?~

9.01.2026 Drifting.

  ~?~

  Friday 9th 29F/-2C. Heavily overcast and gales. Drifting expected.  Police warning against poor road conditions. 59F/15C in the room.

 Up at 7.45 after dozing for ages. 

 8.45. I have just been across the yard to dump the ashes from the stove. There were snowdrifts everywhere. Probaby up to 20cm or 8" deep in places. I keep a short pair of wellies inside the back door to manage such eventualities. Eye wateringly cold in the wind. I have now lit the stove with the last of the beech kindling. I shall have to collect more from the container. 

 9.00 Stove going well. I can now add bigger logs and bring in some more. Their moisture content is highly variable. I will definitely go for a walk today. 

 9.45 Back from my walk. More of an amble really. A sickly yellow sun struggled to penetrate the clouds. I couldn't walk off my aching lower back. Fieldfares, Redwings and sparrows were noisy in the overhead trees. The roads were almost clear. Largely thanks to a lorry fitted with a snow plough blade. It went both ways while I was out there. 

 One spot which may cause problems is where the farmer has removed the hedge. The open prairie was smoking wind blown snow. This was on a steep hill leading to a sharp, blind bend. The snow was deepest where vehicles have to brake for the corner. More extended where they have to climb from a low cornering speed. Many drivers overshoot on this corner regardless of road conditions. I was taking to the back of the deep snow on the verges with each passing vehicle. Better they can maintain their course on the cleared traffic lanes without going around me. 

 Another day on the computer. Occasional clouds of snow were being blown off the roof. Though I was largely unaware of the gales. It has been a struggle to get the house warm today. Always the problem with wind and cold. The wind drops overnight. There may even be some sunshine tomorrow.

 Dinner was using up the eggs again. Two poached eggs on toast. 

  

 

  ~?~

8.01.2026 Feed that stove!

 ~?~

  Thursday 8th 30F/-1C. Cloudy but dry. Remaining just below freezing. The wind very slowly increasing to 20m/s tomorrow. Possibly leading to drifting. Judging from the outside camera's view there is about 10cm of snow lying on the ground now. 

 I deliberately got up at 6.30 to light the stove. It felt cold on my face as I lay in bed. 57F/14C in the room and kitchen. Separated by two doors. There is an oil-filled, electric radiator in the kitchen. Only the modern wood stove in the room. 

 The Termatech stove is enhanced with heavy, soapstone cladding. Which builds up heat and retains it. To slowly release it overnight. It also uses convection channels to heat the air. Rather than warming by direct radiation. Though the ceramic glass door provides a lot of direct warmth. Which I can feel on the back of my neck from over two meters away. 

 I covered the corner where the stove stands with vintage ceramic tiles decades ago. These too warm up from the stove's heat. To slowly release it when the stove is not lit. The master sweep, who installed the stove, recommended the top outlet flue pipe. To provide extra warmth before it disappears up the chimney. Also to allow easy cleaning. There is an invisible access plate in the corner of the flue pipe. 

 7.30 The room has risen to 59F/15C in an hour. I brought in two more baskets of logs.

 Another day spent on YT. Feeding the stove. I never went outside.

 Dinner was fish fingers and chips. The room temperature has reached 66F/19C this evening.

  ~?~

7.01.2026 Cakes!

 ~?~

  Wednesday 7th 30F/-1C [7.50] Cloudy with possible snow showers. 60F/15.6C in the room. Greenhouse 39F/4C.  

 I'll light the stove as soon as breakfast is over. Easier said than done. I had run out of kindling and beech flakes. So had to go off in the dark to find more. Made more difficult by invisible, frozen molehills under the snow. My main store was snowed over and frozen tight shut. So I had to resort to another container full of beech flakes. Which proved to not want to burn once back indoors. Until I applied a second fire lighter. Now going well. The trailer has more mixed fuel if I need it but it's at the back of the carport. 

 Up at 7.40 after a typical night. My English friend is coming to visit me. He has winter tires and his car is [hopefully] less sensitive to salt than my vintage Morris Minor.  

11.30  My friend stayed for an hour as the snowfall steadily increased. 

 The rest of the day I was dozing on YT. It snowed on and off. Adding a couple of centimeters and hiding the snow clearing I had done yesterday.

 Dinner was two bread rolls with fried eggs. I discovered the eggs were a week out of date. While the rolls have been in the fridge and were drying out. So I used them up.

  

  ~?~

6.01.2026 Snow place like home.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 6th 29F/-2C[ 9.15] Overcast with possible snow showers. Hardly any new snow overnight. 60F/15.6C in the room. Stove lit. 39F/4C in the greenhouse.

 Up a 8.30 after a quiet night. Though with weird, ultra-realistic dreams. 

 I intended to go for a walk once the stove is burning well. I need to get some idea of road conditions. Much more snow [only threatened] means I may have to gamble on a journey into the village to restock. The larder is fine but milk doesn't last forever. 

 Worst case scenario means I trike to the village. I have many miles of experience riding the trike through snow and on icy roads. It is incredibly safe and can even climb hills on lying snow. All thanks to the Trykit, two wheel drive. The downside is a long hiatus in riding it at all. My fitness must have dropped. The trike itself may need fettling.

 I have seen a couple of cyclists riding on the salted roads. My own fear is an accident. Leaving my valuable e-bike unattended if I am dragged off to hospital. I have no idea of the procedure under such circumstances. Meanwhile the house freezes without my constant attention to feeding the stove. I just checked the logs which came in yesterday. They average 6% moisture content. Which is fine.

 10.15 Back from my walk.  Just above 61F/16C in the room. The roads are passable but risk salting the poor old Morris in vulnerable areas. The traffic was busy and moving fast on wet, slightly slushy roads. Requiring I take to the snow covered verge rather too often. So I cut my walk short and just looped around the drives. Where I met one of my more distant neighbours clearing snow. We exchanged season's greetings and I plodded on. 

 11.30 Sunny periods. I shall have to complete the clearing of snow from the greenhouse roof. Every degree of solar gain will help indoor temperatures. Not to mention higher light levels.

 12.00 I have cleared the greenhouse roof again. With sufficient sunshine a positive feedback loop can develop. Increasing internal warmth can help to melt remaining snow and ice. Leading to yet higher temperatures. Though not helped by the sun's low altitude, thin cloud and inevitably long, atmospheric, solar light paths. I did more snow scraping on the gravel. While the snow is still light and powdery.

 Judging from the cameras there has been a little more snow. 

 Dinner was a chicken fry-up. I washed up while it was cooking. It has reached 65F/18.3C in the room.

 

  ~?~

5.01.2026 No snow is good snow.

 ~?~

  Monday 5th 30F/-1C [9.00] Overcast with snow showers and breezy. Snowing lightly but steadily onto about 5cm or 2" of sticky, overnight snow. It is clinging to everything. A distinctly chilly 58F/14C in the room. Stove lit. 38C in the greenhouse. 

 The snow lying on the greenhouse roof has made it even darker indoors. I made a scraper on a long pole years ago. I shall have to see if I can improve the situation. It depends on how firm the snow is and how frosted to the glass.

 Up at 8.30 after another busy night. I am taking capsules to relax the prostate. After initial improvements in flow and pressure during the day it seems to work rather too well at night. Deaf in my "good" right ear again. I couldn't hear the electric kettle boiling. I have fitted my hearing aids and caused a nosebleed trying to clear the plumbing.            

 9.30 59F/15C in the room. I have just brought in another basket of logs from the greenhouse. It might be sensible to work on the snow rather than go for a walk. Where I would be in the way of the traffic. Not to mention being at risk of being sprayed with salty slush by every passing vehicle. I have assembled a lot of snow shovels and scrapers over the decades. Where I was always the only one clearing snow on the drives. A habit going back many decades.

 12.00 32F/0C. The room is only now approaching 63F/17C. Though it feel reasonably comfortable. I have been maintaining a good fire in the stove. I can feel the warmth on my neck and back from 2.5m away in my computer chair.

 Outside the world continues to grow more white. Though there is really very little falling snow. I didn't see the point in clearing the snow in the drive. It isn't deep enough to matter. Should I want to go out in the car. Which hopefully will not be necessary. The image above was a snap from one of my security cameras. 

 16.30 31F/-1C. The snow has stopped. Leaving around 80mm or 3" of powder snow on the ground. I cleared most of the roof of the lean-to greenhouse. Pushed some snow about outside the back [entrance] door. The gravel leveling rake was the most useful tool. A 3' wide batten on a long handle. The snow was light enough to be easily moved around. The gravel is frozen solid. So hardly moved with the snow. 

  I dragged the two wheelie bins back to their parking space by the house. 

 16.45 Already, almost dark. Despite my best efforts it is still only 63F/17C in the room. Though it doesn't feel cold. Thanks to the heat radiated by the stove. 

 17.15 Just broken the 64F/17.8C barrier. I brought in another basket of logs. To be sure of having easy access to fuel tonight. The longer it is indoors and near the stove the drier it will be. And no, it isn't stacked against the stove. 

 Dinner was Heinz beans on toast. I still prefer the Danish supermarket's own label. Perhaps I have gone native? Nearly 65F/18.2C.

 

  ~?~

4.01.2026 Pardon?

 ~?~

  Sunday 4th 20F/-7C [09.30] No new snow. More like thick frost on the ground. Mixed high cloud with plenty of blue. Sunshine expected this morning. 58F/14C in the room. 32F/0C in the greenhouse. 54F/12C in the bathroom even with an electric heater. I had better light the stove! 

 Up at 8.40 after another hectic night. I am deaf in my right ear. The one which usually works. Albeit halfheartedly.

 9.30 The beech kindling was fine. It started burning before the split pallet softwood, Though it will probably take some time to get the room much warmer. These lower overnight temperatures expose the poor insulation in some places. The whole fabric of the building now needs to be raised from a much lower point. Thank goodness I was able to get more logs before the holidays.

 I want a walk. Having missed several due to my cold. My hearing returned after numerous Kleenex sacrifices to snot.

 11.14 Back from my walk. 25F/-4C. 61F/16C in the room. Down the road, looped on the frozen spray tracks and back via the shared drives. I was a bit breathless at times. My chest is still bunged up. Bright sunshine and almost no wind. Though when I turned into the almost imperceptible breeze. The temperature seemed to drop 10C and I felt a wall of pressure on my arms and chest. I wore a down vest over a thick fleece jacket and was perfectly comfortable. Skiing gloves were almost neutral. Not quite warm enough.  

  Morning coffee. Put the washing up away.

 17.30 -7.2/19F.  I dragged two wheelie bins along the drive. It feels very cold out there. I had another coughing fit when I came back indoors. It has finally reached 64F/18C in the room. After the stove has been going all day.

 A "left wing" climate activist group in Germany. Has destroyed a cable across a bridge in Berlin. Cutting electricity to homes and infrastructure during a very cold period. Hovering around freezing to -3C. Because there was no warning before the power cut there was/is no internet. No TV and most mobile phone batteries are flat. No street lights or traffic lights. Presumably the shops and supermarkets aren't functioning either.

 So there is no way to update the public on progress in restoring their vital power supply. Which seems unlikely to occur before Thursday of next week. 

 It must be wonderful to be so absolutely, insanely sure of your cause. That causing very real suffering, even the deaths of countless, innocent people, is your only goal. 

 They must realise, of course, like all cults. That their efforts will have zero effect on the political classes. To believe otherwise would be even more insane. Than deliberately torturing pensioners. For their own, sadistic, sociopathic pleasure. 

 Sunday Dinner was traditional. Organic chicken, organic brown mushrooms, organic peas, organic carrots, organic boiled potatoes and Bisto gravy. 

 8.40 -9C/15F. The room temperature is dropping slowly despite the stove. Currently 64F/17.8C.

 

 ~?~

3.01.2026 Walking wounded.

 ~?~

  Saturday 3rd 19F/-6C (9.30) A cold, bright, sunny morning with snow forecast for after lunch. 60F/16C in the room. 0C/33F in the greenhouse. 40F/4.4C in the greenhouse pond. No more than 1cm or ½" of snow lying locally so far. Elsewhere, in Denmark, up to 24cm or 10" has fallen.

  Up again at 9 am after getting up in the night. I was so fed up with lying awake that I got up at 2.30 and stayed up until 4.30. Feeding a small fire in the stove as I watched YT. Both log baskets were empty by the time I went back to bed. I shall restock in a moment and relight the stove yet again. 

 I am steadily recovering from my Man Cold. For most of yesterday I could feel the improvement. So far this morning I am still trying to clear my nose and chest. I'll try a walk once the stove is going well.   

 10.00 Stove going. I have run out of softwood kindling but have loads of scraps and flakes of dry beech going back years.  A basket full has been brought indoors to dry out further. Providing many days of kindling. Another basket of larger logs will feed the stove all day. I have had a couple of coughing fits. Which left me breathless. It is darker indoors with the snow lying on the lean-to, greenhouse roof. 

 10.40 Back from a short walk along the road. I wore my Scarpa walking boots for a change. With vague and over-ambitious plans to take a tour along the spray tracks on the prairie. Though I soon realised I wasn't really strong enough for such gallivanting. The road was all but clear. It had been salted but a few white patches remained. Relying on the traffic and blinding sunshine to remove the last vestiges of ice and snow. I returned well warmed up. Having upset the outdoor guard dog. With yet another coughing fit. Myself, not the long haired Alsatian.

 The extended forecast for wintry showers. Suggests that any plans for shopping should be made this morning. The roads are perfectly safe until they aren't. There is that special class of moron. Which always drives too fast and makes no adjustments for the road conditions. Tailgating, speeding, cutting every corner. Overtaking to gain a single vehicle length in the grid lock to hell is their ego trip.  

 Their sickening behaviour is to be seen on every icy surface and flooded road. Their lunacy displayed every time there is a cloudburst on the motorway or dual carriageway. Their insurance, if they still have any, is their get-out clause. And if not, then stimulants are readily available within their vicious circle. Should they need to leave their victims choking on their own blood. 

 One is constantly reading of the pathetic sentences handed to those who break every rule in the book. Preserving their absolute right to drive seems to be the highest priority of many courts. Regardless of the dangers they represent to society. Miserably low fines for driving at high speed while drunk and drugged. The only serious potential punishment seems to be confiscation of their vehicles. Which may well be hired or leased anyway.

 12.30 I have been dozing on the computer as I wait to make lunch. The room temperature is slowly sneaking towards 64F/17.8C. The low sun has already sunk below approaching clouds. 

 14.30 Back from the shops with reserves of bread rolls and chicken. Fortunately there are two supermarkets in the village. To compensate for poor stock maintenance. To blame the season's holidays is to completely miss the point. Supermarkets are supposed to be restocked automatically. This was true decades ago. The only excuse is incompetence.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. 

 8.00 21F/-6C. Clear and bright moonlight. Expected to warm by a degree or two overnight. No new snow so far. 64F/18C in the room. I am warm in a fleece jacket. Usually too warm in bed.

  

  ~?~

2.01.2026 What genius?

~?~

  Friday 2nd 32F/0C [9.00] A brighter start to wintry showers. Westerly wind going NW and increasing this afternoon. Only 62F/16.C in the room.

 Up at 8.20 after a rough night. I am breathless, struggling to clear thick mucous in my plumbing and it hurts! My slightly runny nose is trying to bleed. 

 Regardless of how I feel I must go shopping. Particularly with snow forecast. I have no rolls or milk left. The chain of supermarkets, which ran a private, home delivery service, closed it down.

 I am confused. As usual. I just scored a perfect 10/10 on a YT test for symptoms of ADHD. Then moved on to score a perfect 10/10 for traits common to geniuses. What's next? What other exceptional variations can I lay claim to? Autism? That's a popular one. Everybody is on the spectrum these days. They'll be holding Autism Olympics next.

11.30 Back from the shops. No walk and I delayed morning coffee. Shopping was more important. The fridge is full again. Morning coffee was satisfactorily accomplished. 

 12.40 It has gone very dark. I had better light the stove. It suddenly feels a bit chilly. I took the full ash can across the yard. Pausing to straighten the Morris's screen wash jet with a map pin. I discovered it had gone awry on this morning's journey. The granite gravel on the parking space has stiffened in the frost. Making it feel firm and smooth. 

 12.50 The first flurry of snow. Already falling steadily only moments later.

 13.10 Sunshine eased the fall of the efficient white coating. I have the luxury of watching snow fall on my computer screen. Via the security cameras.

 The snow never amounted to anything serious. 

 8.50 The snow is still falling on about 1cm of white, fluffy stuff. Dinner was a healthy dose of veggie and organic sausage. With thick, Bisto gravy.

 23.00 A good coat of white is visible out there. As Denmark descends into a proper winter. -4C/25F by the morning. It may go as low as -9C/16F in the coming days.

 

~?~

1st January 2026 Am I twirley?

 ~?~

Happy New Year to all my readers. 🥳

  Thursday 1st 37F/2.8C [9.15] A grey start with rain and gales. 62F/16.7C and falling, in the room.

 Up about 8.15 after waking earlier and lurching from one dream to another. An unusually quiet night. I woke at 5am to visit the fire bucket. That was it. 

  I can report. That, on Day Five of this national health emergency. My Man Cold has finally broken. I still feel fairly awful but am no longer coughing helplessly into the bottomless pit of immovable goo. 

 The box of Kleenex remains untouched. Except for when I needed to staunch the flow of organic, low fat, Mini-Milk down my beard. As I completed my ritual bowl of oats and raisins. While still semi-comatoes and excused boots. 

 I don't blame myself. How could I? It's not rocket science. The milk is so diluted that it's viscosity is almost immeasurable from water. They should put government heath warnings on the stuff. "Runny when wet." That sort of thing. Rather oddly, it's no cheaper for being so watered down. So I am beginning to question the source of the water they use. How do we know its "Organic?"  

 I may even venture out in one of my recycled jackets. Though it's not a great day for it. I could plod around the parking area for a bit of exercise. Nothing too ostentatious. No arm waving. I don't want to draw unnecessary attention to myself. They may think I am throwing a wobbly about something. Then start going through my old Tweets. For evidence of malaforethought.

 9.20 I have just lit the stove. Somebody had to do it and the promised domestic robot still hasn't arrived. [For reference I clicked the blonde box under desirable attributes.]  I am not settling for any of your standard Chinese stereotypes. One has one's standards. 

 I am beginning to think robotry is all AI created video and fly by wire. Via a Sony PlayStation control box. Plugged up the robot's remote bum socket. That'll teach me to believe anything I see on YouTube! 

 AI is supposed to be going exponential this year. Which is totally insane. Much like all of our supposed leaders. Except Mette Frederiksen of course. Who is absolutely wonderful. Until she turfs me out. Or locks me up in an old people's home and throws away the key. Probably on some Trumped up charge of trying to popularize the Dunning-Kruger Effect. I don't mind solitary confinement. I have been practicing it for what seems like ages. Does blogging count as talking to yourself?

 AI is being built by a few of the world's most predatory psychopaths. All of them bullies with well now histories of cheating, mistreating and dismissing large numbers of people. AI uses data from the gutters and sewers of human dregs. The Internet. Where every psycho vents his corrosive upbringing on everybody but himself. Where bullying and crushing large numbers of innocent people is the accepted norm. Where lies, deception and crime are openly discussed.

 So what comes out of the big, AI mincer? Exactly what you'd expect but on steroids. The leaders of the countries housing the main combatants are similarly 110% psychos. Xi, Chump + Putin? All of these are Hitler Lights but with much better weapons. None of these sickos are ever going to want to slow AI. Or turn it off if it goes completely rogue. They will weaponize AI long before the cheap gold paint is dry on the data centres. 

 10.00 OMG it's getting darker and darker. I had better stop rambling and get back to YouTube. Is it too early for morning coffee?

 13.15 Back from a short walk along the road. A few coughing fits but I survived. Lunch!

 The rest of the day was spent watching YT videos on AI and other subjects.

 Dinner demanded I regain the missing calories from foregone meals. Organic sausages, mushrooms an egg and chips. Probably went over the top. Particularly on quantity but there were packs to use up.

  ~?~