12.04.2026

 ~?~

  Sunday 12th 42F/5.6C. Overcast as a heavy band of overnight rain moves eastwards. Sunshine is possible later. 63F/17C in the room. 50F/10C in the greenhouse. The fish seem more active after I changed their bathwater.

 Up at 7.20 after a ridiculously busy night. I had moved the big digital clock away from the bed. After being reminded of magnetic smog surrounding electronics. I saw every hour being indicated and twice in some cases.

 I must go shopping. There wasn't even enough milk for my muesli. I had to put the milk in first. Then add organic porridge oats. A little at a time. Until I reached a satisfactory level of saturation. Finally adding a few organic raisins to taste. Reason enough to avoid an old peoples home. They'd never get it right! 

  

  ~?~

11.04.2026 Extra Mature Cheddar Fraud.

 ~?~

  Saturday 11th 35F/2C[7.40] A bright start to another sunny day. White frost on the grass. Melting dew sparkling in the hedges from the rapidly rising sun. A rather chilly 61F/16C in the room. 39F/4C in the greenhouse. I can raise the temperature using the greenhouse later. 

 Up at 7am after a dream filled night and the usual interruptions. 

 9.00 41F/5C. Back from my walk. Still cold but unbroken sunshine. A huge pall of smoke was traveling for hundreds of meters from a fire at a distant farm. White smoke and no flames. So presumably burning some unwanted vegetable matter. 

 The last few days has seen an explosion of bird life. Every tree seems to host a wheezing Greenfinch. There are buds everywhere and even a few leaves on the shrubbery. Though the trees are a little slower to get going.

 Both e-bike batteries are showing two bars. One is now on charge. So I can have my usual Saturday ride to the shops. Since I have some time to kill I am pumping out some of the water from the greenhouse pond. The walls of the pond container are heavily coated with algae. Which I have scraped with a squeegee on a pole. 

 The water level has already dropped by about 15cm due to evaporation. So any water contaminants will have become more saturated. The image is affected by the optical effect of refraction at the water surface. The depth of the remaining water is much more than the newly exposed sides at this point.

 11.30 51F/11C. Changing half of the water will help to dilute any toxins. I checked the temperature of the cold tapwater and there is close match with the pond water. Which makes topping back up effortless. No need to match the temperature by adding hot water. As is required with most indoor ponds and aquaria. Fish don't like sudden water temperature changes. It can even cause ill health.

 I am using a spray head to ensure adequate oxygenation of the fresh, cold water during the refill. Which will take some time. I tried a normal, garden hose nozzle but it was much too fierce. Meanwhile the e-bike battery is finally flashing between four and five bars. The room has risen to 63F/17C. With the windows and door open out to the greenhouse. Currently showing 86F/30C and still rising. I'll postpone my ride until after lunch and shop locally.

12.00  I was mistaken about the tap water temperaure. It was colder than yesterday's measurement at 47F/8.3C. So I had to add a touch of warm water at the kitchen mixer. To match the 56F/13C of the pond.

 12.45  I have stretched the first shade curtain over the greenhouse roof. Perfect timing. The pond is finally full again. 

 Time for some lunch. Shame about the utterly tasteless rubber. Masquerading as Extra Mature Irish Cheddar. I presume the supermarket chain saved a penny per metric ton. To want them to go over to this garbage. Simple bribery? A bargain they couldn't ignore? 
 
 Wouldn't you think they would trial the new crap? To watch sales instantly drop. Before discontinuing the real thing. Now I have to try other outlets just to buy real cheese! I wonder what else I can find to buy in these other chains?

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. With halved tomatoes. 

 

  ~?~

10.04.2026 Ignorance is bliss.

 ~?~

  Friday 10th 36F/2.2C. Heavy overcast with rain. Clearing mid afternoon. Wind gusts to 13m/s easing throughout the day. Snow is reported for Jylland [Jutland] 

 Up at 7.45 after a false alarm at 7am. 

 11.15 It has brightened. I am going for a drive. 

 13.50 Returning from a drive to Middelfart Building Centre. A sprinkle of rain on the way. Huge puddles on the roads suggested heavy overnight rain. 

 I had a stroll around the greenhouse area and a quick look inside the indoor display building. Before taking in a couple of charity shops on the way home. 

 I caught up with a tractor which was traveling at 40kph/25mph on a busy main road. Oncoming traffic made it difficult, impossible or dangerous to overtake. The driver ignored several lay-bys. Where he could easily have paused. Long enough to let the long queue behind him pass. No doubt he will be appealing for public sympathy next week. For the latest crisis to affect farming. 

 Dinner was oven baked chicken breast and mushrooms. With chips and Bisto gravy. The real potatoes had gone all wrinkly and covered in shoots. So the oven chips were a safer choice. I washed up while it cooked. It is 66F/19C in the room so I haven't lit the stove. I need a light in the carport. I can't see to reverse back in after dark.

  

  ~?~

9.04.2026 Broccoli master class.

 ~?~

  Thursday 9th 38F/3.3C. Bright start with lots of sunshine promised. 63F/17.2C in the room. 44F/44F/6.7C in the greenhouse. A wet day with gales and a risk of snow tomorrow! 

 Up at 6.45 after a busy night.

 Cooking class today.  

 13.45 53F/12C. Bright sunshine and breezy from the SE. Returning from cooking class. Where I prepared and cooked broccoli. 107F/42C in the greenhouse! 65F/18C in the room and rising. With the internal windows and doors open. I'm trying to decide where to go for a ride. 

 19.30 47F/8.3C. Back from a 54km ride to Helnæs and back. It was a foolish choice. I was fighting an icy SE headwind all the way there. In bottom gear in Sport Mode I was barely making headway across the viaduct. The inland water was choppy with white horses. It is usually as flat and calm as a farm pond. 

 On my return I was cruising at 40kph on the same stretch. The DMI says 14m/s gust but the base wind was far stronger than that! My knees were hurting and legs were burning. I came within a hairsbreadth of turning back. As I was already committed, half way there and had managed most of the crossing I decided to continue.

 I was cold on the way back and colder when I arrived home. So I piled on three fleece jackets, a fleece hat, thick socks and went to bed for half an hour. 

 I finally lit the stove at 20.00. The room had dropped to 19C.

 No dinner required. I made do with coffee and a biscuit.

  ~?~

8.04.2026 Missing tower.

 ~?~

  Wednesday 8th 33F/1C. Another sunny day after a cold night. Hint of frost on the western lawn. Expected to peak around 13C/55F well after lunch today. Much lighter winds. Starting light NE this morning. Gusting to 8m/s easterly mid afternoon. 63F in the room. 40F in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7am after a typical night. Woke several times to attend to the fire bucket. Resisted the urge to get up.

 I'd like a ride but for the cool start and only reaching comfort levels around lunch time and beyond. I'll see how it feels with a walk at 8.00. 

 9.10 After my walk I have been preparing the trailer for a run to the builder's merchants. I'll go early to avoid cycling while there is still white frost on the grass. Then have a ride later.

 11.00 Back from a trip to the shops. I bought some more petrol and six, massive paving labs. The latter are 30x60x10cm. 12"x24"x4". Recommended by a builders merchant to be stacked under the heat pump unit. To avoid snow drifting blocking the airflow. I'll give the installer a free choice when they turn up.  

 I may have to net the greenhouse pond. The water has reached 60F/15C. The goldfish seem to be trying to increase their numbers. I can hear them sploshing about out there. 

 17.30 Back from a drive to find a bird watching tower at a wildlife wetland site. Unsuccessfully, I might add. I stopped to ask a pair of walkers for directions. They turned out to be Scots and could I speak English?! I drove along the track and found the car park mentioned online but not the tower. 

 I was lucky enough to see a Lapwing preening close to the track. So I stopped the car and watched it through my binoculars. Now I am back at home I can see that I didn't go quite far enough. Though the tower should have been visible from the public car park and from where I walked on. The information online suggested the tower was rotting away and should be demolished. That was some years ago. 

 Further online research confirms the tower supports had rotted. Making the building unsafe. So it was demolished after some years of closure to the public. 

 Searching mapping apps online shows a pale patch on the ground. After years of a black tower throwing a shadow. I needed to have walked a further 200m from the little car park. Which is embedded in the woods. I would have preferred to have ridden to the site but it was rather too late. For covering that total distance there and back.  

 Dinner was mackerel on toast. With halved tomatoes. 

  

  ~?~

7.04.2026 Pots, runners & slabs.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 7th 38F/3.3C [7.45] A bright start to a sunny day. Peaking at 12C mid afternoon. The wind gusting to 8m/s from the north west going northerly and reducing. A rather cool 63F/17C in the room. 43F/6C in the greenhouse. I had the greenhouse open to warm the house to 22C/72F. So so didn't light the stove yesterday. It was still 68F/20C at bedtime but cooled overnight as temperatures dropped outside.

 Up at 7am after a typical night with weird dreams.

 Doctor's appointment after lunch. No visit to my English friend today. This means a cycle ride is possible. As long as I remember to return in good time for a shower.

 10.00 I looped around the neighbours drives. 

 13.00 Returning from a drive to several charity shops. Where I bought a large, blue plant pot and a red, oriental [?] carpet runner. This carpet will run along the wall under the TV. Where there is currently a blue and buff carpet. Which has never laid flat.   

 I have confirmed with the installer. That I will have a floor mounted, indoor, heat pump unit. Not a high level one. Though it is at greater cost. There are several other advantages to a low level unit. Not least the absence of external pipework and conduit running up the outside wall. I didn't want Chez Hovel being disfigured! 😏 

 I had an ECG at the doctors. Provided a urine and several blood samples. Back next week for a follow up with the quack. 

 15.45 Returning from a drive to a builders merchant. Out in the sticks and still with a vast amount of interesting stuff. Most of which has been stripped from the soulless shelves of the other chains. I wanted heavy duty concrete slabs. For the outdoor heat pump unit. 40x40x8cm. The other chains list the 8cm thickness as strictly to order. While the lighter 50mm garden paving slabs can be bought almost anywhere. 

 I hope the slabs are large enough. 60x60x8cm is also available. The outdoor unit footprint is 82.4x30cm. With the vibration damping feet well inboard of the width. The weight of the outdoor unit is only 34kg. So each slab supports only 17kg with a central load. The slabs will be lying on granite chippings over self-stabilizing gravel. If cars and vans run about on this surface then the heat pump should be fine. 

 I just checked: The rubber vibration damping feet are listed at 60cm long. Which is twice the physical depth of the casing. Perhaps I had better fetch some 60x60x8cm slabs. Though I'd need the trailer. The larger slabs won't go in the passenger foot well. Even the 40cm were right on the limit. While standing on edge. There are individual rubber feet. Rather than the 60cm long strips. Which would fall within the footprint of the 40cm slab. Slabs are dirt cheap and can always be used around the place.

  17.45 I had opened the greenhouse door. To borrow some of the heat out there. A little late but worth the effort. It has now risen to 66F/19C indoors.  

 Dinner was a salmon pasty, pasta, peas and tinned tomatoes. I tried to cheat and have toast but it wasn't to be. So I washed up while it cooked.

  

  ~?~

6.04.2026 Gales continue!

 ~?~

  Monday 6th 40F/4.4C [7.35] Bright but quite cloudy. Expected to gust to 16m/s only slowly reducing.

 Up at 7.15after a mixed night. 

 A complex new railway bridge. The main road to Odense goes straight under. I am standing on the original road surface. The new railway goes over the new bridge at an acute angle. The car on the right is on a temporary detour loop. Skirting around the building site. 

 That whole area on the right will have to be raised with sand and soil. To match the top of the bridge. As will the area on the left of the bridge. The motorway is behind the dark, sound blocking panels on the right. Once the work is completed the motorway and new railway will be parallel to each other.  

9.25 Heavy overcast. Going for a walk.

 9.50 Back again. Blowing an absolute gale. My eyes and nose were streaming. The road was covered in hundreds of twigs and branches. Blown out of the hedgerows. After the tractor hedge slashers had dropped everything on the verge months ago.  

 I have to attend to the clear polycarbonate sheet in the corner of the greenhouse. Despite the bolts and all the spring clips I fitted last time it blew out. The panel had been sucked out yet again. Just a matter of rescuing the spring clips from the undergrowth and refitting them. The bolts had held the corner edge. The far side of the panel is held only by clips. There is nowhere to fit bolts through the aluminium frame on that side. 

 12.00 I have been wandering about outside. Seeing what needs doing. Lots! Still blowing an eye watering gale. 

 A contractor has turned up with a tractor. Equipped with a flat girder frame mounted in front. Where a bucket would normally go. He is making very quick work of scraping the drive flat. Using the existing material rather than importing new? We'll see what happens next. Rain may undo everything he achieves. Unless he uses a roller or plate vibrator to compact the rough surface. And/or brings in gravel. To dress the top surface.

 17.30 The wind must have reduced. I can't hear it any more. Though the trees are still moving. Thanks to hours of sunshine the greenhouse lifted the indoor temperatue to 72F/22C. I have just closed the doors and windows. The stove has not been lit so far.

 Dinner was cheese on toast with halved cherry tomatoes. 

 

  ~?~

5.04.2026 Storm "Dave!"

 ~?~

 Sunday 5th 51F/11C [7.10] A cloudy morning with rain clearing to sunshine after lunch. Peaking at 9C at 8am then falling steadily all day. Very windy from the west! Gusting to over 21m/s at noon. 48mph. Storm Dave is passing north of Denmark. With the worst gales in the far north of Jylland [Jutland] Gusting to 35m/s. Well over 70mph!

 Up at 6.45 after an unusually quiet night. It was still quite dark but I decided to get up anyway.

 10.00 I have just walked along the drive in wild conditions. The wind is incredibly noisy. The forecast has changed and it is peaking already at around 20m/s. Slowly reducing throughout the day. As is the temperature. 

 The temporarily propped roof timbers of Scrapman's ruin on the road is shaking and rocking. So it could collapse onto the road. The same posse of cycling bandits I followed yesterday went past. Traveling at speed with the fierce tail wind. Single file, just for a change. 

 I spent the rest of the day on YT. No need to go out with the shops closed. Too dangerous to cycle.

 Dinner was a salmon pasty and chips. 

  

  ~?~

4.04.2026 14km and a wrong detour!

 ~?~

 Saturday 4th 41F/5C [7.15] Heavily overcast but expected to clear to sunshine. A windy day. Slowly reducing from 15m/s gusts. Only to climb to 19m/s gusts tomorrow. As storm "Dave" crosses north of Denmark. Peaking at 8C/46F by late afternoon. I had better stay off the e-bike. 64F/18C in the room. 48F/9C in the greenhouse.

 A picture I took yesterday of a sand pit or quarry in what was a forest. Just imagine the vast volume of sand which has been removed. Note the tiny machines in the distance. These are not toys but large scale loaders and excavators. This gives a better sense of scale.

 Up at 6.30 after a very sleepless night. My wife died at home four years ago yesterday.

 I should stock up on groceries today for Easter Monday holiday. Which will also save me going out in the wind and rain tomorrow. 

 8.40 Some brightness in the east. Blue holes appearing. Time for a walk.  

 9.15. Back again. Fleeting glimpses of sunshine as the sky raced overhead. A strong, eye watering wind. Roaring in my hearing aids. Pushing twigs out of the hedges and onto the asphalt. A large, solitary deer ran away uphill. Across the prairie towards the forest on the summit. I saw only two coal tits foraging in the hedgerow today.  A male pheasant hung about near the chicken run. Quite a lot of traffic on the road.

 10.40 Just recharging my phone before I go shopping in the Morris. 

 12.00 Back from the shops. I caught up with a gaggle of six clubmen out training. One of whom insisted on riding just inside the centre white line. There was a constant stream of oncoming traffic. So it took about a kilometer to get past him. His authority for balking the traffic was wearing all black and wearing the regulation sunglasses in an overcast. 

 Three carrier bags full of groceries. There was one shower. Queues the length of the supermarkets with only two tills open. Every other customer buying lottery tickets. Which means the checkout operator leaving the till. To mess about with another machine. Then come back with assorted cards and bits of paper to ring it up on the till. Then hand it all over. Minutes wasted every time.

 13.40 I am going to ride into the village to do more shopping. 

 14.45 51F/10.6C. 14km. Returning from a ride to the village shops. I detoured through the golf course on the way home. Very windy! Took the wrong route! Had to backtrack. 

 Dinner was chicken, mushrooms and cauliflower.  

 

 ~?~ 

3.04.2026 🥳🎉 Happy 80th Birthday Dave! 🥳🎉

 ~?~

 Friday 3rd 38F/3C [8.00] Overcast but dry until later. The westerly wind steadily increasing throughout the day. 65F/18C in the room. 50F/10C in the greenhouse. 

 Up at 7.20 after a very untidy night. I was awake for at least an hour from 2-3am. Was going to get up at 6 and then it was suddenly well past seven. Lots of very silly dreams.

 The new railway bridge on the road to Grønnemose from Gelsted  With the loader bringing soil to build up the roadside embankment on the far side. This road is set to re-open at the end of April. It is already showing a remarkable change from my last visit. Where before there were huge drops on either side. Vast quantities of sand and a soil must have been brought to the site. 

 I must pull myself together and go for a ride today. Sitting on the computer is making my lower back pain worse.  

 Happy 80th Birthday to my brother Dave! It took you long enough! 😉

 9.40 40F/4.5C. Back from a half hour walk around the field spray tracks. It was cold. Made worse by the westerly wind. My hands were cold in the GripGrab gloves. I wore my heavier, pile lined, [recycled] fleece jacket and was glad for it. 

 A small group of tiny Coal tits arrived in the roadside hedgerow. They have surprisingly deep voices but seemed unaware. Or simply uninterested in my being at arm's length. As they foraged rapidly over the bare stems. I think there were four of them. Though it was difficult to keep track of all of them at the same time. They moved so quickly. 

 I'll have morning coffee and then see if I still want a ride. I'll have to dress warmly. It's not that easy to add enough layers under a close fitting rain jacket. 

 The new, High Speed railway route is in a cutting here. As it passes behind the Grønnemose industrial estate. Which is currently being transformed. With new buildings, car park resurfacing, landscaping and new businesses. Looking towards 25km distant Odense. From the new bridge on the road from Gelsted.

 10.50 Exit for a ride. Long, thermal, ski underwear vest, racing jersey, synthetic jumper, pile lined fleece jacket under a windproof, hi-vis  jacket. Long thermal leggings, DHB shorts under cargo trousers. GripGrab winter skull cap under my ABUS helmet. Sorel walking boots. GripGrab lobster mitts.

 13.20 46F/7.8C. Back from a 39km ride. Two supermarkets were open in the next village. Staffed by retirees at the one I shopped in. I was never too warm. Despite all my layers. I stopped to admire a Panasonic heat pump on a cottage right beside the road and ended up chatting to the owners. They can heat three rooms of their home with one high level blower unit. Their cottage was very similar to mine in dimensions. 

 There were several crossings on the new railway. Where I paused to take new photographs. A large, front bucket loader was building up the new, roadside bank with soil. The driver seemed to be the only one working today. [Easter Good Friday] 

 The new road can be seen on the right leading up the slope to the new bridge. Now looking from the opposite side to the image at top right. Grønnemose behind me and looking towards more distant Gelsted. Which is several kilometers away.

 18.00 I have just had a chat with my brother. A keen e-biker and skilled bike mechanic. Who has opened my eyes to potential improvements to make my Trykit trike much more fun in old age. I had been building mental obstacles which may not exist in real life. 

 Conversion to straight handlebars need not be hugely expensive. I was getting lost in pull per click for gears and braking problems. I am using 2x11 Campag Ergo gears and brake levers. Which I won't need just for pottering to the shops. Fewer gears mean lower costs for cassettes and levers. I could even add a low cost, low power battery-electric, conversion kit. Interesting! 

 Dinner was beans on toast with tomato soup. 

 

  ~?~

2.04.2026 Activity nil.

 ~?~

  Thursday 2nd 41F/5C [7.50] Overcast with rain on the way. There might be some early brightness. SW wind gusting to 10m/s. 63F/7C in the room. 47F/83C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7.15 after a disturbed night. 

 Somebody is supposed to be fixing the potholes in the main drive this morning. 

 Another day wasted on the computer watching YouTube videos. The overcast and miserable temperatures would have made a ride unpleasant. The shops are all closed until Saturday because of Easter.

 The stove was lit at 12.00. I was bored with being uncomfortable. 

 I walked along in the late afternoon in a cold wind and spitting rain. There was no sign of anyone having done any work on the drive. 

 Dinner was a chicken and mushroom fry-up with an egg on toast and baked beans. 

 I did the washing up at 10pm. 😇

 

 

  ~?~

1.04.2026 Three heavy parcels to go!

 ~?~

  Wednesday 1st 36F/2C [8.00] A cool, grey, misty morning clearing to sunshine around lunch time. The wind has dropped and rather lost its way. Mostly around the SW.

 Up at 7.00 after a dream filled night.

 After my wittering on about insane driving there was an analysis on the Danish news website. 2/3 of dangerous drivers are drunks in denial. An average of 1000 drivers per year are prosecuted under the stricter rules. Though the number is falling slowly. Confiscation of the vehicle is often involved. 

 I have had damage to three of my own cars by drunks. Twice in car parks and once where I was shunted from behind at a red traffic light. Two of them seemed to think that chewing TicTac mints immediately after "an accident" sobered them up. 

 Two admitted they were driving their wife's cars. Presumably unable to obtain insurance for their own vehicles. Perhaps after previous drunken driving episodes. Or quite possibly after being banned from driving. Then there are all the drug addicts in denial. 

 8.30 Time for a walk. 

 8.50 Back again. I looped around the neighbours' drives to get away from the road. The mist was invisibility beyond 200m. Poor visibility at 100m. Two cars passed showing no rear lights at all. Two just with running lights. The rest were showing fog lights. A large Audi saloon went past at very high speed. Showing no interest in the completely blind bend. Where our drive exits right on the apex. That's not skill at driving. It's severe mental illness. I presume a rear fog light is a paid for extra on luxury Audi saloons? 

 I have spent the morning outside packing a telescope mounting. To be sent back to England to another amateur astronomer. I had to break it down to three parcels in the end. I was over the 20kg limit. 

 I have just confirmed the 16th April as suitable for installation of my air to air heat pump. 

 13.30 Lunch over. Greenhouse at 93F/34C. Internal doors and windows open to spread the warmth. 67F/19C in the room. 

 16.30 I drove into the village to deliver three parcels to the village parcel office. I have been at it all day.

 Dinner was cheese on toast with half a tin of tomato soup. 

  

 

  ~?~

31.03.2026 Heat pumps 'Я' Us.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 31st 41F/5C [8.45] Quite a bright day promised but windy from the west again. 

 Up at 7.30 after failing to gain altitude at 6am. 

 My English friend is visiting me today.   

 I had a walk. Which was rather spoilt by the cold and strong wind. Despite wearing a warmer jacket.

 I have had the estimate for the installation of a Panasonic NZ35YKE-1 heat pump and have accepted it. Now waiting to hear how soon they can do the work. After Easter probably means next week. In the meantime I have to source some paving slabs. For the exterior unit to sit on its rubber feet.

 My visitor was delayed but brought some tasty cakes with him. By then I had the room up to a toasty 72F/22C. After he'd left I let the stove go out. 

 My nice neighbours sent me a message to say the drive is to be repaired on Thursday. It is full of potholes from the heavy vehicles associated with the work on the two empty properties. 

 Dinner will be fish fingers and chips. And was. It is still 70F/21C in the room.

 

  ~?~

30.03.2026 Your life in THEIR hands?

 ~o~

  Monday 30th 39F/4C [8.30] A mixed days of sunshine and showers. Breezy again. 63F/17C in the room. 44F/6.7C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7.30 after waking at 6am. It was still quite dark so I went back to bed. 

 10.20 Back from a chilly walk. I should have worn three jackets rather than one. A pair of gloves would have helped too. 

 I dragged the wheelie bins back with me. They ignored my tying a green, food waste bag to the handle of the relevant bin. They should have left a couple of new rolls. At least, that is how I have seen it done numerous times. Does one have to call at the recycling yard for more kitchen recycling bags now? They are only open twice a week.

 I have to go shopping. Better this morning. With a wet afternoon forecast. Or go in the car later.

 I watered all the plants. 

 13.00 43F/6C. Heavily overcast and rain. Lunch. 

 15.15 Returning from the shops in the Morris. Two very full carrier bags. No tomatoes or baked beans. Lucky I went in the car. It has rained on and off.

 I seriously doubt that one in four of the vehicles I saw today was traveling at or below the speed limit. Speed limits are seen as purely voluntary in Denmark. They have been for the three decades I have lived here. On some roads probably 95% of drivers are traveling too fast. 

 There is often no excuse because there are large road signs which indicate the speed of the passing vehicle. Which flash when the set limit is broken. When every single vehicle makes the sign flash then the road badly needs a speed bump. The truly fair and democratic speed limiter. Though even these humps are removed at times. When too many lunatics have their sumps ripped off by taking the hump at insane speeds! 

 There is no speed limit anywhere on the Danish road system where you won't be tail gated. There is no village in Denmark. All with the national speed limit. Which will prevent drivers overtaking another vehicle. While the overtaken drivers are traveling at the legal speed limit. 

 For years I was convinced the speedometers in all my various old cars were inaccurate. Because I was ALWAYS the slowest driver on the road. Simply for keeping to the indicated speed limits. None of them have a clue about sight lines, reaction times and braking distance.

 On a parallel theme: Over 5,000 drivers have now been prosecuted for "insane driving." Which usually means confiscation of the vehicle. To be later sold at auction. Provided it wasn't damaged during the police chase. The rules include driving at 100% over the speed limit. Senseless driving and driving under the influence of drugs or drink. 

 There is no excuse for a car police chase these days. All it needs is a follower drone to be released by the police vehicle. Whenever they spot seriously poor driving. Chasing a drunk, drugged or raving lunatic driver just excites them. A drone wouldn't appear in the perp's rear view mirrors. 

 The drone follows the driver home and then the police can SAFELY make the arrest. Probably with a video recording on the drone to convict the perp of numerous driving offenses. Why are there always time limits for being banned? Causing death by dangerous driving ought to mean an automatic lifetime driving ban. Regardless how much two tier justice you can afford each time.

 A lazy day. Mostly spent on YT. 

 Dinner was poached eggs on toast. I lit the stove while the eggs boiled.

  

 

  ~o~

29.03.2026 +1hr & 49km.

 ~?~

  Sunday 29th 38F/3C [8.20] A bright, cool start but increasingly windy from the SW. Peaking at 7C/45F at lunch time. Showers and more cloudy after lunch.  67F/19C in the room. 45F/7.2C in the greenhouse.

 I woke at 6.15 after another busy night. Having forgotten the clocks moved forwards overnight. Though not magically. I had to go around correcting them.    

 Copenhagen announces that all of its busses are now electric. Denmark was reported self sufficient in wind and solar power.

 9.50 Back from a walk down the road. Cool breeze but sunny. Bare hands just tolerable. I took my camera. No deer today. 

 I plan to have a modest ride. Just to check progress on the new railway route. Then catch up with some shopping on the way back. 

 11.05 Off we jolly well go. I shall head further east to enjoy quiet and hilly lanes. 

 Two young chaps went past. Out training, side by side, on their racing bikes. Which was not polite or even sensible. As half a dozen cars came up behind us and were completely blocked from overtaking on a long climb! As was I. 

 Eventually there was no more oncoming traffic and the ignorant pair continued along the flat just chatting. As the string of balked traffic could pass at last. I became bored with sitting on their wheels and overtook them. Quickly putting half a mile on them in Turbo mode. Or half a kilometer when dealing with complete ignoramuses.

 13.50 Back from a 49km ride. It was cold and there were several showers. The last and heaviest as I neared home. The wind tried to spoil the ride but I persevered. I found half a dozen railway crossing sites. A couple of them on newly opened roads. With brand new bridges marked 2026 neatly cast into their faces. 

 The enormous earth moving exercise continues. As hills are cut away and raised humps push upwards. To provide an increasingly level track bed. Deep hollows seem to have no obvious purpose but may be emergency reservoirs to avoid flooding. 

 There were no organic tea bags but I bought a couple of bags. Of my favourite, organic, porridge oats.  

 After a nap I brought the trailer along to the greenhouse. To empty it of the remaining logs and kindling. Enough for several weeks I hope.

 Now I'll drag the two wheely, recycling bins along the drive.  

 17.30 65F/18C in the room. I had better light the stove. 

 Sunday Dinner was chicken, peas and roast potatoes. The obvious mistake was not having bought any carrots. The chicken breasts were a day past their "Best by" date and discounted. So I cooked both pieces. 

 I boiled the potatoes for ten minutes in salty water first. Before placing them around the chicken in the baking pan. I gave it 40 minutes in the oven at 200C with the fan going. It was all fine. The roast potatoes were cooked through and brown on the exterior. After five minutes rest the chicken was beautifully tender. 

 

  ~?~

28.03.2026 A herd of deer!

 ~?~

  Saturday 28th 40F/4C [6.35] A damp start, turning grey and then sunshine and showers. 65F/18C in the room. 45F/7C in the greenhouse.

 Woke at 6am coughing badly after an unusually quiet night. Decided to get up.  Back and hips aching. 

 9.00 Back from my walk. I spotted about 25 deer resting out on the prairie. Some of them had huge antlers! While I could see the deer though my binoculars. I couldn't capture them, at that distance, with my phone camera. 

 I would guess they were 600 meters away. Every attempt at zooming in just made things fuzzier. Digital zoom rather than optical?

 So I walked home, collected my Lumix G9 DSLR camera with Leica 100-400mm lens and drove back to the spot. A disused field entrance. No memory card in the camera! It was still sitting under the computer monitor from the last download. The G9 has no internal memory for saving images. Grr!?

 12.30 I could have escaped on my e-bike but decided to be sensible. So I spent some time adjusting the level of the carport feet. Despite my best efforts to level it the rainwater stays in the gutters. Instead of flowing away. Which leads to falling leaves collecting in the gutters. Further blocking the flow to the downpipes inside the rear legs. 

 It rained briefly a couple of times. I have come in for a rest and some lunch.

 I continued outside after lunch. 

 Dinner was a salmon pasty with peas and pasta. I forgot the tinned tomato again. I washed up while it cooked.

 

  ~?~

27.03.2026 Heat pump survey.

 ~?~

  Friday 27th 32F/0C [6.40] A mostly sunny day is forecast. Peaking at 7.4C/45F. Currently 63F/17C in the room. 37F/3C in the greenhouse. 

 Up at 6am to continue cleaning and tidying for the arrival of the heat pump engineer/surveyor/salesman.  

 I was carrying the recycling out to the bins when he arrived.  We had a good long chat. A very sensible, thoughtful and intelligent young man. It was decided I needed a medium model of about 5kw. Which would provide a reserve of heat if needed. Without being oversized. This might even allow the curtains to be removed from the open stairwell. 

 Though he thought it unlikely it could push air around the whole house in a loop. It would leak into the kitchen but not as a primary heat source. A second smaller heat pump could work high on the kitchen wall. To warm the kitchen and bathroom. At about the same cost as a mini split. Due to the considerable length of piping involved with the latter. Having to reach from the outdoor unit on the other side of the house. 

 He recommended a high level indoor unit mounted above the TV. Rather than a floor model. The latter would not provide the carpet sweeping effect I had hoped for. Whereas the high level unit could blow almost straight down. To avoid draughts on anyone sitting immediately below. Then the warmth would cross the floor and rise on the opposite side of the room. To begin a continuous circulation. 

 The indoor unit can be set to low airflow if it should ever be necessary. An estimate for the work should soon arrive by email. Though he thought it would probably fall under their standard installation charge. Installation after the Easter holidays.

He left at 8.00. I had better have a walk before I get bogged down on YouTube. Or wittering on here. It's bright but a bit cloudy out there. The sun is shining right through the length of the house. I should sign up as a Druid.

 8.30 Walkies. 

 8.50 And back again. Bright sunshine but a cold, westerly wind. I was hoping for a ride but will need warm clothing and gloves. 

13.20 Back from a 42km ride. Two charity shops and a newly opened railway crossing bridge. An icy wind rather spoilt the ride. I changed from five fingered gloves to lobster mitts after my first stop. Moved up and down through the Modes to check my fitness. I did some light grocery shopping on the way home.

 16.30 65F/18C in the room. The stove was not lit so far. I had opened the greenhouse skylights while I was out. The wind was pulling the heat out. Normally the skylights are useless for reducing the soaring heat. Due to a lack of airflow. It needs one or both end doors opened. To break the vacuum. It is currently only 80F/27C out there. I'll use the slightly raised heat to warm the fishpond and the house wall. The thermometer in the water is showing 57F/14C.

 8.00 21C/70F. Eventually I lit the stove. Dinner was tuna on two wholemeal rolls.  

 

  ~?~

26.03.2026 Cooking class.

. 

 

 ~?~

 

 

 

Thursday 26th 38F/3C [6.20] Overcast with showers. Clearing later. Windy again. 

 Up at 5.45 after a night of weird dreams. I woke earlier but managed to go back to sleep. 

Cooking class today.  

13.30 Back from cooking class. Everybody in good humour as always

 I made Waldorf salad to go with the bacon rolls.There were sliced potatoes in a tasty sauce.

 Desert was rhubarb tart and cream. It was all yummy.  

 16.30 Back from town. It tried to snow then sleet on the way. I didn't find any carpet runners but bought the extra long cables I needed. Plus some conduit to hide the cables.  

 I shan't be needing any dinner tonight. 

 The heat pump surveyor is coming early tomorrow morning. 7.30! I had better set an alarm.

 Google is making an absolute mess of the image placement within the text arrangements. It's hopeless! I give up!

 

~?~

25.03.2026 All change!

~?~

  Wednesday 25th 43F/6C [8.00] A cloudy day with the possibility of rain and some sunshine. Rather windy from the SW going westerly. Gusting to 20m/s or over 52mph at 10am before easing slowly to 16m/s by lunchtime. Then increasing again. Not a good day for cycling. 63F/17C in the room. 49F/9C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7am after a typical night. Where I saw every hour from 1-6am on the big, red digital clock.

 Some tidying to do before the heat pump surveyor calls on Friday. My recent purchase of a [recycled] white shelving unit. To fit under the wall mounted TV. Needs to find a new home. I plan to place the floor mounted heat pump unit under the TV. 

 I'll measure the shelving again. To see if it will replace the present [and very untidy] supports for the printer, router, assorted multi-sockets and a big rubber plant. Which is currently a hideous mess of cables.  

 The white shelving unit, very helpfully, has holes in the vertical partitions. Between the six large, pigeon holes. So cables can be readily fed through as needed. Most of the cables are white. So they won't stand out so badly as they do now. I may have to drill some holes at the sides to let the cables enter neatly.

 8.00 Flashes of early sunshine are finding blue holes as the trees rock in the wind. 

 8.45 Time for a walk.  

 9.15 Back again. It stayed dry but grey. I wore my fluffy fleece jacket under the Ventile. The wind was indeed strong. Roaring in the trees. Fortunately I had the shelter of the roadside hedges for most of the time. Another bird of prey identification problem. A rather plain bird of buff and brown. Nowhere near the size of a Red kite. Only a slight V-tail. Not the usual deep V. None of the strong coloration of the Red kite. 

 Soaring just above me for quite some time. Before the wind relented and it could gain forward momentum. I'm going with a Black kite. Though I was convinced it was much smaller. The females are slightly larger but coloration similar. 

 9.30 Pouring with rain. I was lucky to have missed it!

 I had a call from the door company. The doors will probably not be ready until the end of April. I changed the dimensions. To allow more room for variations. So I was shunted down the queue. 

 12.00 Almost finished unraveling the cable "knitting." The white shelving unit fitted perfectly under the eastern window.  Moreover it brought a lot of light into the room. I am still struggling with the Reolink POE security switch. Problem solved. I hadn't connected a missing cable. All back to normal. 

 I haven't had to drill any holes. I'll get rid of the junk on the shelves elsewhere. Then drop all the cables behind the shelving. Out of sight. Then I can reinstate some ornaments on the shelves. Just to make it look purposeful. I have updated the photo to show the results.

 The IKEA bamboo shelving. Which was previously holding the computer accessories. Proved to be almost exactly the same size as the Panasonic indoor heat pump unit. Quite a bit bigger than it looked online.  

 I really ought to invest in some cable conduit. A 10m HDMI cable will provide more flexibility in routing. The 5m is presently too stretched and hanging at 45º. A piece of white conduit can drop straight down beside the new heat pump unit. Without drawing attention. 

 I still have to solve the cosmetic problem of the bare and damaged plasterboard. That blue carpet runner must go too. I should be able to find something smarter in the charity shops.

 Dinner was mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. 

 ~?~

24.03.2026 Stop that veering!

~?~

  Tuesday 24th 41F/5C. Overcast with light rain expected. Three days of rain are forecast. 64F/18C in the room. 47F/8.C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7am after a typical night.

 I shall be visiting my English friend. 

 12.15 Back from my visit. Still overcast. Light rain earlier. Three cars all veered towards me on the way home. I was beginning to think the Morris had become magnetized! Very odd indeed. At least one of the drivers was on the phone. One looked ancient. The other was invisible behind their windscreen.

 17.00 63F/17C. I finally decided to light the stove. I have been cleaning the glass in the indoor glazed doors. Long overdue. So had no need of extra heat. 

 After that I have been doing online homework about specific heat pumps. Floor mounted indoor units in particular. I have no desire to be sitting in a gale emanating from a typical, high level blower. Heat needs to be released low down. So that it washes across the floor before rising naturally.

Dinner was fish fingers and chips. I washed up while it cooked. Well, somebody had to do it. The robot home help has a night off. 

 ~?~

23.03.2026 Heat pump update.

 ~?~

  Monday 23rd 40F/4.4C [8.15] A cloudier day with veiled sunshine. A chilly 62F/16.7C in the room. 47F/8.3C in the greenhouse. I ought to light the stove but will leave it until later. The sun might yet surprise me with some free warmth.

Up at 6.25 after a typical night. Once in the upright position I had to keep clearing my throat. That has passed. Riding in the cold wind must have given me toothache yesterday. However, that too faded overnight. 

 8.30 Time for a walk. Reset to default. 

 9.00 Back from my walk. It wasn't very warm but the traffic was light. The sun broke through the dappled sky. The greenhouse is already up to 58F/14C. 

 I decided to clean the pond pump in the greenhouse. It was covered in algae. Brushing and spraying finally cleared it. 

 I have also been outside dismantling an old telescope mounting. The shafts had become very fixed. So I needed patience and ingenuity to remove them. 

 13.30 Lunch over. I have just had a pleasant phone call from a local heating company. About my installing a heat pump. The office lady spoke excellent English. Which made it remarkably easy for me to discuss my plans. Their surveyor is coming at 7.30am on Friday. I hope he will be experienced enough to make some useful suggestions. Installation will probably occur in April. Excellent news!

 I have the greenhouse door open to warm the house. The temperature out there was in the mid 90s F. Now dropped to 88F. With the house having risen to 65F. It is bright but not really sunny. It became more overcast. So I closed all the doors again.  

 The stove has lifted the room to 70F/21C using a total of three split logs. Two laid on the bottom plate to start. A third log placed on top when the base logs were burning well. 

 Dinner ought to be the second piece of chicken breast. I might add fried chicken to bread rolls. Like I did with the sausage.  Or just have another fry-up to use some of the eggs. 

 The eggs still had some days left. So I went with the sliced fried chicken on wholemeal bread rolls. 

 

  ~?~

22.03.2026 50 chilly km.

 ~?~

  Sunday 22nd 1F/-1 [6.45] An overnight frost. The sun is just rising over the hill to the east. The forecast is for a misty start with early cloud. Peaking at 10C/50F this afternoon. Sun from 10 o'clock. It seems nobody told the sun. 64F/18C in the room. It was 72F/22C last night. 36F/2C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 4.25. I woke at 4am for the first time to use the fire bucket. Only to descend into a spiral of negative memories. Sleep did not arrive to end the misery. So I got up to escape. Not with any irritation or remorse. It happens. So why torment myself further? Life presents a series of unfortunate events which alter one's path. Once I am upright the memories of those events can be set aside. Peace returns. 

 Overall I think my life has been a reasonable success. Despite the many hiccups along the away. I have created so many peculiar things. It would cover an A4 page if I listed them all by my own illegible hand. Fame was never my goal. Wealth might have been once but it always managed to swerve effortlessly around me. 

 In absence of abundance I was forced to make the things that I wanted. Each new project provided new skills and knowledge. Often involving new tools. Which could all be shuffled along to the next project. Usually with the need for more tools. More knowledge. More research. More reading. The steady, or unsteady accumulation of skills and flexibility in thinking. I am no artist and have the musical skills of woodlouse. My skills at math are so poor as to warrant mirth. Yet I get by. 

 I have been extraordinarily lucky in being able to find "stuff" throughout my long life. The basic building materals needed for the construction of the latest obsession. For I am certainly obsessive. Once the latest butterfly flutters into view. I blame my innate intelligence for much of my creativity. Curiosity has been my main driver. Being unable to turn my intelligence into anything resembling a career was almost beneficial. A computer without a memory is a pitiful thing. Though never to be pitied. 

 I have inbuilt resources and can call upon them when the plumbing needs fixing. Or many other practical needs around the house. Like a new roof. Or insulation, woodwork, drainage, plumbing, windows, doors and tiling. The enormous savings over the long decades have probably allowed me to find the funds for my endless projects. 

My late wife referred to me as a "butterfly." Because I would become so engrossed in a subject or construction. Only to completely lose interest once something was achieved to my own satisfaction. The countless books in my library are witness to my fleeting and flitting nature. I am a perfectionist in my drive to succeed with a project. Dismissive of my unwillingness to compromise. 

 YouTube keeps suggesting videos on "manifestation." The subtle control of one's personal universe by conscious power of will. Which makes me think. That my remarkable luck is often my simply having a positive attitude. Not deluded longing. Not a belief in some higher authority. No castle in the sky nonsense. Just a belief that what I need is simply waiting to be found.

 Take a recent example: I needed display cabinets for my late wife's glass collection. Suddenly they were "coming out of the woodwork." So to speak. Yes, it is true that I was deliberately searching for these cabinets in charity shops. Searching for inspiration in online furniture sales websites. 

 I have to ask: Was this all that it required? To have a need. Then to find so many cabinets, so quickly, at such very modest expense. All in the same period style by probably the same manufacturer. Yet I have no memory of these cabinets being available beforehand. None were ever for sale before I needed them. They are so distinctive that I am sure I would have noticed. 

 I wanted to find an affordable Morris Minor. Something to suit my slower pace at relatively low cost. So I could get rid of my aging Japanese car. Which we had owned for years and was reaching the end of its affordable life. Hey presto and abracadabra!  A chap in the nearest village was selling a nice Morris for an elderly owner. Less than a kilometer away. Then I needed specialist advice and expertise. A supplier of unique spares and skilled repair of these old vehicles. There is a specialist restorer within a short bike ride from Chez Hovel. 

 8.00 33F/+1C. It has misted over on the back fields while I was scribbling. Time for a walk.  

 8.30 36F/2C. Bright sunshine. Back again. I used the thick mist as a cover for a loop around the spray tracks on the fields. The overnight frost promised firm soil. My hands are freezing despite the gloves. Traffic very quiet. 

 The temperature doesn't climb much until lunch time. So an afternoon ride makes most sense. I should stay at home this morning and do something useful. 

 12.00 52F/11C. 67F/19C in the room. 95F/35C in the greenhouse. I have opened all the internal doors and windows to share the warmth. 

 13.00 Lunch. 68F/20C indoors. I have sorted the indoor containers into the recycling bin and dragged it along the drive. Made progress with dismantling a heavy old telescope mounting. For packing and dispatch. Watered all the indoor plants and retied the Monstera. 

 13.45 53F/12C. I am going to get ready for a ride. 

 16.55 51F/11C. 68F/20C in the room. I opened the greenhouse skylights before leaving. Currently 77F/25C out there. Returning from a rather chilly 50km/31 mile ride. I explored the still closed and newly opened roads on the new railway route. Took lots of pictures with my phone camera. I was getting saddle sore and tired from about 40km. So I used Turbo mode to help me get home. 

 A pair of storks flew low over the road just in front of me. Right out in the middle of nowhere. A tractor was ploughing. With a tail of hundreds of gulls. Several birds of prey wanted a free lunch too but were being attacked by the gulls. 

 Sunday dinner was chicken, mushrooms, peas, carrots and roast potatoes. Mostly in the baking tray. I boiled the peas in a pan. Bisto gravy to follow. After half an hour at 220C, with fan, in a pre-heated oven, I allowed the chicken to rest for five minutes. It was the most moist and tender I have ever tasted. 

 

 

  

  ~?~