21.04.2026

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  Tuesday 21st 36F/2C. All day sunshine. Breezy from the NE. Peaking at 12C this afternoon.

 Up at 6.45 after a fairly quiet night. 

 My English friend is coming to me today. To check out the new toy. [Heat pump] He has years of experience with different heating systems and monitoring their performance and costs via various apps. The Panasonic wireless app seems not to apply to my unit. I haven't explored this beyond finding the wireless button is missing from the remote control. 

 Meanwhile I have some tidying to do.

 

  ~?~

20.04.2026 Inactivity! Director's Cut.

 ~?~

  Monday 20th 42F/5.6C [8.50] Bright overcast. Sunshine promised. Slow start in the SW. Becoming rather breezy from the NE. Room at 21C/70F. Greenhouse at 53F/12C.

 A fox poked its nose into the garden in the dark. The light on the camera put it off and it turned tail. 

 Up at 7.25 after earlier failures to light the damp squib. Back still hurting but not so bad. I have been browsing instead of going for a walk.

 Three hours later my back is fine until I try to move from my chair. Then it is agony. The sun has come out. The trees and hedges are moving in the wind. Petals from the plum and cherry trees are drifting.

 My HP printer has died. It won't feed paper at all now. After some earlier hesitancy and refusal. 

 In the afternoon I drove into the village for bread and pastry. Which meant hobbling the entire length [both ways] of the huge supermarket building.  

 Dinner was mashed potato, sausage rolls and fried mushrooms. I washed up while it cooked. 

 

  ~?~

19.04.2026 A pain in the ....

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  Sunday 19th 445F/7.2C [8.15] Bright overcast. A cloudy morning with possible sunny periods. Rain later and overnight. Light NE breeze going northwards and N-Easterly. 68F/20C in the room. 54F/12C in the greenhouse. 58F/14C in the greenhouse pond.

 Up at 7.40 after a fairly quiet night. My lower back pain is not so bad so far. The same as yesterday. Only to discover it was a struggle to walk very far. I have tried some sciatica exercises without obvious benefit at the time.

 The heat pump is cycling between 21F and 38.5F. With the remote control set to 19C/66F Heat and Auto. The monitoring digital thermometer is not continuous reading but updates at intervals. The "Outdoor" sensor is hanging free in the airflow. Without direct contact with the heat pump's indoor unit. 

 I am now very happy with the downward firing airflow. After some initial irritation with cold air draughts. When it was blowing straight forwards. Easily cured with the "Air Swing" button on the remote. Allowing the air directing blades to point downwards and stay there. I have "Fan Speed" set to 3/5. Which I find almost inaudible. While wearing my hearing aids and sitting at 2.8-3m from the unit. 

 Now with no discernible draughts while seated at my computer. Which was my reason for choosing the more expensive floor model. I had some previous experience with high level units in shops and petrol stations. So knew I would not have been happy with the resulting draughts. 

 No doubt this problem could have been improved using "Air Swing" to direct the airflow more beneficially. Those with much higher ceilings might well benefit from the high level blower units. The low ceilings [215cm] of my hovel/cottage would not. 

 Plans for a walk or a ride were shelved. It hurts just to get up and walk to the kitchen. 

 I managed to drag the recycling bin along the drive. It hurt like hell!

 Dinner was cheese on toast. 

 

 

 ~?~

18.04.2026 26km & "Air Swing!"

 ~?~

 Saturday 18th 48F/9C [7.20] Heavy overcast. A day of sunshine and showers is promised. With light winds. 71F/21C in the room. 53F/12C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 6.30 after an unusually quiet night. I got up only once. I was comfortable in bed without my usual thin jumper over my t-shirt. It may be too early to be sure but the horrible pain in my right lower back seems to have eased. I hope I can have a proper walk today.

 The risk of showers makes my Saturday morning ride less likely. I'll see how the weather turns out later. I would be wearing a rainproof jacket anyway. With waterproof trousers in the panniers.

 9.10 Brighter, with veiled sunshine. Too warm in the room. I have reduced the remote setting to 18C again. Back from a limping crawl along the road and back. There was no relief from the pain. If the weather doesn't change I shall still have my Saturday ride to the next village 12km away. The exercise might help.

 13.00 Back from a 26km ride to the shops. Bright overcast.  Lots of trees and shrubs in bloom. The first leaves are showing on the sunlit faces of the forest. 

 No pain while cycling but it was hell getting on and off. It now occurs to me. That I manhandled the massive concrete paving slabs the other day. I had assumed that my careful handling had avoided injury. I may have been mistaken. Because I am so used to being active. 

The indoors is at 70F/21C. So I have now lowered the remote setting to 17C. 

 18.00 Raining. The lower temperature setting on the heat pump tended to blow cold air at me. So I have raised it to 19C. 

 I can also use the "Air Swing" button on the remote. To alter the angle of the blades. Repeated button pressing adjusts and fixes the chosen angle. Including downwards. Even to direct the air towards the floor if desired. Pressing the blades downwards manually does nothing long term. They will soon adjust themselves back up again under the control of the programming. The Auto setting always seems to choose upward and outward airflow. 

 Which I want to avoid. Because it is quite unpleasant to feel cold air coming straight at you. Unless I am using cooling mode in a heatwave. 

 The temperature of the air blowing out of the unit is not hot like a fan heater or hair drier. It is much cooler. Much closer to the ambient temperature in the room. Presumably this is much more economical. Than blasting hot air and then having to cool the room. Which might involve starting and stopping the blower motor. 

 I can use one of my thermometers to measure the exiting air temperature. It matches the temperature setting. Just as I surmised. Or not? The fan has just come on audibly and it was briefly blowing at 37C! That was with the sensor on the internal radiator. I have now moved the sensor to measure the airflow. Now falling rapidly. 

 Dinner was a sausage and mushroom fry-up. With an egg on toast and tomatoes on the side.

 

  ~?~

 

17.04.2026 79 not out.

 ~?~

  Friday 17th 43F/6C [8.10] Overcast with thick mist. 100m invisibility. A grey morning should brighten this afternoon. Peaking at 13C/55F. Light winds. Greenhouse at 53F/11.7C.

 Up at 7am after a quiet, comfortable night. I had the heat pump set to 19C on the remote control. Three well spaced thermometers are showing from 20-21C/68-70F. Slightly too warm for my taste while wearing a thin jumper and T-shirt. My back pain has reduced. A walk in the mist might be doable today. 

 10.00 Well, that didn't go well. I barely made it to the main drive before I had to turn back. My right hip/lower back area hurts like hell! I am back and doing laundry instead. The inner doors are all open. As I continue to experiment with the heat pump's capabilities. Now reduced to 18C on the remote. 64.5F. The greenhouse doors are closed. At 61F it can't contribute to solar heat gain in an overcast. Though it can act as a buffer.

 11.00 Reducing the remote control setting to 18C has had no effect on the three thermometers. I understand that a discount is available on my electricity bill for having a heat pump installed. There is a mobile phone remote control App. Though the designer of the App is quite obviously mentally ill. Presumably just another case of serial nepotism. Probably third generation's, 1st born son. With that spoilt brat level of sociopathy. Only made possible by being hoist by Daddy's designer bootstraps.

 11.30 51F/11C. The mist has gone. Brightening to weak sunshine. 70F/21C in the greenhouse. I must go shopping. Not yet.

 12.45 Having completely wasted another hour on the Panasonic Comfort Cloud App it's time for lunch. I should not have persisted with the App. I really should have known better. When I discovered that a whole string of forlorn cries for online help went unanswered. With non-existent buttons on the remote control and multiple button presses thereof being required. Just to escape from the quite deliberate consumer traps. Set by the twisted Panasonic Comfort Cloud App horror fiction writer. 

 The heat pump is as frustrated as I am. It is oscillating around the set temperature. Cooling to bring it down and reheating to climb back up. The surroundings are obviously slightly above the desired temperature setting. So I should really turn it off and let it rest. Done. 

 16.00 Back from the shops in the Morris. Two carrier bags full. Warm sunshine. Still hobbling about.

 Dinner was sardines on toast with halved tomatoes. I have switched the heat pump back on. Set to 20C/68F.

  

  ~?~

16.04.2026 Heat pump installation.

 ~?~

  Thursday 16th 44F/6.7C [7.00]  Overcast. Early rain clearing to a cloudy morning. 66F/19C in the room.  I kept the stove going until it reached 70F/21C last night. It seems to help. 49F/9.4C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 5.30 after a fairly sleepless night. Lower back still aching badly. No chance of a walk in this state! 

 Expecting the heat pump installers. I have been tidying and moving the furniture back from the work site. Lifted the TV off its bracket and placed it on my bed. Moved all the cables. Moved all my plants and the recycling bins outside. Their initial inspection took place at 7.15. So I am assuming a similar time for their arrival this morning.

 10.30 An update: Their first fitter had called in sick. They shuffled their customers around and arranged for a second fitter to call. Two young chaps just arrived. They chose to use a single layer of the large, paving labs. 60x30x10cm. Four, round rubber, isolation feet. Rather than using long, rubber blocks.

 13.30 Finished lunch. The lads were eating in the van. The installation work has restarted. Making very good progress. An amazing range of interesting and expensive tools required. Anyone contemplating cheating and installing one themselves has a vast expenditure ahead of them. 

 It is illegal for untrained and unqualified persons to install a heat pump. I can see why. It was satisfying watching the practiced movements of the installer. I have a large range of abilities in practical matters. With very little overlap with what I saw today. 

  My back is still very painful. I am hobbling about like an old man!

 14.00 Sunny periods.  Greenhouse door opened to the house. Now I can heat the house with the greenhouse and cool it with the heat pump. 

 14.40 Job done. Tested thoroughly. The customer was advised about maintenance and filter cleaning. I was shown the remote control functions. It all works. Tested from hot to cold. They even lifted my TV back onto the wall bracket. It nearly killed me to move it this morning. Very pleasant, helpful and competent young men. They sought my input on every decision where it mattered. Siting, cable runs, spacing, etc. I am a very happy bunny. 

 Once the room has been brought up to the set temperature it all goes very, very quiet. Set to Auto and 20C/68F on the remote. 21C was too warm. Two long blades pivot silently on tiny stepper motors. To direct the airflow.

 I have been experimenting with open internal doors. To see if the heat pump can push air right around the loop. I have to keep turning down the temperature on the remote. The thermometers are still reading 2-3 degrees above the setting on the remote. I have it at 19C and thermometers are showing 22C. Now it is blowing cold air! Endless fun ahead as I familiarise myself.

 Dinner was something simple. A salmon pasty and chips. I washed up while it cooked.

 

  ~?~

15.04.2026 42km. Cool is not cool.

 ~?~

  Wednesday 15th 42F/5.6C [8.20] Bright overcast. Expected to remain dry but cloudy until later. 65F/18.3C in the room. 49F/9.4C in the greenhouse. One of my new digital thermometers was reading a competitor's, wireless, outdoor sensor. 

 I had bought them both from the same big shed store. Each made by a different manufacturer. It seems the new thermometer was only on the wrong channel. As soon as I changed channels it matched the old, digital thermometer. Which I have now been using for over a decade. 

 Both outdoor sensors are placed in the open air under the eaves of the north facing, roof overhang. A site which I hoped would totally avoid, local, solar heating. Which would give artificially raised readings. 

 It is nice to finally have confirmation of the much older thermometer's accuracy. Though it ought to be three samples, or more. to reduce the risk of error. I round the temperature readings anyway. So I am not aiming for scientific accuracy.

 Up at 7.15 after earlier failure to take off. More weird dreams. No noticeable ill effects from yesterday's clash with the crowbar. 

 I feel the need for a ride. Though I would prefer it was warmer. Battery on charge while I have my walk and prepare. Batteries should not be left on full charge. As it shortens their life. The downside is that the bike isn't road ready in an emergency.

 9.25 Back from my walk. I was unable to walk off my lower back pain. It continued to hurt. Making progress slow and painful. The neighbour's cat was sitting in the drive as I left. I spoke and it walked briskly past me. Later to be seen hunting on the back field. 

 12.00 The first e-bike battery is only just full charged. So I have decided to wait until after lunch for a ride. Besides which, I couldn't decide where to go. 

 17.00 Returning from a 42km ride. I rode to a charity shop in a rural village. Then meandered back via the quiet, country lanes. Crossing the motorway and a bridge over the new railway. See images above. It was never sunny and felt rather chilly. 

 I met the lady in the village earlier. So called in on the way home for a chat. 

 Dinner was a wholemeal bread roll with tuna. Followed by a milky coffee and a digestive biscuit. The back pain continues.

 7.40 I lit the stove. After dropping below 65F/18C it was becoming too cool for comfort indoors. Talking of which: I must set the alarm tonight. In readiness for tomorrow's heat pump installer.

 

  ~?~

14.04.2026 A Bloodbath!

 ~?~

  Tuesday 14th 41F/5C Heavy overcast and a wet morning. Brighter this afternoon. 66F/19C in the room. 47F/8.3C in the greenhouse. I put a fresh log in to let the stove burn on after bedtime. This seems to have helped maintain overnight temperatures.

 Up at 6.30 after a busy night. I have an appointment with the doctor after lunch. As a follow up to various tests last week. 

 9.30 I am using the wet morning as an excuse to prepare the site of the internal heat pump unit. The recently purchased, recycled carpet runner needs to run along that wall. This involved removing the existing runner. Which was trapped under the big, old, oak chest of drawers. All the furniture had to be pushed to the far end of the room. Then I had to remove the heavy drawers to be able to lift the chest at all. Old runner removed. Now I have to tidy up before fitting the new. 

 I was struggling with the rudimentary skirting board. Which was held at intervals by large, rusty nails. My intention is to replace the ugly board with box shaped conduit. The board really did not want to come away from the wall. I was lying on my stomach under the dining table. Levering away with a crowbar. When it suddenly swung up and hit me viciously on the forehead. 

 A deep gash and lots of blood followed. I dashed off to the bathroom. To flood the site of the gaping wound. Taking blood thinners is apt to cause problems with clotting but the bleeding soon stopped. Unfortunately my career as a septuagenarian babe magnet may be temporarily over. At least until the wound heals. I am recovering my composure by updating the blog. 

 Now I need some plastic conduit. To hide all the cables running across the floor. There are three security camera cables. Three TV cables. A standard lamp. A table lamp and the mains cable for the computer and all its associated accessories. Most of which are never switched off. 

 There is an alternative socket behind my bed. Which could become the continuous mains supply. It just needs to be connected to the present multi-sockets to tidy up the "knitting."  

 Duly completed. The attached snap [Top right] shows the ugly wall and new carpet runner. Quite a good match between the rugs. The carpet motif is perfectly centered under the TV and the coming heat pump. 

  10.00 I'll have morning coffee. While what remains of my senses return to normal. I use the latter term loosely of course. 

 11.45 I shall have to drive into town after my appointment to find box shaped, snap-on conduit.  

 The doctor is going to give me a stronger medicine to stop me clotting. My heart is fluttering. Increased risk of a stroke or heart attack.

 After that I drove into town. Returning with the conduit I needed. I wanted something wider but settled on two length of 50x20mm. A single length of 25x16mm will hide the cables rising to the TV. The second image shows that most of the ugly wall is hidden behind the chairs. The heat pump will also cover the joint in the plasterboard under the TV. 

 15.15 It is brightening up with some sunny periods. 

 18.30 I managed to extract the pretend skirting board and take it outside. Now there are just the three network cables for the cameras. Which can be lost in the conduit running along the floor in place of the skirting board. The TV can be lifted down from its bracket on the wall. Then laid flat on the bed while the heat pump work is in progress. Now I have to conjure up some dinner.  

 I went with fish fingers and 3 minute broccoli. I lit the stove at 21.00. It was feeling chilly and I saw no reason to suffer.

 

  ~?~

 

13.04.2026 Promises-promises.

 ~?~

 Monday 13th 40F/4.4C. Overcast. Possible early brightness. 24 hours of rain arriving at lunch time. Easterly winds. 63F/17C in the room. 50F/10C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 6.45 after another night of weird dreams. Not weird in appearance but just unlikely and often boring subject matter. Highly realistic. Mixed contexts. Mixed casts from different walks of life.

 09.30 Back from my short walk. It was unpleasantly cold in the easterly breeze. Plenty of birds about.  

 15.00 48F/9C. No rain yet. I lit the stove. It had dropped to 62F/17C in the room. There had been none of the brightness to warm the greenhouse and thus the house.

 It was nearly 19.00 before it finally started raining. 

 19.30 72F/22C. Dinner was poached egs on toast. Another day wasted on YouTube.

 

  ~?~

12.04.2026 41km

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  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! 

 9.40 Back from a walk down the road and back. Lots of birds. Both audible and visible. Including a small bird of prey. Flapping wildly to make headway against a gentle headwind. Another bird call which left me baffled. A deep sound emanating from a roadside tree. Without at any sign of a bird being present. 

 The nice neighbor's cat nodded at me as I passed. I'll have to go shopping if I want to have morning coffee. 

 10.40 Full sunshine. Back from the village. Loads of groceries and petrol refill. I'll go for a ride after morning coffee. I went outside to sort out the recycling bins.

 12.00 I have just had a nice chat with my neighbours. It was beautiful outside in the sunshine. Almost no breeze and comfortably warm. They had returned my wheelbarrows after I had loaned them for a job. 

 They both speak excellent English and seem to enjoy practicing their skills. Both use English to some extent in their work. Which suits me perfectly of course. Not to mention them not having to suffer my awful pronunciation and mangled grammar in Danish.

 13.20 Off we go for a ride. Dressed warmly but not overdressed. The Endura rain jacket is fine for blocking the wind. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my back. While the cold headwind tried to sneak in at the front. The GripGrab gloves were fine today. The lobster mitts went into a pannier just in case. I wore an old pair of DHB, padded cycling shorts to increase comfort.

 15.30 58F/14.4C. Back from another ride. To inspect progress on the new railway line. 41km. A comfortable distance today. I kept to the narrow, rural lanes as much as possible. Almost devoid of traffic. Though the main roads were quite busy.

 I passed a cat rolling on its back in the middle of the road on a narrow winding lane. Enjoying the warm asphalt. The road and bridge I keep going back to is very close to completion. It just needs some asphalt to reopen.  [Image top right] The sign says opening on the 31st April.

 67F/19C indoors. 81F/27C in the greenhouse. All skylights and the end door open.

 Back on the computer to watch YouTube videos. I have closed the door and skylights now that I am back. So the sun's warmth can be transferred to the indoors.

 Dinner was baked chicken, roast potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and peas. The best roast potatoes so far. They had 15 minutes simmering in salty water. Before going into the baking pan for 40 minutes. I let the cooked chicken rest for five minutes. 

 

 

  ~?~

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. 

  

 

  ~?~