30.09.2026 Blighted neighbourhoods!

 ~?~

  Wednesday 30th 57F/14C [7.30] A sunny day is promised. Peaking at 19C/ 66F. Rather spoilt by a gusty easterly wind. Blowing to 10m/s. A cosy 22C/72F in the room thanks to the heat pump. Remote set to 21C/70F. 

Up at 6.50 after a quiet night. I have an appointment with the ENT specialist. In town this afternoon. 

 I had a long chat with my minder. Then went for a walk.

 9.15 Back from my walk. Just the usual loop around the drives to the north. I was quite breathless on the way out but gradually recovered. I was able to maintain a modest pace. The wind was picking up steadily.

 The "gardeners" are back clearing brambles at the vacant house on the road. Having a big, smokey bonfire with the felled greenery. With a very fortunate, easterly wind direction. At least as far as I was concerned. A mini digger/excavator has been brought in to help. 

 They have access to the house. So may be the owners. I believe it has always been rented in the past. No "For Sale" signs have ever appeared. The entrance enjoys the same terrifying exit into speeding traffic. Immediately following a tight, completely blind bend. Where my own, shared drive lies right on the apex. 

 Not helped, at all, by the overgrowth of self seeding trees and shrubs. At yet another of Scrapman's abandoned building sites. Now untouched for five years and counting. Much the same as all the rest of his properties. Bought for pocket change at forced auctions. Then left to decay once he has done just enough damage to make it look like quite deliberate blackmail. 

 In the hope that somebody will pay him an obscene amount of money. Just for him to go away. He always dumps ridiculous amounts of junk and building materials on the grounds of all his properties. Old decrepit boats, rusting cars and agricultural implements. Just to maximize the pressure. 

 His toll on numerous unlucky neighbourhoods and very real neighbours. Is completely ignored by the council. One neighbour lost £30,000 in the value of their immaculate home. Not that there was the slightest chance in hell of it selling. Not with Scrapman's hideous eyesores. Right next door and deliberately placed as close as possible to their boundary.

 His activities even hinder businesses. As he makes their approach drive look like hell on earth! With deliberately placed junk narrowing their access. Isn't it nice to know? That cheap, property speculators hold infinitely more power in Denmark. Than honest, tax and rates paying, working home owners and their working, tax paying families. 

  11.00 I put off my planned ride. To do the washing up and to put some laundry in the machine. 

 16.00 67F/19C and bright sunshine. Back from town after visiting the ENT specialist. I don't need to go back until November. Unless the dizziness returns. 

 Dinner was cheese on toasted rolls with halved, cherry tomatoes. 

  ~?~

 

29.09.2026 New med.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 29th 57F/14C [9.15] Overcast.  A cloudy start. Clearing to sunshine and 18C/65F later.

  Woken at 8.20 by somebody quite local. Ringing about my lathe. They should be here soon. I had fallen back to sleep after waking at 7.30.

 9.00 I have a buyer. An active 84year-old, living in the next village. He has always wanted a metal lathe. He's coming back on Thursday. We had a good chat. 

 12.30 I rang the doctor earlier about my recurring heart pain. They gave me an emergency appointment. 

 A chat, checked my blood pressure, then a wait for an electrocardiogram. Back for another chat with the doctor. New tablet to suppress the pain. Which had been removed by stopping the original tablets. Hopefully the will lack the same side effects like dizziness.

 Dinner was a chicken fry-up. With mushrooms and tweggs on toast.

 

  ~?~

 

28.09.2026 A walk + exercise class.

 ~?~

  Monday 28th 56F/13C [7.50] Overcast, with only a little sunshine forecast. Mild, peaking at 19C/66F later. Southerly winds and much lighter. 

 21C/70F in the room without the heat pump. Probably thanks to the greenhouse and yesterday's sunshine. 

 Up at 7.15 after a fairly quiet night. 

 Exercise therapy class today in town.   

 9.00 Back from my walk around the usual loop. No breathlessness or tiredness. No dogs barking today. It was overcast and spitting with rain. Not heavy enough to be a problem. I was having my online chat while I walked. All thanks to the rubber tipped stylus. My fingertips are too large to type on the virtual keyboard. 

 12.20 Bright overcast. Back again. I deliberately pushed myself at the exercise class. Did a bit of shopping too. 

 The afternoon was wasted online.

 I had to go shopping in the village before dinner. I'd run out of essentials.

 Dinner was baked beans on wholemeal bread toast with tomato soup. 

 I put the heat pump back on and it started blowing cold air. It was set to Auto Mode. So I changed it to Heat Mode. 

 Why does my heart hurt every evening? I am having to use the nitro spray every evening now. It stops the pain almost immediately but why is it necessary? Am I overdoing it?

  

  ~?~

27.09.2026 Another walk & a 38km ride.

 ~?~

  Sunday 27th 49F/9C [8.00] A sunny day is promised. When it reaches me. Currently blocked by the absent neighbours hedges and trees. The house involved is supposed to be under renovation but has been abandoned again. As the temporary plastic covering tears to rags in the wind. Today's wind is set to blow from the east. Gusting to 11-12m/s on average. Not ideal for a ride.

 A rather warm 23C/74F in the room. The heat pump has been on all night. The remote is set to 20C/68F and Heat Mode. I'll try Auto Mode to see what happens.  

 Up at 7.20 after another quiet night. With more weird dreams. 

 8.35. I think I'll go for a walk. This is a bigger deal than most realise. I completely lost my confidence after the backward somersault. Ending in an ambulance trip to hospital. I tried a walk with a recent visitor. Having to give up at halfway. When I became too breathless to continue.

 9.30 Back from a loop around the neighbour's drives at the rear. In bright sunshine. No wind. No breathlessness. No tiredness. Even my posture and pace looked more normal on the security cameras. The small, hairy guard dog barked from the safety of its low fence. As did the Alsatian at the bungalow on the road. Safely secured behind two wooden fences. 

 The intervening, marshy ground beyond my northern boundary is rapidly growing trees. There will be a wood there within a couple of years. My view towards the far fields. Through the narrow window I made between my own trees, will soon be gone. The embankment they built for their new drive must have dried out the marsh.  Though willows can easily grow in such damp conditions.

 10.30 Off we go for a ride. 

 12.30 Back from a ride for the full length of the new cycle path. With only the stretch from Glamsbjerg to Voldtofte yet to be surfaced. That was still covered in rough sand, earth and nasty, pebble sized, loose gravel in places. Strictly for wide tires or an MTB and nerves of steel! There is no sense of direction. So I have to float over it and keep pedaling. 

 Lots of people were enjoying the rest of the route. Which is now paved with the fine, grey, surface gravel. They were mostly mature or elderly cyclists and a few walkers. I slowed to a crawl as I passed walkers. Greeted or thanked them all for giving me room and most responded. 

 Everybody was cheerful in the perfect conditions. Loose dogs were quickly gathered in once they knew somebody was approaching. Though free range walks seem pointless. When they can be so easily reeled in on extending leashes. I used my tiny new bell only once at 100m distance. They heard it instantly and pulled their dogs into the verge.

 The route is a little over 18km long in all. Still work to be done on the numerous road crossings. Some thoughtful hedge trimming at these crossings would greatly increase safety. Allowing cyclists to easily check for approaching traffic.Without having to stop or dismount. Or carry on regardless. On what are mostly narrow lanes with very light traffic.

 The two, main road crossings are quite another matter. The road speeds here are still the national limit of 80kph or 50 mph. Usually ignored by the vast majority of drivers. One main road has had a new island installed. Which has taken a fortnight and counting. To provide some shelter for cyclists at the midway point. The speed limit here was 60kph or 40mph. Again completely ignored by most drivers. Perhaps the only answer is a bump, pillow or ramp? The only truly democratic traffic calming measure. Which actually works. 

 Lots of new signposts have been erected in blue. Giving details of distances. 

 After lunch and a nap I have been running the robot up and down the drive. I brought out the big, push-along, battery mower and trimmed the entire length several times. Including the verges. To ensure the robot mower wasn't being hindered by taller grass or weeds. It tends to see overhanging growth as valuable shrubs to be protected. 

 My attempts to cut The West Lawn with the big mower failed. Due to flat batteries and molehills repeatedly stalling the blade. Now on charge.

 The unshaded greenhouse is hot. So I have opened the internal doors. 

 Sunday Dinner was chicken, mushrooms, peas, carrots, chips and gravy. It was delicious. 

 

  ~?~

26.09.2026 A walk, 32km and a recalcitrant robot!

 ~?~ 

  Saturday 26th 55F/13C [7.10] Dry, sunny later and breezy from the west. Peaking at 17C/63F. 20C/68F in the room. No heat pump.

 Up at 6.45 after  quiet night.  A good day for a ride?

 As I chatted with my minder online. I noticed a red van parked by the distant road. Then a JCB digger turned up and figures walked about. Eventually moving to the back of an old farmhouse. I decided I needed a walk. Curiosity was my driving force. The red van had moved nearer. As an old chap began to turn off the water at a stop tap on the verge. 

 I asked him what was happening and he said they had a pipe break on the field. Probably due to the massive seed drill. Working out there yesterday. It had returned and completed its sewing while I wasn't watching. The water would be off for a couple of hours. No warning.

 Further on I could see the result of all the gardening noise on a roadside house. Which had become completely overgrown over the last few years. While standing empty for most of that time. They must have been working hard on the brambles. I could hear the engines of their power tools beyond the trees but could see nothing until now.

 I continued on my walk at a fairly brisk pace. Yet I was not breathless. In fact I completed the loop along the neighbours' drives without much effort. I suppose it could be the therapy exercises improving my overall fitness. 

 Or even the outing with my English friend. Where we had to walk around a huge yard to examine the items on display. Followed my walking up and down several vast supermarkets. As he shopped on the way home. 

 I have filled the kettle to the very top. With the dribble from the tap. Had morning coffee. I'll change now and go for my ride. To mix shopping with checking progress on the massive embankment. Where the new, high speed, railway track has to match the height of the newly cast bridge. After emerging from what was once a deep hollow.  

 10.30 Off we jolly well go. 

 12.20 And back again after 32km. The traffic was light but the wind stronger than forecast. A cross headwind going. More of a crosswind coming home. It felt slightly too cold on my hands in fingerless mitts. Though it soon passed. I stopped to put on a GripGrab medieval cap. 

 Later I climbed the long hill up to the new railway track. Still some way to go for the embankment to match the bridge level. More roads were closed for the district heating expansion.

 I shopped on the way back. The water was back on. 

Then I sent the robot mower out four times before dinner. It is still refusing [or ignoring] certain areas of the drive. No matter how many times I send it out. Dinner was beans on toast. 

  

  ~?~

 

25.09.2026 8.4km test ride.

 ~?~

  Friday 25th 46F/8C [7.15] Dry with sunny periods. Medium, westerly winds. 24C/75F in the room. Too warm! I have turned the heat pump remote control down by one degree to 20C. It has overheated the room when set to 21C.

 Up at 6.30 after another wakeful night. Should I give up the afternoon nap? 

 I need to fix the dropper post on the e-bike. The cable was barely long enough and the outer frayed at a junction. Causing severe unreliability. I have a spare dropper post somewhere with a brand new lever amd cable attached. Bought before I realised I could get more drop. Now I can't find it! These dropper seat  cables are standard gear change cables. So I could obtain some spares from the bike shop in town and knit my own.  

 13.00 Back from the shops. I bought a couple of inner gear cables in town. Then detoured to two farm machinery shops looking for better cable clamps. Aka: Wire nipples. I was lucky at the second. The original XLC cable clamp ruins the cable. Due to the pointed clamping screw separating the strands. Where a flat ended screw would hopefully not. The original nipple was also tiny. Needing a tiny, straight bladed screwdriver to tighten it. This did not fill me with confidence that the inner cable/wire was being held firmly. 

 It has been a beautiful, sunny morning but I could not safely go for a ride without the dropper post working. Lifting myself onto the saddle. From straddling across the bike was too far. As was dismounting from a seated position.  

 17.00 60F/15.5C Back from an 8km test ride. The seat dropper post has returned to solid and reliable support. With snappy movement up and down. Bright sunshine and I was overdressed despite the wind.  

 Dinner was cheese and curried herring on wholemeal bread rolls. With half a tin of Heinz tomato soup. Washed down with village apple juice.

  ~?~

24.09.2026 Cooking class.

 ~?~

  Thursday 24th 52F/11C [8.30] Heavily overcast again. Dark indoors. A grey but dry day. Peaking at 15C/59F. 20C/68F in the room. I have lit the heat pump. 

 So much easier than the wood stove. Probably a lot healthier too! Almost immediate heat instead of waiting for ages for the warmth to escape. I should have bought a heat pump years ago. 

 I was woken at 8.00 by my minder. After my being awake again in the night. She has building workers in making a racket. So she was up earlier than usual.

 Cooking class today. Going in the Morris. 

 14.10 Back from cooking class. Where I made a cabbage, orange and nut salad. I also dropped in on the Morris minor expert to ask about spares.  

 No need for dinner. 

  

  ~?~

 

 

23.09.2026 Inclemency is my burden.

 ~?~

  Wednesday 23rd 53F/12C [8.00] Heavy overcast. Making it dark indoors. A grey, rainy day. Peaking around 15C/59F. 20C/68F in the room.  Wind increasing steadily to peak at 18m/s after midnight tonight. Continuing into tomorrow.

 Up at 7.20 after a mostly quiet night. I felt warm despite the modest indoor temperature.

 9.45 Just had my daily chat with my minder.    

 18.00 Back from the village supermarkets. I didn't buy any meat. Organic meat has doubled in price from last year! I'll have to rethink my diet. The second supermarket was stocking my lunch rolls again. Not reliably though. 

 I had to buy more petrol. I usually buy 250kr worth. Roughly £29! So the tank needs refilling far more often. As prices rise. 

 The rain persisted heavily. As I was heading back to the car from the supermarket. So I had to make a dash for it. 

 Dinner was poached eggs on toast.  

 

  ~?~

 

22.09.2026 240km!

 ~?~

  Tuesday 22nd 44F/7C [8.20] Bright but much cooler. A sunny day is promised. Peaking at 17C/63F. With lighter winds. 19C/66F in the room. The heat pump has been turned on. Set to 21C/70F.

 Up at 7.30 after being awake and then up in the night. No explanation. Just wide awake at 3.30. Stayed up until 5.30. Watching YT videos. I did the washing up at 10pm last night.  

 My English friend is coming to me today. 

 We had Danish pastries and then set off in his car. 120km later we were at our destination. We had a good look around and then headed home again. Shopping at the half way point on the way back. It was a perfect day. Pleasantly warm, full sunshine and no wind. 

 Dinner was a chicken fry-up. With mushrooms, tomatoes and tweggs on toast. I am getting paranoid about eggs being properly cooked. Turning them over always results in overcooked. Or broken. I am not sure which is worse.

 

  ~?~

21.09.2026 16km

 ~?~

  Monday 21st 51F/11C [8.15] Bright overcast. A dry day with sunshine is promised. Peaking at 16C/61F. 

  Up at 7.45 after checking the clock at 5.15. I was too warm in bed and too warm now at 22C in the room. I have turned off the heat pump. 

 I have had a follow up enquiry for the lathe. 

 Exercise therapy in town this morning. 

 13.00 Returning safely from my torture session. Mostly exercises about checking and improving balance.  I shopped in town while I was there.

 On the way back I drove past several of the new cycle path, road crossings to check on progress. The main road is completely blocked at one crossing today. With marked detour signs and plastic barriers. Machines and people are busy at work doing something. It is dry with sunny periods but blowing to 15m/s. Around 30mph. Not ideal for cycling.

 I have started sorting out my chests of drawers. Using three, shallow plastic baskets so far. To separate pants from winter and summer socks. Since they are mostly black. It has always been impossible to see what they are until now. One day at a time.

 16.00 Going for a ride. 

 17.00 Back again. 16km. I shopped twice on a double loop. Still no wholemeal rolls! They are building an island and narrowing the road where I saw the plastic barricades from the car. I rode the last leg of the new path on fairly firm sand. A strong headwind coming home. 

 The person interested in the lathe is having a think.  

 Dinner was toasted cheese rolls with cherry tomatoes. 

 

  ~?~

 

20.09.2026 More rain!

 ~?~

  Sunday 20th 56F/13C [8.30] Bright periods in an overcast. Another rainy day. With westerly gales gusting to 18m/s or 40mph! 

 21C/70F in the room with the heat pump set to 20C on the remote. I slept in a fleece jumper over my usual T-shirt. Getting up at 7.50 after waking at 7am and drifting. I ought to raise the setting to 21C. It is much more comfortable with the room at 22C. Otherwise I have to wear a fleece jacket over the jumper. All the doors closed of course. 

 The rain and gales will deny me any chance of a ride. I ought to have an alternative plan!

 12.30 Hours of sunshine. So I sent the mower out. I went around cleaning the lenses of the security cameras from up a ladder. The cobwebs were getting very silly. I even walked to the far end of the drive to trim a mad rose. Which was growing stems as thick as my thumb. Straight out from the verge. 

 It started raining without warning. Heavy rain! So that my remaining hair was soaked and my fleece jacket was wet. Then, as soon as I had returned home. The sun came out and it is dry again. Enforced cabin fever by intimidation, I call it. Or lunch time, if you prefer.

 I ran the robot again when the rain disappeared.

 I've had another message about my lathe for sale. Requesting more images. Done.

 Sunday dinner included chips. I had forgotten to buy more potatoes. 

 

  ~?~

19.09.2026 Disappointing dinner.

 ~?~

 Saturday 19th 58F/14.5C [8.50] Heavy overcast with rain and wind. Two more days of the same. 21C/70F in the room. The heat pump has been on all night. Remote set to 20C.

 Up at 8.10 after a quiet night with dreams. 

 There will be no ride today. Perhaps I should populate the new cupboard. The day was wasted on YouTube.

 16.50 Back from grocery shopping in the village.  

 Dinner was a tin of scraps of mackerel in watery tomato sauce by Sæby. I had bought several tins to stock up the larder. A mistake, as the quality is dropping like a stone into water. It used to be one of my favourite foods and a safeguard against an empty fridge. Meanwhile, of course, the price goes on rising.

 

 ~?~ 

 

18.09.2026 Success!

 ~?~

  Friday 18th 63F/12C [7.40] Overcast and windy. Rain and wind expected for several days. 19C/66F in the room. Too cool. I'll fire up the heat pump. Currently set to 20C/68F on the remote.

 Up at 7am after an unusually quiet night. Though with lots of dreams.  

 10.00 Occasional brightness but generally grey and blowing. I've had my online chat with my minder. 

 Time to think about a run to another charity shop? I'd need the trailer and its cover. Or go back if I find something worthwhile. The overall mileage could get very silly again. If four journeys are required. 

 14.30 Returning from a trip to Fåborg. It rained and blew on the way there. After visiting numerous other charity shops I returned to one. Which didn't open until 13.00. They had several candidates but their prices were higher than other shops. I spent 500kr in the end. On a light wood grain cupboard with drawers. Not too deep and 140cm long.

 With the help of a couple of elderly gentleman volunteers it only just fitted in the trailer. I covered it with my thick blanket, roped it down and set off. Only to have to stop in a layby after it started raining. So that I could fit the tarpaulin cover. 

 The rain was just a sprinkle and lasted only a couple of minutes. Never mind. Safely home. Now to get it indoors! Through the new, glazed, patio door methinks. I have furniture moving trolleys. If I can find them. After lunch!

 16.00 Al is safely gathered in. I used 2x4 stumps to lift the cupboard feet above the trolleys. The cupboard could go back a few more inches. It just needs the cables to be tidied. It's not a masterpiece. Certainly not an antique. Just a cheap, modern piece of furniture. Functional and quite pleasing to the eye. I don't think it has ever been used. Probably refused for the pale mark defacing the central door.

 Dinner was a salmon pasty, peas and chips. 

  

  ~?~

17.09.2026 Keep on rowing.

 ~?~

  Thursday 17th 50F/11C  [7.30] Bright overcast. A dry morning followed by continuous rain. 20C/68F in the room. 10C/50F in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7am after numerous visits to the fire bucket.

 My doctor has already answered my online query about my low blood pressure. He suggests I have a rest from one of the six tablets I take daily for my high blood pressure. 

 Exercise therapy today. I can go this week because my cooking class is fortnightly. 

 13.00 And back again.  The exercise session went very well. I was doing more repeats and intervals than required. It was all on different exercise machines this time. I visited two secondhand shops and a charity shop on the way home. Still looking for furniture. Nothing really suited my needs.

 13.30 The rain has already started. Expected to last three days. 

 It became winder. Gusting to 15m/s according to the DMI. 

 Dinner was two boiled eggs on wholemeal bread rolls. Lowered into boiling water. Seven minutes before dumping the hot water and chilling with cold. Five minutes to soak up the remaining heat. Perfect!

 

  ~?~

16.09.2026 Go NW, young man.

 ~?~

  Wednesday 16th 56F/13C [8.45] Overcast, with sunny periods and odd showers. Peaking at 17C/63F. 20C/68F in the room without the heat pump.

 Up at 8.10 after a fairly quiet night. 

 I'll probaby go furniture hunting at charity shops. Towing the little cage trailer behind the Morris Minor. There is a whole string of village, charity shops with furniture for sale. Off to my NW. 

 I think I am refining my needs. Now preferring wood grain to harsh white. The softer wood grain does not draw the eye quite so much. Hopefully providing a more harmonious impression. It's all completely and utterly meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Entirely for my own comfort and amusement. I get so few visitors at the hovel. That any change will go unnoticed by humanity. Most importantly it gets me out of the house and away from YouTube.

 10.00 Had my morning chat with my minder. I'll have a quick shower before I'm off.

 15.15 Back from my search. I reached as far as Fredericia. It was 9 charity shops in all. Still no luck.  

 As soon as I had eaten a late lunch of two rolls I was dizzy. My vision went blank white. With the brightness turned right up. My hearing was droning. I was burning up and sweating profusely. After sitting with my eyes closed for half an hour I lay down and slept properly for half an hour. Feeling better afterwards. My guess is that my blood flow was redirected. Away from my brain to my digestive system. 

 19.15 I just took my blood pressure at 5 minute intervals. Before deciding on having any dinner.

111/71 Pulse 77, 106/66 P 79,  96/65 P 79. The BP advice online for active 80 year-olds is 140/90 to avoid dizziness and falls. I sent these figures to my doctor. 

 I had no dinner. Just a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit. 

10.15 I have been having quite severe pain over my heart for some time this evening. So I have just used the nitroglycerine spray under my tongue. The pain has gone. I am going to bed. 

  ~?~

15.09.2026 Arse over tit! Innit?

 ~?~

 Tuesday 15th 60F/16C [9.00] Overcast. Cloudy all day. 20C/68F in the room. No heat pump last night.

 Up at 7.20 after a quiet night. No visit to my English friend today.

 10.30 Had an hour's chat with my minder.

 11.30 I stayed home instead of riding in what soon became rain. I have been moving furniture. Trying to minimize the various assaults on the eye. Which means removing junk from direct observation.

 The white box unit had been hiding all the wiring under the window but was hopeless for storage. It was bought [recycled] to go under the TV. Until the Heat pump took its place. 

 So I have moved the white unit over to beside the bed. With plastic basket/tubs to hold stuff which needs repeated and regular access. Which means I need something to replace the white storage/display unit under the window. Perhaps a multi drawer unit? To absorb some more junk and conceal all the hideous wiring. 

 Modesty prevents an image. The space contains a wireless router, internet fibre optic router, an 8 way, POE switch and several large power supplies. Three multi-mains-sockets. Including an eight way. Plus all the various cables connecting this ugly assortment. Quite honestly, I no longer have a clue if there is any duplication or redundancy. Could I wall mount any of it? Who knows? It was once and was just as ugly even then. Conduit is utterly meaningless in this context.

 12.00 Still fiddling. 

 16.15 Back from a  drive to four charity shops. The recycled gods did not smile upon this unfortunate soul. At least, not today. I had taken the trailer. In anticipation and false optimism.

 I passed a police car supervising the rescue of a car. Which had somehow managed to overcome a steep bank. To end up on its roof. Well above road height. Not something you see every  day. My guess is excessive speed on a completely blind, extremely sharp corner. Made worse by being on the brow of a hill.

 A large rescue lorry was busy sorting out the acrobatic vehicle. As the traffic built up in both directions. Two young women sat up on the bank. Not obviously injured. More looking bored. No doubt it will take a little more than a car wash. To sort out the mess.

 Meanwhile the search goes on, To lift the living room by a notch or two. There are at least three more charity shops, with furniture, in the same direction. Go north west young man! 

 Dinner was a chicken fry-up. With mushrooms and tweggs on toast. I flipped the eggs to be sure they were properly cooked. 

 

  ~?~

 

14.09.2026 Tweggs.

 ~?~

  Monday 14th 52F/11C [8.00] A dry but cloudy day. With only a little sunshine.

 Up at 7am after a fairly quiet night. 22C/72F in the room with the heat pump remote set to 20C and Heat.

 My next exercise class is in town at 11am. I'll go in the Morris.

 I brought the empty bins back. After having a game of catch with the robot. I couldn't get past it with two bins. It was too quick for me! 

 The exercise therapy went well today. I was able to use my cycling fitness on some exercises. No dizziness at all.

 After lunch I was busy with the robot mower. I was dissatisfied with its failure to cover every inch of the drive. So I deleted the map and started from scratch. This time it reached much further than before. I repeated the mapping and mowing several times. 

 And so it came to the dinner menu. The tuna on fresh, wholemeal, bread rolls went quickly out of the window. The "help" hadn't restocked! Of course I had to let him go. One simply cannot tolerate such inadequacy in the shopping department.

 So it was to be boiled eggs on fresh bread rolls. The latter were already buttered in anticipation of tuna being readily forthcoming. Which only left the matter of timing: 6 minutes for runny. 8 minutes for soft boiled. The logic was clear. The eggs would be lowered into boiling water and would remain there for exactly seven minutes. 

 After which the hot water would be dumped into the sink and cold water would quickly replace it. Twice. To ensure the eggs would peel cleanly. And did. I had allowed five minutes for the eggs to cool by immersion. 

 They were absolutely perfect. Runny, yet firm enough to be cut into slices with a common kitchen knife. Swab please, nurse. The only downside. Was my inability to readily use the TV remote control. Due to an excess of  yolk adhering to these miraculous, surgeon's digits.    

 

  ~?~

13.09.2026 43km. No limits.

 ~?~

  Sunday 13th 62F/17C [9.45] Overcast with possible local showers. Brighter later. A breeze from the W-NW.

 A comfortable 21C/70F in the room. I left the heat pump on overnight set to 20C. So it has settled down.

 No further contact from the chap who showed interest in my lathe. 

 I just had my morning chat online with my minder. No immediate plans for today.

 I think I'll go for another ride. It isn't raining. I have had to do quite a bit of ducking recently. To avoid overhanging shrubs and trees on the cycle paths. I wonder, if I were to identify as a taller person. Do you think they would trim the shrubbery more efficiently? 

 Denmark has rules about hedges. Mostly about height where adjoining neighbours disagree. I am unsure about the law. What if private citizens were to trim overhanging branches on official cycle paths? What if I were to carry loppers on my bike? Would I be guilty of carrying weapons of mass destruction? Like burglars are prosecuted for carrying tools. To aid breaking into a unidentified property.

 13.50 Back from a 43km ride to Assens and back. Mostly by the still incomplete, cycle path. It is now largely navigable. Even to the very end. Opposite the Assens police station. I know all the roads around the path intimately. Yet it still feels like a very long way traveling along the path. The vanishing point seems almost at infinity. Largely due to the tunnel effect of hedges on either side. 

  18.15 I dragged two recycling bins long the drive and sent the mower out. 

 Time to think about making dinner. 

 Sunday dinner was fried chicken, mushrooms, carrots, peas, mashed potatoes and Bisto gravy. 

 

  ~?~

12.09.2026 30km.

 ~?~

 Saturday 12th 57F/14C [8.00] Overcast but mainly dry this morning. Wet later and overnight into Sunday.

24C/75F in the room! I left the heat pump running overnight set to 19C. It is still pumping out hot air at 40C and rising. Something obviously isn't right with the remote control. I have reduced the setting to 16C. To see if anything changes.

 I dropped the price of my lathe to 4000kr and have somebody interested. No further response to my answering message.

 Thee was an unexpected guest in a car yesterday afternoon. Nobody I know. They may have been at the wrong address. They reversed away from the entrance after some hesitation. I was having a nap at the time. 

 The heat pump continued heating the room. So I switched it off. 

 Image taken yesterday. Concrete being added to the base of the new railway bridge. Where the embankment has still has a long way to go to reach the top of the bridge. The motorway runs alongside but is hidden behind the black noise barrier. 

 12.00 Back from a 30km ride. Including riding an unfinished stretch of off-road on the new cycle path. Just bare earth by the look of it. I joined the path where workers are widening the main road. My guess is that they will build a traffic island. To make it safer to cross by bicycle. They have a similar arrangement above Aarup. Where the excellent, two-way cycle path ends just short of the motorway and new rail track. 

 I did a load of shopping in the village on the way back. It always surprises me. How much the Ortlieb Classic panniers will accept. I was shocked how rapidly the basket was filling up with essentials. So much so that I was almost tempted to put it all back. Then ride home to fetch the car. I need not have worried. The bulging carrier bags each dropped into the gaping maw of an Ortlieb. It stayed dry but breezy for my ride. The rain in now supposed to arrive around 19.00. Lasting well into late, tomorrow afternoon.

 I checked on the noisy "gardening" going on in the empty property. The twin carports have now been cleared of junk and several massive shrubs removed. Which had been growing tight against the empty house. I wish my buddleias grew so well and so fast! They were packed with flowers too.

 

  ~?~

 

11.09.2026 56km. Ponds.

 ~?~

  Friday 11th 55F/13C [8.20] Heavily overcast. A dry morning with rain later. A rather cool 19C/66F in the room. 

 Up at 7.30 after an odd night. I struggled to get to sleep. Got up to take off a jumper. Because it felt too cold at bedtime. I slept better after that. Perhaps I should have a minimum temperature for the heat pump to work on. I haven't developed a proper strategy so far. Just heated or cooled the room briefly. Usually aiming for 22C/72F. 

 Now autumn has arrived the house walls are much cooler. Which means I am radiating more heat to my surroundings. Regardless of the air temperature in the room. Normally I'd light the wood stove and burn a couple of logs. The stove would continue to provide warmth long after it had died down. Thanks to the soapstone cladding. While the heat pump is either on or off.

 I could have a ride this morning.

 The fish are more obviously active now their greenhouse shade net has gone. The Canadian Pondweed [Elodea] is growing like mad. No other plant I introduced lasted for long. The fish seem to like brushing through the Elodea and graze any algae build up. 

 The plants are at their thickest where the submersed filter pumps water upwards. I had imagined it would prefer still water. Not according to the dense growth reaching up to the surface. All around the maximum flow. I don't have a fountain. Because I can't stand the sound of the water constantly falling back onto the surface.

  I tried all the options but even the near silent bell fountain was irritating. So I use the filter pump with the shortest possible exit pipe. To minimize surface disturbance. I can then see the fish and depths of the pond much more clearly. 

 I often wish the pond were larger than its 1500 liters. I was limited by the width of the double doors when I was staring at the Cemo/Chemo catalogues online. 

 The 1500 liter, industrial fiberglass container only just fitted through the open, greenhouse doors on edge. Even then I had to lay lengths of timber and old cushions. To allow the taper sided pond to sit more upright. As it slid in with hardly any room to spare. Working alone as always.

 I badly wanted to protect the container from cosmetic damage. The sturdy plastic container was no lightweight! It is reinforced. To carry and store heavy industrial components and liquids.

 

 I sank the pond to what I felt was a comfortable depth in the greenhouse floor. Though it required lifting my herringbone brick floor and then lots of digging. Before laying sand and fine gravel for the pond base to sit on as evenly as possible. A lower depth might have put myself or visitors at risk of falling in! So I kept it at knee height while seated. A perfect choice in retrospect.

 Cemo are in Germany. I had to wait while they produced another batch of their grey plastic containers. Then collected my pond from the Danish distributor in my little, car trailer. Drawn behind the Morris Minor. I avoided the motorway on the way home!

 Meanwhile, the large, parabolic, fiberglass dish pond out in the garden. Has filled to the brim with water lily and falling leaves. It is impractical to add fish. Due to the limited depth and constant overload of falling debris. No doubt a heron wold soon find it. 

 Just as one did in my big pond in the corner of the garden. I had to rescue the huge bird from the protective net. After it got under the net and ate my entire stock of 8" long goldfish. Its viciously sharp beak making holes in my hands and wrists. During the dramatic rescue! It had got itself well tangled!

 9.30 I'm going for a ride. It's rather cloudy and breezy but I'll still enjoy being out. Away from the damned computer!

 10.00 Off we go. 

 13.30 Back from a 56km ride. Taking in several charity shops. I bought two spotty mugs. Because they were fun and will reduce the pressure to wash up so often. I had to fight a headwind all the way home. It had tried to rain all morning but held off. 

 I saw a superb custom car. Which looked like it was based on a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupé. 

 Steady progress on the new rail track. I took a few photos with my phone. This one is in the open countryside between villages. Tiny Hønnerup is the nearest. I am standing on the new bridge over the railway. The motorway is just to my right.

 The roads were quiet and the traffic well behaved. Except for one brain dead/ drunken/ drug addled/ immature/ mentally retarded/ registered blind/ senile/ sociopathic/ Ovethi van driver. 

 Who brushed past me. Inches from the end of my handlebars. As he entered a village with a 60kph/40mph speed limit. At high speed. On a blind bend. With only one vehicle approaching. The car just behind him could give me the legal 1.5m spacing. Because there was no more approaching traffic. 

 There are some people working on the overgrown garden. Of one of the abandoned properties in our hamlet. The IC motors of their tools are whining loudly. It sounds like more than one. I wonder if this means somebody has bought the place? Or it is just being tarted up for rental.

 Dinner was cheese on toasted rolls with tomato soup! I haven't had soup for ages.  I used the whole tin.

 

  ~?~

10.09.2026 Eating out.

 ~?~ 

 Thursday 10th 50F/10C [7.10] A sunny day is promised but the WNW wind is gusting to 10m/s. Temperatures peaking at an autumnal 15C/59F. 

 Up at 6.30 after a very wakeful night. Yesterday's long naps took their toll. 

 I gave the heat pump a quick blast to raise the room to 21C/70F from 19C overnight. Don't want a chill after my shower.

 Cooking class this morning. I might have cycled there but for the wind. Which I would be fighting all the way home.   

 13.50 Back from cooking. Where we had a good time as usual. I helped to make a huge pot of a complex sauce with beef mince, mushrooms, onions, carrots and all sorts of additional ingredients. It turned out to be delicious. Then there was rice, a salad and a cake.

 In the afternoon I used the dry day. As a chance to take down the shade net from the greenhouse. I spread it out on the gravel parking space to fold it neatly. It was immediately brighter indoors. Despite the present overcast. The front garden shrubs and beech hedge have grown wildly through neglect. Which will block the low sun in winter. I should attempt some serious clipping.

 18.15 I have sent the mower out to do the drive. The strobe light is much brighter when the sun is down behind the trees. Not so bright when competing with full sunshine. The security cameras register the robot as a vehicle. I had to fetch a stepladder to trim a tree. Which was blocking the view of the drive.

 19.30 While it is still daylight the robot has announced that the sun is setting. It has returned to base for charging. The onboard cameras obviously have a low light limit. That was a first. It didn't need charging but returned to base for safety reasons. You can't have robot mowers parking wherever they like. 

  

  ~?~ 

9.09.2026 Sick note.

 ~?~

  Wednesday 9th

  Woke feeling hot and sweating. Nausea. Spent 45 minutes sitting on the toilet. Not diarrhea. Went back to bed. Then woke later to vomit in a bucket. Horrible taste and smelt like chemicals. 

 11.00 Going back to bed and still feeling awful. Pain in my heart but no point in taking my tablets if I throw up again. Had a glass of water.

 12.30 Slept for the rest of the morning. Feeling better. I'm going to throw the second half of the chicken away. It was the last of the eggs. Both were well within Best By date. My visitor reports no problems. So it wasn't the pastry. Everything else was my normal fare and was already open and used at least once. 

 I've had a bread roll with raspberry jam and a cup of tea. I needed something to keep my eight tablets down.  

 Chatted with my minder. To confirm proof of life. Old farts are supposed to burn their food. Not under-cook it! Allegedly.

 It was a sunny morning, I think, but is darkening now and rain is here. The gravel has already darkened.  I still haven't taken down the shade net on the greenhouse. 

 I decided to have lunch for dinner. Two wholemeal rolls, with raspberry jam, organic honey, curried herring and extra mature cheddar cheese. Not all on the same roll. With a cup of tea. 

 The heat pump had a quick blast to boost the temperature up to 21C when I started shivering.

  

  ~?~

8.09.2026 Euforia now talks to my PC.

 ~?~

  Tuesday 8th 62F/17C [8.00] Very heavy overcast. 22 hours of rain forecast. 21C/70F in the room. The greenhouse is tracking the outside temperature. So no need to record it unless it is significantly different.

 Up at 7am after a fairly quiet night.  

 I had time to tidy up a little before my friend arrived. Bearing gifts of spandauers. A Danish pastry.

 My English friend visited me today. Leaving around 14.00. After two hours of chatting and having sorted out my phone's unwillingness to talk to my PC. I use this arrangement to monitor the robot mower in action. My problems were largely due to using too large a font on the phone screen. Set before I bought my new progressive glasses. 

 The afternoon was spent on YouTube.

 Dinner was a chicken fry-up. With mushrooms, toast and tweggs.

 

  ~?~

7.09.2026 Euforia is flashing!

 ~?~

  Monday 7th 56F/13C [7.20] Overcast but sunny periods expected. Peaking at 21C/70F in the late afternoon. The rest of the week is unstable. 20C/68F in the room. 14C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7.50 after a busy night at the fire bucket. No idea why. 

 I have an appointment for an exercise therapy class at 11am in town. I shall have to find my gym shorts and shoes. 

 I  have attached the mini-UPS and strobe light to the robot mower by the simplest possible method. The strobe unit has two projecting studs. I added a single nut to each. Then twisted the strobe diagonally to make the nuts fit into the provided screw slots on the back of the UPS. 

 Then I simply lowered the UPS into the mower's lifting handle. I have yet to check if the addition will fit under the charging garage roof. I wish the strobe unit was a bit brighter. Though I can see it flashing clearly in the distance in the security camera's view. 

 The light fitted easily under the garage roof. So I can relax on that score. If the mower is parked I just need to lift the light and UPS free. To recharge indoors.

12.30 69F/21C. Back from the exercise class. There were only four of us. Three others in far worse condition than myself. Plus two attentive therapists. I was doing fine until we were asked to sit on huge, softballs. When we were asked to bounce up and down I immediately felt dizzy. I lay down on a padded bench until I felt better.

 A lovely, sunny day. Pleasantly warm but breezy. I'll have lunch and then think about another ride. Although I was using an exercise bike at the start of the class. I realised that I never sprint any more. Nor put much effort into climbing. The e-bike does it all for me. I get continuous exercise but it probaby doesn't raise my heart rate by much. Nor cause deep breathing.

 13.45 It has become much more cloudy and rather windy from the south. I was going for a ride but my mood has changed completely with the changeable weather. 

 14.45 Much brighter. A ride? Yes/No.Yes! 

 16.45 Back from a 35km ride to the new railway. I am absolutely knackered. From battling the wind all the way home. Even using Turbo mode it was very hard work. Half a dozen teenage scooterists were screaming up and down the empty lanes. Another lad was on a lightweight motorcycle. Which had a truly terrifying turn of speed. At the cost of a screaming motor. I just hope he and his hearing survive. 

 I had a half hour, timed nap to recover.

 Dinner was Heinz beans on toast. Thank god that was the last of them! They were a cheap, special offer in a local Danish supermarket. I bought half a dozen tins. Expecting traditional British quality. Not this sugar laden, tasteless crap. I shall never criticize the Danish/Italian baked beans ever again! 

 

  ~?~

6.09.2026 34km for rolls.

 ~?~

  Sunday 6th 51F/11C [7.30] Bright overcast. A dry day is promised. With lighter winds. 20F/68F in the room. 10C/50F in the greenhouse.

 Up just before 7am after a fairly quiet night. No ill effects from yesterday's ride.

 A modest ride today I think. To try a different supermarket chain for my wholemeal bread rolls. This has been going on for all the time I have lived here. The monopoly industrial bakers keep discontinuing bread or rolls which I like and use daily. It is always the supposedly, healthiest option at the time. Which is frustrating. In having to find an healthy alternative. I haven't touched the white crap in decades.

 12.30 Back from a 34km ride. On a whim I rode the forest track. As it was more or less on my way. It felt strange to be on my bike there. After years and my hundreds of visits on foot. The inclines are steep, the surface very rough and loose in places. Puddled in other places. Mud is worse than anything else. The tire treads are not for off road but perfectly adequate.

 The forest had changed considerably since my last walk there. Areas clear felled. Others replanted with conifers. Resulting in a complete change of atmosphere in places. I had forgotten how steep the hills and bends really were. The Moustache is very stable and has enough power to overcome any incline. It's just a matter of being in the right gear and assistance mode. The big disk brakes are fine.

 There were lots of vintage cars in the lanes. All going the opposite way. Perhaps to meet at the Skoda Museum. 

 I found the rolls I needed at the more distant supermarket. 14km from home. I bought two packs to make it worth the trip. Enjoyable as it was anyway.

 The afternoon was spent on YouTube.

 The robot had another outing on the drive. The difference where it mows is remarkable compared to where it doesn't. It magically suppresses the weeds. It just needs more discipline! 

 I took the recycling bin along the drive. For emptying early tomorrow morning.

 The ponies were glad to see me and enjoyed a mouthful of grass each. 

 Dinner was a mushroom omelette. It slid out of the pan rather nicely.

   

  ~?~

5.09.2026 29km and pushing the boundaries.

 ~?~

  Saturday 5th 56F/13C [7.50] Bright overcast. The last wet day of a series. Peaking at a  low 16C/60F. Westerly gales building to 16m/s gusts this afternoon. Possible sunny periods. 20C/68F in the room. 13C in the closed greenhouse. I shall take the shade net down if it has a chance to dry out.

 Up at 7am after a fairly quiet night. The water lily has produced its first new leaf. Now five.

 I have just collected the recycling bin from the junction with the main drive. Proving that five days is not enough time. To trigger any interest in my longevity. The ponies were curious and looked up from their breakfast table at the shuffling old fart. They were too far away to be tempted. By handfuls of grass from no man's land on this side of the fence. Petit far gras? Suit yourselves. 

The forecast is not remotely conducive to a sneaky ride. Heavy showers coming in from the west. May contain hail, cloudbursts, lightning and fierce gusts of wind. Nice! I could potter to my usual shopping destinations in the Morris. Which would save me having to think about doing anything about the hovel. Or its excess of contents. 

 There has been no interest in the lathe. Secondhand Myfords are being listed. At more than twice what I am asking for my "proper" engineering lathe. 

 11.50 Back from a drive to the next shopping village. Just as well I didn't go by bike. It started raining as I crossed the parking space. Continuing on and off during my outing. The roads were saturated on the way back. With wide and deep puddles dragging the car sideways. This was on a main road that has recently been resurfaced. 

 I dropped in on the garden centre for a 50L bag of potting compost. Plus a nice thick bamboo cane for my rubber plant. Which is showing signs of needing a giant killer before long. The three lengths of dowel in the pot at the moment do almost nothing to support the towering edifice.

 13.45 61F/16C. 93F/34C in the greenhouse. I had to open the skylights. The radar now shows much smaller, more isolated showers, racing in from the west.  Though it is still windy at 16m/s gusts. I'm going for a ride. I'll take my waterproof trousers, just in case and wear my waterproof jacket anyway.  

 16.00 Back from a 29km ride. I was fighting a fierce headwind all the way to Ebberup. Where I discovered more fine gravel had been laid towards the east. Though possibly not finish rolled. The stretch towards Assens was still not navigable. Despite my wide tires and full suspension.

 Having joined the path I managed to ride all the way to Glamsbjerg. With only one deep puddle preventing my progress for a few yards/meters towards the end. So I simply circumnavigated it. Perhaps one third of the new cycle path was still bare and bumpy soil. Though I still managed a steady 16kph or 10mph. 20kph on the fine gravel. 

 It started tipping down just as I reached home! After remaining sunny for most of the afternoon. I could see the sky ahead was black. So I timed it, quite accidentally, to perfection!

 Dinner was cheese on toast with boiled eggs. 

  

 ~?~ 

4.09.2026 Largely absent.

 ~?~

  Friday 4th 59F/15C [8.40] Heavy overcast. Yet another rainy day and more to come. Gales tonight. 20.6C/71F in the room. 15C in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7.40 after earlier waking and drifting.

 9.30 I have had my morning, online chat. 

 The rest of the day was largely wasted watching videos online. 

 I watered the indoor plants. 

 Oh, and washed up. 

 Dinner was a salmon pasty, pasta, peas and tinned tomatoes. 

 

  ~?~