10.07.2024 Monstera has a holiday.

 ~o~

  Wednesday 10th 64F/18C. Overcast. Possible thundery showers.

 Up at 5am. Wide awake. Aching slightly from yesterday's gardening exertions. 

 Now that I am fitter and I can manage more serous exercise. I can start tidying around the observatory again. It has been on hold during my heart problems. Which has led to an outbreak of weeds and trees in the affected areas. The Morris could easily be parked in that area if I clear some space for it. 

 My original old car from the mid 1990s is due for its biannual safety test. I think it has finally reached the end of its long life. I now only use it for trailer duties. Had the main Brenderup trailer dealer not messed me about. I would already have a smaller trailer for the Morris. Which has a much lower weight limit. Though enough to be able to bring logs home for the stove.

 My big, old trailer has also seen better days but has been incredibly useful. I bought it a new baseboard. From a big shed discount DIY store. The board is already proving itself as complete and utter garbage. The old baseboard lasted for two decades out in all weathers. The new board is already splitting along joints hidden by the cheap plastic coating.

 07.30 Sunshine. I have run the mower over the grass again at a slightly lower setting. The drive and parking space are done. With the batteries back on charge. The western lawn is wet and covered in yesterday's grass cuttings. It can wait until later. When it has had a chance to dry out. The wind is picking up. That will help.

 10.00 Mostly overcast. No walk required. As I have been mowing again. The Monstera is having a summer holiday out in the greenhouse. I read that they like warmth and a lot of light. Which it doesn't get so much of indoors. Where it is spread across the spaces between two windows. The bathroom Aspidistra has replaced it for a bit more light too.

 12.15 Overcast and raining lightly. I have been trimming the hedges along the drive. Nobody else will.

 17.00 74F/23C. Warm sunshine. I have raked the verges of the drive to tidy up my earlier hedging efforts. Then wheelbarrowed away the accumulation. Another busy day.

 The lady from the village visited. We spent quite some time admiring the garden. 

 Dinner was sardines on toast.

 

~o~

9.07.2024 On yer bike!

 ~o~

  Tuesday 9th 54F/12C. Bright overcast. Up at 6.00. Getting ready for my hospital visit. To be stress tested on an exercise bike.

 10.30 Returned from my bike ride at the city hospital. There were four, heart related physiotherapists present. Two were from another hospital and observing. The cycling tests were interesting but made me hot and breathless. Which was exactly the point. I was given the all clear for further cycling with a decent score. To be expected for somebody who cycles regularly.  There were sprinkles of rain on the Morris windscreen on the way home. I did some light shopping to save going out again.

 I didn't mention it after yesterday's ride but the DDK padded, vinyl saddle is interesting. Not immediately comfortable until I found the sweet spot. I think I had been sitting too far back. The saddle is also thicker. So the maximum height needs to be reduced at the seat clamp. 

 The saddle's voluminous shape tends towards obstructing the thighs on the downward stroke. Made worse by a rearward seating position. Ideally the shape needs to be reduced at this point. Still, after some shuffling about it was far more comfortable than the Brooks B67 ever was. 

 I keep trying to analyze why the Brooks isn't  comfortable. It cost more than enough to have repeatedly made the effort. I tried everything I knew. Height adjustment, upwards tilted nose, tension, lacing, breaking in over an extended period and Proofide treatment. Nothing really worked for me. It remained hard and unforgiving however I tried to adapt it to my needs. I still preferred the Leather, Con-Tec "Exclusive" Touring. 

 Had the frame not broken I would never have got involved in the expensive B67. The smooth leather Con-Tec also looked far better than the B67 on my Moustache e-bike. The Con-Tc looked like an old fashioned motorcycle saddle. The Brooks always looked like a bicycle saddle. So I might still borrow the under-frame from the Brooks and try the Con-Tec again. The Brooks under-frame is shorter than the Con-Tec but should still work as intended. Meanwhile, the DDK isn't doing any harm. More fine adjustment might help the cause. I'll start by lowering it a fraction.

 16.00 I took the mower for a walk at its highest setting without grass collection. Starting with the drive because it looks so awful and is  the most visible to visitors. What visitors? Then the parking space. Because it makes my feet wet just reaching the car. Finally I started on the west lawn. At which point the Makita batteries died. They showed two bars on each but the motor had had enough exercise. Put both batteries on charge. I'll move the Morris to mow the area under it. Then back to the lawn. Meanwhile I shall have a blast around the edges with the DeWalt strimmer. I needed a rest first. As I am breathless.

 16.40 70F/21C. Two 5A DeWalt batteries are flat from strimming along the edges of the drive. I am sweating from working in the hot sun and still air. The horse flies are out and one got me on the arm. I am pleased with my new found stamina. Hardly breathless from quite heavy work. A pause for afternoon tea methinks.

 18.30 I have been at it for hours! Strimming and mowing. The sun has gone in. Which helps. I am propping the mower discharge door open with a length of timber. That allow the motor to spin freely and throw the cut grass clear. All over my legs! It would need constant emptying of the collection bag/box if I left that on the mower. 

 The batteries are flat again. So they are on charge. As are both DeWalt batteries I have used on the strimmer. I can't complain. Recharging gives me a break. I have also been pulling more Rosebay Willowherbs. They come free of the ground quite well without my straining myself. 

 Time to think about dinner. Chicken, mushrooms and chips tonight. Eating unhealthy food, like oven chips, is okay. As long as it isn't too often. 

 It was then I discovered that the chicken was frozen and I had used up the mushrooms. So it was chips and fish fingers. No pictures.

 Then I had to put away the tools and tidy away the batteries and chargers. I only managed to get half way through the washing up. The crockery is done but the cutlery hasn't been touched. I'll go back to it in a bit.

 

  ~o~

 

8.07.2024 Not a ghost.

 ~o~

  Monday 8th 55F/13C. Overcast.

 Up at 6.30 after a reasonable night. 

 8.0 Sunshine. I should go for a walk before the rain arrives. 

 I am a blithering idiot! I was sitting at the coffee table sorting out my six tablets per day into the dispenser. When I heard somebody marching up the stairs. Not once but several times! I was terrified! The place is usually, absolutely silent,

 There was nothing to be seen when I got up to see the stairs. Which are hidden from view by the large, central chimney. I even went upstairs to see if somebody had sneaked in. Via the still locked, front door. 

 On returning downstairs I could hear the footsteps again. The answer now became all too obvious. I had played a relaxing video on YouTube. Posted by a chap called Dave who walks around pretty British towns and villages with his camera. He doesn't speak. Just records the sounds of his walks as he goes along. His footsteps must have got louder. Just to add to the drama he was walking around an old graveyard. I have also been watching yet another Korean drama series on Netflix. About a ghost surgeon!

 This was all happening while I waited patiently to take my blood pressure. I couldn't just sit there and stare at the wall for ten minutes. So, no, it was not a ghost! Now I am wondering how that affected my blood pressure readings. I had also had breakfast and a mug of back coffee. When I should really have tested before eating or drinking anything. It didn't help that I had lost the test reporting sheet. It was in the jacket I had worn to hospital that day.

 8.30 It was windy but dry and sunny for my walk. The pain in my lower back took a few hundred yards of limping to subside. The traffic was sparse. Which saved me a lot of hopping onto the verge. Into the deep, wet grass and weeds.  On my return I dragged the empty recycling bin back down the drive. 

 10.00 Dark overcast and rain. You have to laugh! The deluded labour leader doesn't have a mandate to use the public toilets at the House of Commons. Let alone claim a resounding victory. The country simply wanted to get rid of the Entitled Clown Party but couldn't really be arsed to vote for any of the other, corrupt scum. 

 The voting system in the UK is a total farce. Read the figures: Laborious 33%, Con arteests 23%, Reform 14% & Libelous 12% share of the votes. On the lowest turnout for years. Resulting in 412, 121, 72 & 5 seats. The Liberals got a lower vote share than the Reform Party yet have 72 seats? Like them or loathe them: The Reform Party won only 5 seats. Despite having a greater vote share than the Liberals. Does not compute!

 Of course there is no pressure for the non-losers of this fake election to change anything. So participation in coming elections will continue to fall. To the delight of those riding the Broxit Gravy Train to Sharia Law. Proportional representation avoids extremes via coalitions. Negotiation between parties leads to the middle ground. Nature abhors a power vacuum. Even more than a landslide on a landfill waste site. 

 I rode to the next village this afternoon. Hoping to set a new appointment for the dentist. Guess what? Closed  on Mondays! I did some shopping to avoid making the journey a complete waste of time. It was blowing a gale but dry and sunny. I found it intimidating to be overtaken at very high speed on the way home. I was fighting the head/crosswind. As drivers completely ignored the speed limit. 20km more.

 I fancy fish fingers with broccoli for dinner today. I usually throw in some peas as well.

 

  ~o~