13th February 2014

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Thursday 13th 39F, 4C, rather breezy with heavy cloud rather than overcast. Very windy overnight but calmer now. The wind picked up steadily as I headed for the woods. While I was wandering along a track I heard what sounded like a staccato barking from a large dog with a deep voice. Short, double barks almost like an old oil engine starting. It sounded nothing like a normal dog and I immediately thought of a wolf! These are reappearing in wilder parts of Denmark. I suppose the best and most likely guess is a fox. They make some very strange noises. Lots of Jays making their rough cries too. Loads of fallen trees from the storms closing off many of the firebreaks. Three wet or marshy miles covered in an hour.

While I love the isolation, and lack of traffic noise, of being completely alone out on the vast fields and in the woods I do sometimes wonder what would happen if I had an accident. I am often in situations where probably nobody ever goes for months, perhaps even years on end. Fortunately, despite my age I am still very agile and only very rarely stumble on the wettest or roughest of routes. I sometimes surprise myself how I can run up and down steep and slippery banks. Or hop from one tuft of reedy grass to another on the marshiest of tracks with standing water all around. I maintain a brisk pace regardless of conditions underfoot. Simply adjusting my length of stride to cope with the most difficult terrain. The dangers are probably quite low since there are no drops or rocks to negotiate.

Fortunately my wife would ring to ask where I was if I did not return on time. Or I could ring her if I was really stuck or had broken a leg. Mobile phone reception seems fine over the entire area.

My Salomon walking boots have been really excellent. Perfect comfort, ankle support and grip. As well as being lightweight and fully waterproof. Enough to allow me to cover the entire uppers to the ankle on numerous occasions. Never a hint of cold or wetness in deep, wet snow or while walking tracks with streams running off the fields.

Don't you just hate it when the postman can't be arsed to deliver an eagerly anticipated package? The notification card is shoved in the postbox without any attempt to knock on the door. So that means next day collection. Only 9 miles fighting the wind.

Friday 14th 36-38F, 2-3C, breezy, heavy grey overcast. I walked back to the more distant woods but it was very muddy from logging operations. so I explored the side tracks on deep beech leaf litter. 4.5 miles in an hour and half with photographic stops along the way.

I was just reading that electric bikes and the elderly are responsible for a tenth of all cycling deaths in Denmark. The over-80s seem most vulnerable and often fail to brake before collisions. The suggestion is that a short riding course should be introduced for purchasers.

The danger here is that it will be used as an excuse by the idle politicooze classes for compulsory helmets, road tests, insurance and annual license taxation. The other side of the coin is that the young are taking up electric bikes instead of mopeds. Moped sales have dropped by almost a half recently. The shortage of taxation on mopeds will surely drive the grasping politic-ooze to tax and license electric bikes. You can buy two sophisticated 2 stroke scooters for the price of a single electric clunker made from Asian water pipe with a battery driven hub.

11 miles on the trike fighting the wind in a losing battle.

Saturday 15th 41-44F, 5-6C, very windy, overcast. Another noisy night and 45mph gusts promised for later. We are being lashed  by the skirts of the UK storms. I just hope it doesn't mean a more easterly track of these unprecedented weather systems!  Went for an hour's walk in rough winds. Even wetter underfoot. Now trying to decide which shops I can reach most easily given the wind direction. Doing ten miles in ten minutes is not a lot of fun if it means crawling all the way back again on my hands and knees.

I was right about the tailwind. Cruising at 19 mph going there. Then struggling for 6.5 mph at times coming home. Where there were decent field hedges it was as if there was no wind at all. I could easily double my speed.

A barn is demolished following damage during the recent storms.

Full marks to the EU crooks for paying to have the hedges dug out in the first place. If they cut down on the 50% theft of real taxpayer's money and the billions wasted pretending that France has any real purpose to the world at large they could pay to have the damned things planted again. Not only will it shelter the cyclist but will stop snow blowing onto the road. Not to mention the beneficial effects of adding to the overall absorption of CO2, stopping toxic spray drift, providing wildlife corridors, nesting sites and habitats but also soak up toxins from ever increasing traffic.

I read today that 1 in 4 children in Denmark now has an allergy and are at daily risk from countless toxins. Many of these toxins can lead to disease and permanent damage to the developing child. Let's throw in the dangers from blatant antibiotic overdosing of pigs. Which is transferred straight to the population through heavy pig meat consumption. So that's alright then. 21 miles.

Sunday 16th 39F, 4C, windy, cloudy with promise of showers and brightness. Another noisy night of strong winds. I managed half a mile from home before it started tipping down. Well that was interesting. A quick about turn and back again into driving rain. I put the ride off until the afternoon expecting lighter winds. The opposite was true and I was struggling to make 5 mph as I crested a hill into the wind with well over 10 kilos of shopping aboard. Only 10 miles.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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