2°C, thick fog in places.
No ride, it’s Monday.
Birthday goodness: good timing meant a music CD order arrived on this day.
Damien Rice, My Favourite Faded Fantasy,
Dustin O’halloran, Piano Sonatas Vol 2,
Klasmos,
Tindersticks, Ypres,
Fred Frith, The Big Picture.
18°C NW2, crystal clear blue.
Bike ride,tracked with MapMyRide! Distance: 54.64mi, time: 03:25:38, pace: 3:46min/mi, speed: 15.94mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/722467783
Conscious of cadence, I rode in a lower gear and spun quickly with low pressure. Often, I see novice riders who are pushing too low a gear. I feel like telling them “change down and you’ll go faster”.
Such a beautiful day for a ride, the warm sunlight offset slightly cool air, visibility was vast and shadows crisp.
late start after working on the house until 2pm. The facias were all flakey with bare wood or yellow gloss visible. It looked terrible and troubled me like a stone in my shoe. It doesn’t sound much but I feel most satisfied. One part was quite inaccessible even with a long ladder. I finished by reaching out of the window. That was blind painting. I ran down to the garden to look after each bit. Most of it was done by touch, already wet sections feel more slippery under brush. There is only one small area that is out of reach.
That was quite a big job that started with something minor. In the living room, a strand of ivy has reached into the room and was growing up the wallpaper.
Done.
Happy now.
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16C, rain most of the day. NW3,
Rain all day again. Summer rain isn’t so bad, though nice days are forecast for next week when we’re back in work.
Gardening- moved a bay tree and planted magnolia in its place. A satisfying, mucky job.
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12C, rain.
Rain did not stop for a minute during daylight hours. I shopped and finished the shelves. Traffic was light, did most stay in their houses?
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Saturday, endless showers, 14C, strong SW.
Bad weather plus a desire to walk my last day means a valley hike. I went around the back of Liathach and snaked around the back of Beinn Eighe. The idea was to visit the corrie where the 3 buttresses are.
These hills are also sandstone of the same type as further north. It is layered in steps and terraces. Waterfalls usually fall in stages too. The one at the mouth of the corrie was swept back by the very strong wind. A smaller one further up didn’t fall at all sometimes. The water simply blasted into the air above.
I had to crouch behind an erratic to get out of that wind and eat my snack. The socks I sat on were polished and scarred with striations. Strong wind sprayed water backwards from the waterfall as I said. That made the gusts even colder.
I stayed there for a while, ate sandwiches and looked upon the scene. The cliffs had deep scars with conical landslides at the base of each.
The effects of cold air, spray and rain ended my time there. You can find photos mostly taken on the descent on my Flickr site. Showers became more frequent and heavier. Patches of sun did break through the drizzle. The stage was set for a meteorological special effect: low down a clear rainbow rose before the valley side.
Coffee, had a success with an idea taken from the German teenagers in Achmelvich the other day. I got this coffee maker for £8 that works on a gas stove.
Good coffee.
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28°C, humid, later breaks down to thunder.
End of academic year- we’ve broken up for summer. What a good day it is when you win the staff Fairtrade hamper in a raffle. I don’t think I ever won a raffle before, and I really like the stuff in the basket.
Shock: I got a shock when I arrived home, literally. It was so hot and humid when I got in that I threw windows open to change the air. Then I thought of the lodger’s pet rabbit up in attic room. It gets roaring hot on days like this: I went up to check. A bit untidy and the rabbit seemed okay- he even appeared interested to see me. I reached down to switch on the fan and got quite a jolt. There was a thump to the back of my arm.
The cable had live wires exposed. Mr rabbit had nibbled though the insulation and is lucky to be alive.
Overnight– woken by the slow, ominous approach of a thunder storm. I played the counting game, flash to rumble/7. It was coming directly for here. When close enough, the sound was loud enough to trigger house alarms.
That was about 1am, the same happened at about 4am again.
I love a good thunderstorm.
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Rain, after 2 weeks of dry.
June dreams. My curtains are not dense enough. These early light mornings spoil sleep for many, me included. This week included the earliest sunrise of the year. There is a bonus, I often wake remembering dreams. It’s quite rare for me to be aware of dreams. Sunrise and the dawn chorus interrupt the usual sleep pattern. However, dreams are quite a revelation. I better not post details here though.
Picture– taken on a bike ride home. This has been a high milage week for me, in excess of 180 miles. Quite a lot outside holiday periods. My legs are getting sore.
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12C, no wind, and…
forecast– strong pollution, European emissions, Saharan dust and we’re warned not to exercise outside. So I should drive? But cars emit pollution.
After last night’s ride, I intended to drive anyway.
At least I know why the car is dirty so suddenly.
Cycling CK55 miles, 10°C, rain wind SW.
Distance: 54.8 mi, time: 03:44:10, pace: 4:06min/mi, speed: 14.6mi/h. http://mapmyride.com/workout/496245393
That was quite good, despite the wind and rain. Legs felt good, tendon pain was not noticeable. I am working on re-building symmetrical strength.
That 1,000th mile was near Ibstock, in Leics. It was then that the rain started.
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9°C, light showers on a strong S wind. Grey. CK:40.1
Ride- Distance: 39.97mi, time: 02:48:11, speed: 14.3mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/490717905
fought the strong south gale all the way home. All that time and miles to regret leaving the 16t on the bike. I failed to make Bannister Hill without getting off. I can blame the headwind and 4lbs extra I have about me.
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Micycle 