all two days of it!

Yep, we've finally had 2 days of double figure temperatures but its looking like a return to single digits from tomorrow,.

Time to catch up then, i've had quite a busy time since my last post, before i travelled back to Bristol. It was a good journey, no real holdups and we arrived at our destination some 15 minutes early, now that's a first. And there waiting for me was a huge box, not exactly stuffed with bike parts but what it did contain was essential to my plans.

Thursday was an odd one, i wanted to go out for a ride but it took me forever to get organised. It was never going to be an epic, the 80km loop out to Chippenham was ride enough after a week of no riding - especially with the wind and single digit temperatures. But it felt good to be out and about, walking is okay but you never get anywhere.

Friday was the day, i now had everything to get my Focus Mares back on the road, essentially Friday's job was to sort out the driveline and then do the tidying up stuff. Of course, only in fiction does everything go smoothly, yes i had all the tools, all the parts but simple jobs took much longer than they should, even fitting the mudguards involved changing the tyres to get the fit right. But eventually it was done to my satisfaction, only 7 hours after starting lol.

Bit bling huh? Apart from consumables (tyres, cables, chain, bar tape, brake bits) the only new stuff is the rear derraileur and the mudguards, the first because i stole it for Foxy, the latter as the originals self destructed. Without all the faffing about it would have taken half the time, the mudguards alone had the aforesaid tyre swap (to huge 37mm things) and to finish off i had to get my dremelalike out to cut the stays to length (bolt croppers are quicker but an investment too far for one use in 10 years!)

Saturday then was of course shakedown day for the rebuilt bike, whilst my mechanic skills are pretty good, stuff that works in the stand doesn't always out on the road. It ended up just shy of 65km, no unexpected issues, a couple of minor adjustments et voila. I was back early enough to get on with some gardening, planting out of course and the first cut of the 'lawn', the tiny patch of grass amongst all the concrete.

And so to today, after the laundry reached the clothesline, i took myself off to complete a Garmin walking challenge, a single walk of 5km or more. I smashed it with a walk along the Frome, i ended up just shy of 8km so that was good. Then it was time to cook Sunday 'lunch', this week it was roast chicken and to celebrate the start of the season, we had some of the saddest Asparagus / Spargel i've ever seen, it tasted fine but the Dutch or Germans would n't have even bothered cutting most of it!

I have of course posted a new Gaby chapter, What the 'Eck? is part 32 of On The Edge.

Oh i nearly forgot, there's more! Firstly my Dad, MRI on Thursday then off to the cancer unit for some intervention on Friday. Its too early to say how much impact that's had but early signs are good, now we just need to get him walking on the 'repaired' thigh. I'm not planning on going north again until June but that could change - more details on that trip later.

I had a sort of plan for a furren trip later in the year but things have taken an unexpected turn. My brother suggested i join him on a trip to northern Germany, accomodation especially is cheaper pro rata for two than it is for one and he wanted to use my knowledge of the region as well. Its not a free trip, but its certainly a trip i'd be struggling to do on my income, i pay for my flights, he pays for beds and we split the rest. So, at the end of July we fly to Berlin, returning about ten days later, flights are booked, which is enough commitment to make it happen and the excitement is already building in Maddyville!

I think that's enough for today, i'll be back with more midweek,
Tschuss!
Madeline Anafrid