something i set off with good intentions of and inevitably fail!

I was due to return from my European bike adventure yesterday, the one that i had to cancel, i've got over that disapointment and i'm now looking forward to next week doing a mini adventure to the south coast instead! I won't be taking a book, i never get time to actually read the things when i'm away.

The cooler weather has at least meant i've had a few night's decent sleep and so far this week i've been very productive, getting all sorts of jobs done that i'd put off for no good reasons! On Monday, after the laundry i replaced the cables on my bike shoes (they use a wire tensioning system), Its a bit fiddly but didn't actually take long and i have spare wires in stock now - i have 4 pairs using the same system, they always break at the least convenient time! I then put a new chain on the bike, a job i had intended doing in June! The result is sub optimal performance, i'll get new sprockets after my trip but it'll do for now.

Those jobs completed i sat down at this very keyboard and started plonking away at the keys, Seven hours later i uploaded chapter 24 of the latest Gaby to my Patreon site. Things are going quite well on that front and i may get some more writing done before my trip - like the reading, i never manage to get any writing done.

The weather forecast for Tuesday was more mixed than we've had for a few weeks, morning showers giving way to a bright afternoon, rather than swap ride days i decided that a few spots of wet were okay and so set off for tea and cake under leaden but dry skies. It didn't last, within a few minutes of setting off the first spots dropped, quickly turning into rainfall heavy enough to require the rain coat. In reality it probably only lasted about ten minutes but i was now in high dudgeon as i navigated my way through north Brizzle on wet roads, feeling somewhat urgh!

It dried up enough to stow the jacket and i continued towards my original target north of the Severn Bridge, arriving with just enough time to get my vittals before the store closed (its run by volunteers with very limited opening). I felt a bit happier as i got back on the road despite the constant reminder of dark clouds, that rain could return almost at any time. I made a loop across to the edge of the Cotswolds but stayed on the lower slopes before turning back towards Brizz. There were one or two spots of wet but i completed my 102km ride moments before a significant downpour came through - a win of sorts i guess.

After my tea, omelette and chips, i turned my attention to preparing the next part of Gaby Book 28 for Kindle - dotting the i's, crossing the t's and formatting into a readable, well, format. Then it was the hoops of publishing before finally hitting the go button late evening. For a second time in a row my efforts passed the bots without issue and so today, i can offer to you, part 4 of Balancing Trick! So if you fancy a bit of holiday reading or are just an impatient fan, a click on the image will take you to the relevant page.

I hope you enjoy it.

Today i've started pulling together stuff for next weeks trip, first job was to get the maps out, quite a job in itself, locating the box of maps then retrieving the relevent sheets. Ideally they'd all be on a shelf, in order, but currently that's not an option. Besides about a third of the UK Ordnance Survey sheets (i nearly always buy the sheets for anywhere i go) I've got a lot of Michelins, many local detail maps, a goodly number of options for Germany as well as expensive stuff for Denmark and Sweden to OS quality! There's also a goodly stack of specific route guides covering long distance routes such as the Baltic coast and the Rhein from source to sea.

Anyhow, i found the sheets for next weeks trip, 8 in total but i might not take a couple as i know the roads sufficiently well without . Next today is restocking trip toiletries and energency supplies. The biggest job is deciding on clothing to take, balancing need with volume, do i need longs, a top coat, how much underwear, what footwear, all whilst trying to keep the weight down. Any trip over 3 days, at least up to a month, needs pretty much the same, the weather is the bit that can complicate matters, i may leave the packing to the weekend to see what the forecast looks like.

I will be posting on Sunday but when and what after that is unclear. I'm only away for ten days so i should be back here in a fortnights time. For now though, i need some lunch, see you at the weekend!
Tschussie,
Madeline Anafrid