Mini Ice Age?

Fitting roof bars as the snow comes down is not what I had in mind. I had to stop with only one bar done. My fingers are too numb to work, so a cup of steaming hot tea and warm up, then back to it when the sun comes out again. With mid winter conditions I have used what could be down time to organise my gear. Stuff to go on the roof rack is weighed. It is under weight which is perfect. I may have more space than I think then. The roof bars look like a good idea now, despite the wind noise which might get irritating.

The Jet Stream has set hundreds of miles south of where it should be. Has all of that polar ice dumped into the North Atlantic finally done damage? Is this Europe's version of global warming? Look at the map. The extent of the cold zone corresponds to the ice sheet of the last ice age. Pure speculation of course. This winter weather is set to continue two weeks or more, well into April. This is not normal for England. Worse still temperatures will stay stubbornly below average for some weeks apparently. Spring is cancelled! Last years floods have left the ground saturated, and now we lose the spring planting season. It is not going to be a good growing season this year either. We won't starve but prices will rise again.

Mike is due to move in now. Our house share scheme kicks off today. Two guys with lives in flux. Things will change for both of us. Things are always changing though humans look for stability and routine.

Nelson Mandela appears to be heading home. Nature, but still very sad. Mortality is a burden for a smart species.

Pre journey jitters are setting in. It manifests itself in worrying about what I might have forgotten. My first stay at my Swedish house is 5 weeks, before I fly back to England to fetch my motorbike, and attend to some important domestic jobs. There is an opportunity there to correct mistakes. Take out missing items on the motorbike. I have plenty to do. Time will Concettina now. The future rushing forward to meet me. Don't interprett this as doubt about what I am doing. I am 100% committed to my project. I still don't like the idea of a winter journey across Norther Europe though.