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My Diary/Blog For the Month of April 2021
  The links in the calendar above link to archived pages for each date.



Friday 30th April 2021
Lockdown day 402
Shopping embargo day 88 281

08:42 BST


  The morning was bright, with some sunshine, but yesterday afternoon was generally dull. It wasn't very warm. I'm not even sure that the temperature hit the forecast 11° C, but it probably did.
bright start
  The screenshot of the early morning version of the forecast starts all wrong. The latest revision to the forecast shows some hastily scribbled in sunny spells for now and 9am. Even that doesn't seem quite right. Over half the sky still looks blue, but that is less than it was at 8am when it seemed like almost all the sky was blue. I don't think the sun has gone behind a cloud in the last 90 or more minutes. It seems good enough to say it is "sunny" now, but as I say, more clouds are gathering, and the latest forecast revision may be right when it says the rest of the day will be cloudy and dull. Once again it may be no more than 11° C today. Tomorrow is probably going to be almost identical to today except for some light rain from 6pm for a couple of hours.
sunny day
   I thought it worth showing the BBC (Meteogroup) forecast because it is far more optimistic than the Met Office's gloomy forecast. It does seem to have got it right so far, and it would be great if it was correct for the rest of the day, but I have my doubts. I stopped showing it, and switched to The Met Office a year or two ago when the BBC switched to using the services of Meteogroup, and usually go the forecast totally wrong. It is hard to believe their forecast for today, and for that matter the next week, but it would be very nice if it were correct.

  Yesterday morning feels like a blur, and I am struggling to remember if I did anything of importance then, or indeed right up to the boozing started at almost 4pm. .....  wait....it's coming, thoughts are breaking through the fog..... Of course I did stuff yesterday morning ! You can read what I did yesterday, what I drunk, some of what I ate, how I slept, and about my health checks and plans for today in my full archive page for today.
Thursday 29th April 2021
Lockdown day 401
Shopping embargo day 88 280

09:28 BST


  The forecasts from both the BBC and Met office were in a state of flux yesterday morning. Neither got yesterday right. The actual weather was a generally grey day with sporadic very light showers. The rain was so light that I don't think it ever got the road actually looking wet. It was not a warm day. The forecast generally agreed that 10° C might be about the best we could hope for, and that turned out to be about right for just a few hours. The rest of the day was cooler.
brighter, less wet
  There are still too many big fluffy clouds around to give any long periods of sunshine at the moment, but the latest revision to the forecast still says that 9 and 10am should feature non stop sunshine, and that 11am will feature just sunny spells. After that it will be generally light grey, but it should stay dry. Like yesterday, the weather may still be a bit unpredictable today, but it seems very likely that much of this afternoon will be 11° C. Tomorrow may be a bit brighter, and it should be 12° C for a lot of the afternoon. Unfortunately it may end with rain after sunset.

  Yesterday was one of those days where I was busy, but not doing anything physical. I spent a fair time trying to find out why my old laptop should stop recognising a Lightscribe burner, and just thought it was an ordinary CD/DVD burner. I eventually sorted that problem out, but at the same time invented new problems. You can read all about my computer based busyness, and all the usual stuff about eating, and sleeping, plus my health observations and plans from this morning in my full archive page for today.
Wednesday 28th April 2021
Lockdown day 400
Shopping embargo day 88 279

08:39 BST


  Maybe yesterday afternoon did feel a bit milder than previous days. The thermometer said it was just 2° C higher than the day before, but only for an hour or so, but with no icy wind it felt a lot more than that. The last forecast revision I saw was predicting just a single hour at 15° C, but I'm not sure I even saw my thermometer hit 14° C. The afternoon was probably duller than the forecast suggested it would be, but there was some sunshine in the morning.
rain today
  Yesterday the BBC (Meteogroup) weather forecast was predicting a lot of rain for today, but the Met Office predicted a lot less. This morning they have both changed sides. The BBC says there will be some rain, but also a few sunny spells. The Met Office, as in the screenshot above, are predicting a really wet day today. At the moment it is probably a bit brighter than forecast, and about 2 hours ago there was some thin sunshine peeping over the horizon.

  The weather is obviously in a high state of flux. Since first checking the weather forecasts the two forecasters have switched their predictions again. The Met Office still says it will be very dull, but the deluge shown in the screenshot above is now reduced to just a few scattered hours of light rain with the first shower starting at 10am. The BBC is now predicting a total deluge, also starting at around 10am, but continuing with some periods of heavy rain until well after sunset. Both forecasters says the maximum temperature will be 11° C. The BBC say all afternoon, but the Met Office say it will only reach 11° C for  couple of hours late in the afternoon. Tomorrow may be bright and 11° C, or it may be very dull, and 11° C depending on which forecaster comes closest to reality.

  The big unknown yesterday was what time my parcel would arrive, or even if it would arrive yesterday. It was two packs of glucose test strips. I still have about a weeks supply left of the last pack, and so I was not desperately waiting for the new packs, but the uncertainty was annoying. It did arrive, and maybe earlier than I expected. All the details about that, and what I did yesterday, what I ate, how I slept, how I feel this morning, and some speculation about what I might do today can be read in my full archive page for today.
Tuesday 27th April 2021
Lockdown day 399
Shopping embargo day 88 278

09:21 BST


  Yesterday was another day that was often bright, but still feeling rather cold. Despite almost non stop sunshine for 3 or 4 hourss in the afternoon the temperature barely reached 10° C, and the wind chill made it feel closer to 8° C.
warm afternoon
  It is sunny at the moment, but that will soon be reduced to sunny spells. In turn they will fade to just cloudy skies with a few random minutes of sunshine now and then. Even so, the temperature may hit 15° C. Sadly the latest revision now says it will only be 15° C for as little as one hour now. Apart from a short period of sunny spells in the morning, most of tomorrow will be dull, and from 9pm rain is predicted. It might still reach 13° C in the afternoon. Of course if you choose the BBC (Meteogroup) forecast then there will be more sunny spells tomorrow morning, and it will rain almost non stop from midday !

  It was almost as if I was having a very delayed reaction to my 2nd Covid jab yesterday. I didn't feel good all day. I guess much of it was  just a sort of enhanced old age creakiness, but later on one particular pain was Repetitive Strain Injury from using my computer mouse far too much. All the details, including what all that mouse work was, plus the usual stuff about eating and sleeping can be read in my full archive page for today. It also includes how I feel this morning, and what I might do today.
Monday 26th April 2021
Lockdown day 398
Shopping embargo day 88 277

10:04 BST


  Yesterday was generally bright, but it never felt warm despite the thermometer creeping up to 12 or even 13° C (the weather forecast predicted just 11° C). It was the wind that made it feel a lot colder. It wasn't a very strong wind, but it was still really chilling.
a
                        very dull start
  It has been, and is very dull as I write this, but the sun has started to try and push through the clouds. The latest revision to the forecast has changed to show that this hour will be extra gloomy, but I can see a few slivers of blue in the sky, and if one of those should end up where the sun is.... 11am is when the forecast says the first sunny spells should appear, and midday could see the start of clear skies and 4 hours of solid sunshine....maybe. 2 and 3pm could see the temperature peak at 11° C, but it will only be 10° C for a good few hours either side of that. Once again the wind feels bitterly cold, or at least it did when I walked down the road at just before 8.30am. Tomorrow may feature very little sunshine, but the temperature is expected to be around 15° C.

  I don't know if it was an after/side effect of my 2nd Covid vaccination shot, but I still didn't feel good yesterday. Like the day before it was mostly a case of feeling very sleepy. My muscles seemed to be working OK because I  washed a large bath towel with no difficulties late in the morning. Later in the day I would feel sleepy, and have a sort of gut ache. You can read about my day, my night, and some of this morning in my full archive page for today.
Sunday 25th April 2021
Lockdown day 397
Shopping embargo day 88 276

09:41 BST


  Apart from one flaw, it was really nice yesterday. The flaw was that the sun is now high enough in the sky to not shine through my front windows...well it does, but at such an oblique angle that it doesn't warm the rooms so much. There was sunshine all day yesterday, and the afternoon temperature was possibly a degree or two higher than the forecast 14° C. It was enough to dry my washing in 4, maybe 5 hours, and it felt nice and warm when I took it off the line to bring inside. Meanwhile, my bedroom felt slightly cool, particularly so when quietly reading, and almost too warm after putting the heater on low for a few minutes.
less sunshine, and cooler than yesterday
  There is a lot of uncertainty to the forecast for today - particularly so at this time in the morning. The cloud patterns are obviously different to the predictions. When it says sunny it is cloudy, and similar mix ups. Maybe a little later things will settle down. The latest revision to the forecast predicts non stop sunshine from midday to sunset, but still give no hope that the temperature will get any higher than 11° C. Tomorrow is predicted to start very cold and very gloomy, but by late afternoon the sun could breakthrough enough to give sunny periods, and even long periods of pure sunshine. The temperature may rise to 12° C.

  Yesterday was almost a very quiet day, but I did have a spurt of activity in the morning. I was wondering what side effects my 2nd dose of Covid vaccine might give. Maybe it made me feel very sleepy, but otherwise OK yesterday. The full details of my day, my eating, my reading, my sleeping, my health this morning, and what my plans might be today, can be read in my full archive page for today.
Saturday 24th April 2021
Lockdown day 396
Shopping embargo day 88 275

08:25 BST


  Yesterday, and the day before were both very sunny days, but no more than slightly warm in the afternoons. The mornings were still very cold - just 3 or 4° C. The afternoon temperature on Thursday was around 11° C, and yesterday it was closer to 14° C.
another sunny day
  Today is going to be another sunny day, and it will be slightly warmer than yesterday with the afternoon temperature reaching 14° C. It helps that this morning was a degree or two higher than recent mornings. Tomorrow will see far less sunshine as it starts to get cloudy. In consequence it will be a cooler day. Paradoxically, the day after, Monday may see the temperature rise a degree despite the possibility of hardly any sunshine, perhaps none at all all day.

    For reasons I'll try and explain later, I didn't write anything yesterday, and now I have to rack my brains to try and remember if I did anything of note on Thursday. I guess there were two things of note. The first was that as I had suggested when writing on Thursday morning, I did go to Poundstretcher. I specifically wanted some bird feeding kit, but of course I bought much more. Yesterday started with my 2nd Covid jab, and was followed by a long, and very exhausting walk. That was followed by depression and boozing. Some or all these things are explained, with some pictures, plus the usual eating, sleeping, and musings about the rest of today in my full archive page for today.
Thursday 22nd April 2021
Lockdown day 394
Shopping embargo day 88 273

10:11 BST


  Yesterday morning started off OK, but before the afternoon started the clouds were covering most of the sky. I seem to recall the sun did manage to peep through the clouds now and then in the early afternoon, but then it became very dull. The last two hours of daylight were supposed to feature clear skies, but for some reason I can't seem to recall that happening. The afternoon temperature was in that sort of no mans land. It wasn't cold, particularly compared to most of last month, but then again 13° C no longer feels warm in mid spring (late spring ? Whatever ?).
loads of sunshine, but not very warm
  I would have hoped for something better than a few minutes at 12° C for a day when the sun is (and several hours later, still is) predicted to shine all day.  In fact the latest revision to the forecast makes no mention of 12° C, and now only shows 11° C for 4 consecutive hours. The ends of the day are going to be a lot cooler (it was very chilly when I went out an hour ago). Tomorrow will also feature non stop sunshine, but the temperature could reach a far more pleasant 15° C.

    It felt like I didn't do all that much the day before yesterday. Yesterday I easily topped that ! I had a very lazy day. I kept thinking I should go and do some gardening, but I just lacked the get-up-and-go to do it. I spent a lot of the day just reading, or on the internet. There was one other thing I didn't do, or from another perspective, I did do. It was not to eat anything too outrageous, not to eat too much, and to be careful about what I did eat. The long version of this, plus stuff about watching TV, sleeping, good and bad health this morning, and plans for today, can be read in my full archive page for today.
Wednesday 21st April 2021
Lockdown day 393
Shopping embargo day 88 272

08:01 BST


  The weather was fine but cool in the morning, and then dull but warmer in the afternoon. I think the sunshine lasted a bit longer than the various revisions of the forecast predicted, and to be honest, longer than my opening sentence suggested. There were probably some sunny spells as late as 3pm, but soon after it did get very dull, and looked as if it might rain. Of course it didn't rain because I didn't water the garden ! I don't think the temperature reached the predicted 16° C, but I'm sure it was at least 14° C.
probably not a great day
  Today is going to be patchy, and not as warm as the previous few days. The current revision shows sunny spells for 8am and 11am. 9am maybe cloudy, and 10am full on sunshine. Of course it is best to take these as approximations, but it seems likely that midday to 5pm will be cloudy with no hint of sunshine. Full sunshine may appear for the last two hours of daylight. That lack of sunshine in the middle means the highest afternoon temperature may only be 13° C - not quite warm, but definitely not cold. Tomorrow may feature an abundance of sunshine, but the maximum temperature is predicted to be slightly cooler - just 12° C.

    The Poundshop not having anything useful in the bird feeding department was a bit of an annoyance yesterday morning. Initially it spoiled my plans for the day - not that I had any concrete plans except to finish off the laundry I had left soaking after my shower yesterday morning. After getting the laundry finished, and hanging on the washing line, I had a light lunch. I then set about making a bird table from scraps of wood. The full story of yesterday, my dreams, my good news this morning, and vague plans for today can be read in my full archive page for today - with pictures !
Tuesday 20th April 2021
Lockdown day 392
Shopping embargo day 88 271

10:59 BST


  It was very nice yesterday. The sun was shining, and the temperature hit 16° C. There was supposed to be a splash of light rain late in the evening, but I don't think any fell.
warm and sunny again
  The good thing about the cloud, that might have produced a a splash of rain late yesterday night, but didn't appear to,  was that it kept a bit of the warmth in, and this morning was cool rather than cold. By 9.30am it was just mild enough to go shopping without a coat - about 10° C. Unfortunately the latest revision to the forecast shows less sunshine than predicted earlier this morning. 1 and 2pm may only feature sunny spells, and then the sun goes in, and doesn't come out again until 5pm. There could be full sunshine again at 6pm until sunset. Also unfortunately is that the maximum temperature is only expected to be 15° C, although that is pretty good. Tomorrow's high is expected to be only 12° C, but I guess that is still good compared to earlier in the month. The afternoon could feature some heavy cloud.

    Yesterday was a very productive day (for me). In the morning I did my weekly shopping in Aldi, and then after a good rest I washed a couple of t-shirts and some underwear. After that the real blood sweat and tears started. I did some gardening for the first time this year. All the main work I did is illustrated with pictures, and described in my full archive page for today. It also includes other stuff done yesterday like eating and sleeping, plus what I have already done, and may do later today.
Monday 19th April 2021
Lockdown day 391
Shopping embargo day 88 270

09:42 BST


  Yesterday was another pleasant day. It was even better than the day before....I think. The weather forecast kept changing it's mind about how much sunshine there would be. It turned out that the problem was probably that the afternoon featured what I think is called a mackerel sky. All those tiny clouds, very high up in the sky, partly attenuated the sun from time to time, but generally it was bright all day. It also felt warm, or maybe almost warm. The afternoon temperature was forecast to rise to 14° C, and I think my thermometer agreed.
another sunny day ?
  The latest revision to the forecast shows the last sunshine, in the form of sunny spells, finishing after 3pm. The temperature should still reach 16° C. That should feel warm even without any sunshine. It looks like it could be a warm night as well. By 6am tomorrow morning, the temperature may only have fallen to 7° C, but it will rise up to 16° C again thanks to much of the day featuring sunshine or sunny spells.

    I was considering going out for a short walk, perhaps little more than just one mile, yesterday morning. The plan was to try some new/different socks with my walking boots to see how they felt. I was reluctant to walk very far because I didn't want to be tired and sleepy in the afternoon, although if the socks had cured the aching feet problem I may have decided to walk a bit further. There were reasons I didn't go out, and they are explained in my full archive page for today. It also includes the usual stuff about boozing, eating, sleeping, dreaming, my health this morning, and what I might do today.
Sunday 18th April 2021
Lockdown day 390
Shopping embargo day 88 269

07:52 BST


  It was nice yesterday. As I suspected, the sunshine or sunny spells went on far longer than the early forecasts said they would. Having said that, when I glance back at yesterday's archive page, I see that the screenshot of the forecast did predict that the sunny spells would last until sunset. I am not sure why I thought otherwise. One small, but nice change, was that the temperature may have risen faster and higher than forecast. I am sure I saw my garden thermometer showing it was 13° C when I came back from my walk yesterday (although that would have been 3pm, and the forecast said 12° C for 3pm).
cold start, warm ending
  I think the early morning temperature in the screenshot above may be a degree higher than reality, but it is sunny now, and plenty of sunny spells are forecast, and they will warm things up a bit. Sadly, the latest revision to the forecast is now showing a bit less sunshine. Midday and 1pm may be just cloudy, but the temperature is still expected to reach 14° C by late afternoon. It seems the curse of winter may finally be over, but a year ago April saw temperature approaching 20° C on some of the later days of the month. Tomorrow may see a lot of sunshine, and the temperature hitting 16° C, but not until after the sunshine has given away to clouds as early as 3pm.

    I was thinking of going out later in the afternoon when it would have been a bit warmer yesterday, but by 1pm it seemed to feel about right - and it was. I walked almost 3.6 miles, and I have illustrated my walk with quite a few pictures. That, and stuff about the rest of my day and night, plus predictions for today, and bad news this morning, can all be read in my full archive page for today.
Saturday 17th April 2021
Lockdown day 389
Shopping embargo day 88 268

08:40 BST


  I was too pre-occupied to pay that much attention to the weather yesterday, and yet I do remember the afternoon being often bright and sunny. I did mention that the forecast had been revised to show the morning sunny spells and sunshine to end later when writing yesterday. It seems that later revisions would have shown the last of the sunny spells being later and later in the afternoon. I don't think it pushed up the temperature much beyond the predicted 10° C.
sunny morning, and sunny afternoon
   At some point in the night the skies cleared, and the temperature dropped enough for a frost this morning. I saw 1.7° C on my garden thermometer when the forecast was saying it should be 3° C at 8am. The latest revision to the forecast makes one small change. The sunshine will give way to sunny spells at 2pm, and those will finish after 6pm. The temperature is still predicted to rise to 12° C by 3pm. Tomorrow may start off with sunshine, but that may reduce to sunny spells. It could cloud over by mid afternoon, but the temperature may reach 14° C.

   I believe there is an army saying in one or more of the armies of the world that says something like "hurry up and wait". That is a fair description of my day yesterday. I do my best to explain this, although probably not that well, in my full archive page for today. It includes stuff like sleeping and dreaming, and what my possible plans are for today.
Friday 16th April 2021
Lockdown day 388
Shopping embargo day 88 267

08:06 BST


  It was a day of two halves yesterday. The morning was cold and bright. The afternoon was not that warm, but it was dull, and it was sometimes wet. The best temperature was about 8° C.
another fairly sunny start to the day
   The latest revision to the forecast is a bit more optimistic than the earlier version in the screenshot above. The sunny spells may now last until midday, and the grey clouds in the afternoon are now shown as white clouds. The only negative thing is that the afternoon temperature is now predicted to be just 10° C, although with only one hour at 4pm originally predicted to be 11° C, it is not a great loss. Tomorrow may feature much more sunshine, and the afternoon temperature may rise to 12° C by about 4pm.
  
 Two things were of the greatest significance yesterday. The morning featured cloning the failing hard disk in my PC, and the afternoon featured another Thursday boozing session. Of course other things happened as well - during the day, during the evening, and then, after sleep, this morning. It is all described in my full archive page for today. It also includes what my plans might, or might not be for today.
Thursday 15th April 2021
Lockdown day 387
Shopping embargo day 88 266

09:21 BST


  Yesterday was another day similar to the day before, although not quite as good.It was probably a degree or two cooler, but probably the 11° C predicted in the weather forecast. The morning featured sunny spells, but they seemed to fade out a bit earlier in the afternoon. They returned for the last couple of hours before sunset.
sunny morning, wet afternoon
   It was another cold night, although not cold enough for a frost this morning. It has been quite sunny, but the clouds are building up now. The last of the sunshine may finish not too long after 10am. This afternoon it is probably going to rain. The latest revision has changed the forecast in the screenshot above to say it will be dry at 3pm, instead of light rain, and there will be heavy rain at 4 and 5pm instead of light rain. 6pm should see just light rain again. The rest of the evening should be dry. It is going to be cooler today, and the maximum temperature may just be 8° C. It could reach there by 11am, and start falling again after 3pm. Tomorrow should see a lot of sunny spells, and maybe a maximum temperature of 11° C.

  Yesterday was good and bad, and sometimes the good was bad. I was unsure if I would go for a walk yesterday, but I had a route in mind if I did go out. By 11am the weather was not perfect - sunny spells instead of sunshine, and it didn't seem like it would feel warm - but in the end I decided I would go out. I describe my walk with a handful of pictures, and then there is other stuff about some good news from Angela, how my dinner was almost the same as my dinner the previous night, a description of my sleep and one of the dreams in it, the huge shock I had when I checked my blood glucose this morning, and finally, my plans for today in my full archive page for today.
Wednesday 14th April 2021
Lockdown day 386
Shopping embargo day 88 265

08:16 BST


  It wasn't exactly warm yesterday, but 10 or 11° C did feel mild. The morning, and some of the afternoon featured sunny spells, and they helped to make it feel almost warm. Maybe with a more gentle breeze 11° C might have felt warm in the sunshine. For a time I thought it felt a bit humid, but I think that was just my high blood glucose making my brow a bit sweaty.  There was some rain forecast for late evening, but I was not aware of any falling.
another sunny morning
   The forecast has already been revised to show this morning as featuring more sunny spells than shown in the screenshot above. Maybe a further revision will show the sunny spells popping up in the afternoon too...or maybe not. 6pm is still shown as being sunny, and sunny spells for 7pm. The temperature may only reach 11° C for a couple of hours this afternoon, but that is going to be similar enough to yesterday, and that didn't seem to bad. Of course it will depend on how the wind feels. Tomorrow may only reach 9° C, and the afternoon is likely to be very grey, and from mid afternoon it could get very wet !

  Several things happened yesterday morning, and I guess both were very significant, albeit for different reasons. The first thing was that my new computer was delivered. The second was that workmen arrived to replace the back fence (as ordered and paid for my the people from the other side of the fence. The afternoon featured a walk. All the details about these things, with pictures, plus the usual stuff about eating, sleeping, dreaming, and what my plans might be if circumstances feel right for today, can be read in my full archive page for today.
Tuesday 13th April 2021
Lockdown day 385
Shopping embargo day 88 264

08:26 BST


  Yesterday's was the reverse of the previous day...at least I think it was. It was a very dull morning, and the start of the afternoon was not exactly bright, but the last 3 or so hours before sunset was bright with a lot of sunshine. It was another cold day that seemed like it would have suited January better than mid April. The late afternoon temperature reached 8° C, and possibly a tiny bit higher. The morning was rather different - just 1° C, and even at midday it was still around 3° C.
a
                        cold but sunny start
   Today started with a clear sky and frost ! It is currently bright and sunny with a clear blue sky. It could be a summer's morning, but the temperature says very different. By 2pm, after first sunshine, and then sunny spells, the temperature should rise to a more friendly 11° C. Sadly it is at 2pm when the forecast says we will lose the sunny spells in favour of 100% white cloud. By 9pm it might start to rain. Only a few sunny spells just before sunset are predicted for tomorrow. Most of the day will be either slightly dull or very dull, but the temperature should still rise to 10° C from around 5 or 6° C at daybreak.

  When I think back to yesterday I can't seem to remember anything of any great significance. It was as if my early morning shopping trip was the highlight of the day yesterday. I did finish the laundry I mentioned yesterday morning, and so I did do something during the day. Eating was one thing I did yesterday, and I describe all my stupid eating decisions, plus anything else I can think of about yesterday, last night, and a fair bit about this morning, in my full archive page for today.
Monday 12th April 2021
Lockdown day 384
Shopping embargo day 88 263

10:02 BST


  Yesterday started bright and sunny, but the sunshine gave way to sunny spells, and it was around midday that the sky completely clouded over. Mostly it was fairly light cloud, but from time to time the clouds turned rather grey. The last hour or two of daylight featured some sunshine. It was a rather cool day with the temperature around 8° C maximum.
snow !
   On the day the pubs are allowed to re-open to serve cusomers sitting outdoors it is going to be a perishing day with snow. The early forecast said there would be light snow at 10am. It actually fell at about 7.30am.
  It wasn't exactly a blizzard, and it didn't settle even with it being under 2° C outside with frost on a few shed and car roofs. The 8am revision to the forecast said there should have been heavy snow an hour ago, there wasn't, and  light snow now, there isn't ! Fog is forecast for 11am. The 9am revision has removed all mention of snow and fog, but it now shows 1pm as being dull and 4° C - 1pm would be when I might have met Angela for a lunchtime drink if it had been warm and sunny. There could be sunny spells later, and by late afternoon the temperature may peak at 8° C again. It is going to be a cold start tomorrow, but there could be sunny spells for a lot of the morning. The afternoon may be dull, but by late afternoon the temperature may reach 11° C.

  Yesterday was probably rather typical of a Sunday - mostly boring. That is more true of the afternoon. As I described yesterday, I was semi busy in the morning. The most important thing I did yesterday was to take a backup of my PC. It took several hours, and that long wait made me think about a future job I have to do. There is more about my day, my night, and about this morning in my full archive page for today.
Sunday 11th April 2021
Lockdown day 383
Shopping embargo day 88 262

12:54 BST


  Most of yesterday was dull, and some of it was damp. I can't recall any heavy rain, as predicted in the weather forecast, but there was certainly some prolonged drizzle. The curious thing was that the temperature was probably around the forecast 6° C, but it didn't feel that cold. Maybe it was because there was very little wind.
a
                        sunny morning
   It has been sunny this morning, but as I write this it seems like we have entered a dull phase. The latest revision to the forecast predicts no sunny spells or sunshine from 2pm until 5pm, and there is a 30% chance of light rain at 3pm. From 5pm there could even be some very long sunny spells until sunset. Today has been a few degrees warmer than yesterday. It is around 8° C now, but the latest revision to the forecast says the temperature will start to slowly fall from 6pm. Tomorrow morning, the day the pub gardens are officially allowed to open, will start at 2° C, and then warm up to around 8° C again. At 1pm, when I could in theory meet Angela in the beer garden, it may be very dull with thick grey clouds, and only 8° C. At 3pm it may well rain !

  As I said I would do, when writing yesterday, I had a shower, washed my hair, and a little later I put my two trail cameras out in the garden to watch the foxes. They recorded some really good stuff, but more about that later. The rest of my day involved resting, reading, boozing, eating and sleeping. There is a lot more about all this, plus what has already been happening today in my full archive page for today. Don't miss the video of the foxes on that full page !
Saturday 10th April 2021
Lockdown day 382
Shopping embargo day 88 261

08:31 BST


  Yesterday started bright and sunny, but by midday it had clouded over. It was still semi bright at first, but by late afternoon the clouds were looking a very dirty grey. An hour or so before sunset there was some light rain. It lasted long enough to get the road outside wet, but didn't seem heavy enough for any puddles. The afternoon was fairly mild. It may have peaked at 12° C, possibly even 13° C, but 11° C was more representative of the afternoon. With no supporting sunshine it was not enough to actually feel warm.
rain due
   It's a bit dull now, but by 11am it is predicted to be exceedingly dull with initially light rain, and then heavy rain for a few hours from midday. The actual times the rain will be heavy, and when it will be light, are pure speculation, and the rain will make up it's own mind without consulting the forecasters. What does seem very likely is that from sometime around 11am, until around 7pm, it is going to be wet. It is also going to be cold. The latest revision to the forecast says the highest temperature today is about now, when it is 6° C, but will fall to just 5° C once the rain starts. It will stay 5° C for the rest of the day. by 4am tomorrow morning it will be down to 3° C, but by 4pm it could be 9° C. Tomorrow is going to be dull with a small chance of rain in the late afternoon.

  I'm trying to think of any highlights from yesterday, and my mind is a blank. That is probably because not a lot happened, but not a lot does not equate to nothing. I did several unremarkable things yesterday, and I describe them, with some pictures in my full archive page for today. it also includes the usual tedium of what I ate, what I dreamed of last night, and what I plan to do today.
Friday 9th April 2021
Lockdown day 381
Shopping embargo day 88 260

08:37 BST


  It almost felt mild yesterday afternoon. The forecast said the temperature would rise to 11° C, but I think it rose to 13 or even 14° C. Had there been any sunshine it might have been a nice afternoon, but sunshine was in very short supply yesterday. The forecast showed none at all, but I seem to think there was a little bit. Unfortunately I can't remember when, how strong it was, and how long it lasted.
some sunshine before midday
   The latest revision to the forecast only makes a couple of small changes to that in the screenshot above. The latest prediction is that this afternoon the temperature may now briefly peak at 12° C, and that only three hours may feature some light rain this evening - 5pm may just be very cloudy, but dry. Oh well, it is bright and sunny as I type this. Tomorrow may be very grey, a bit wet, and more than a bit cold - max 7° C

  One of my main concerns yesterday was to try and keep control of my eating - even while drinking lots of beer ! This morning it seems that I succeeded, but more on that later. About the only thing I can say I did yesterday morning was that I had a shower. That happens most morning, and so it hardly counts. All I can think of about yesterday, plus my sleep and dreams, and my thoughts and plans for today can be read in my full archive page for today.
Thursday 8th April 2021
Lockdown day 380
Shopping embargo day 88 259

08:55 BST


  The wind was viciously cold yesterday morning, and probably at all other times yesterday. The actual temperature rose from -1° C before 8am to 8° C 3pm. There was some sunshine in the morning. I know this because I mentioned it yesterday morning, but it doesn't seem to have really registered on my memory. I think my memory was clogged by thoughts of just how bloody cold it felt when I went out in the morning !
cold and grey
   Today, according to the latest revision of the weather forecast, may not be quite as grey as shown in the screenshot above, but only by a small degree. It seems unlikely we will see any sunshine today, but the wind is probably going to come from a more friendly direction because the afternoon temperature should reach 11° C. If there were any sunshine that could feel mostly pleasant, but sadly sunshine is in very short supply at the moment. There is a persistent 10% chance of rain for most of today, but that usually means it will stay dry. Tomorrow could see some sunshine, and also some light rain, but the temperatures should be similar to today.

  I have to admit that some of yesterday afternoon was boring. It should have incited me to do something like a bit of gardening, but I didn't fancy going out again after a short walk in the morning. It was fairly late in the morning, maybe 11am, when I decided I would walk to the cash machine by Catford station, and then spend some of the money extracted from the hole in the wall in the little supermarket on Catford Bridge. Warming up after being exposed to the wind that must have been blowing direct from the Arctic was first priority of the day. That, and the rest of my day, including eating, sleeping, and plans for today, can be read in my full archive page for today.
Wednesday 7th April 2021
Lockdown day 379
Shopping embargo day 88 258

07:45 BST


  It was most definitely cold again yesterday, but there was a fair bit of sunshine. The morning featured sunshine and sunny spells, and to a limited extent they continued past the forecast end, and a little way into the afternoon. Behind glass, aka my bedroom windows, the sun felt nice and warm, and for a few hours I had the heating off. After the last of the sunshine it rapidly started to cool down again. There were some snowflakes blowing in the breeze in the late afternoon !
sub zero, but sunny start to the day
   At 7.30am my garden thermometer said it was -0.4° C, and there is a sharp frost outside. It is currently sunny, and it is supposed to stay sunny for quite a few hours yet. The sun will help warm things up a bit, and by 3pm the temperature could be up to 8° C. Soon after that the clouds may be thick enough to make it very gloomy (and there is a 10% chance of rain possible - although no rain is actually predicted). No sunshine is predicted for tomorrow, but paradoxically the temperature is expected to rise to an almost, but not quite, good 11° C.

  Yesterday turned out to be a fairly productive day. One bit of productivity was a bit of hand laundry - 2 t-shirts and some underwear. Another bit of productivity was a bit different to the rest, and I'll come to that later. The final bit of productivity was some photo and video editing. All the pictures, and the video (if your web browser will show them), plus the usual stuff about eating and sleeping can be seen and read in my full archive page for today.
Tuesday 6th April 2021
Lockdown day 378
Shopping embargo day 88 257

07:39 BST


  Yesterday afternoon turned out to feature a lot of sunshine. It looked lovely through the window - blue sky and sunshine - but outside it was very cold. The afternoon temperature should have been 6° C, but I don't think it was as high as that except for am hour or so. It was all the fault of a wind that felt like it was blowing down from the arctic.
a
                        very cold day with some sunshine
   The current temperature is, or was 0.8° C when I checked my garden thermometer maybe 20 minutes ago. By the afternoon it is forecast to rise to 6° C, and maybe 7° C at 3pm. This morning will feature a fair amount of sunshine, but the afternoon will probably be a bit dull. This spell of winter like weather continues tomorrow morning, when 0° C is forecast for the early part of the morning. It should then start to warm up to as high as 8° C in the afternoon. Like today, there will probably be sunshine in the morning, and a cloudy sky in the afternoon. The day after, Thursday, should see the temperature get back to 10° C, and maybe 11° C if we are lucky.

  After my early morning shopping things got a bit routine yesterday. I didn't really do anything during the morning, and I didn't really do anything for a few hours into the afternoon. Maybe that should be a few hours plus one. A broken down train blocked the line at Catford Bridge when Jodie was due to come over for a boozing session. In the end it seemed easier for Jodie to get the bus instead of the train, and out boozing session started later than usual. Most of my day, my evening, my sleep, and plans and feeling this morning, is described in my full archive page for today.
Monday 5th April 2021
Lockdown day 377
Shopping embargo day 88 256

09:14 BST


  Yesterday was glorious, or at least the afternoon and evening were. The morning was a bit dull, but we can skip over that. By midday the sun had been shining for a while, and it was starting to warm up. By 1pm the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and it was starting to feel warm. By 4pm it was like a summers day...well maybe not quite as warm as summer, but it was at least 15° C. Another important factor was the very gentle, warm feeling breeze. It was wonderful.
to
                        be revised
   The one constant in the weather forecasts for today is that it is going to be cold, but otherwise things get complicated. The BBC forecast was full of doom and gloom - dark clouds and sleet showers. The Met Office forecast was not so gloomy. A few hours later and the BBC were forecasting sunny spells and sunshine all afternoon. The Met Office were less optimistic. The sunny spells at 8am in the screenshot above have been moved to 10am but seemed to actually happen at 9am ! From 3pm until sunset there should be sunny spells at first, and then maybe full sunshine for the last few hours of daylight. Nothing has changed to show the temperature at midday as being as low as 4° C (or maybe 5° C in BBC land). Tomorrow could see the temperature hit 0° C at 7am, and only 6° C in the afternoon.
 
  Yesterday started with some excitement - one of my traps caught a mouse in the kitchen - hopefully the last of them, but probably not. The afternoon included a lot of hill walking, some wildlife photography, and some gig photography. There are examples of both along with a description of my day, my night, and some stuff about this morning, and what I will be doing today in my full archive page for today.
Sunday 4th April 2021
Lockdown day 376
Shopping embargo day 88 255

08:38 BST


  Dull, grey, and not warm could sum up yesterday quite well. During the afternoon I have a vague memory of the sun trying to peep out from between the clouds, but it didn't quite manage it. The odd thing is that 10° C didn't seem that cold yesterday. Maybe recent days have switched my body back into winter more where even 8° C might be considered tepid.
warm and sunny afternoon
   Today the weather makes one more effort to be like spring. Tomorrow we plunge back into winter. The latest revision hasn't changed the forecast, and so I think we can assume that this afternoon will be bright and sunny, and that the temperature will eventually reach 15° C - albeit quite late in the afternoon. From midnight the temperature staarts falling quite fast, and by 10am tomorrow it could be as cold as 3° C. There could be a mix of sunny spells and sunshine after that, but the afternoon temperature may not rise higher than 6° C. On Tuesday the early morning temperature could be down to 0° C, and once again might only reach 6° C in the least warm part of the day.

  It is surprising how lack of pain can lift the spirits, or maybe it is more correct to say that it is the absence of pain that makes you realise how depressing persistent pain can be.  I was not 100% free of pain yesterday, but my right knee seemed to be perfectly healed (probably until I stress it again), and some random tooth pain seemed to have vanished again. I never did find out if one pain was a tooth problem or the blocked saliva duct I mentioned a week or two ago. The details of all this, plus more stuff is described in my full archive page for today. It also includes stuff about dinner, and excellent night's sleep, a good blood glucose reading this morning, and my plans for today.
Saturday 3rd April 2021
Lockdown day 375
Shopping embargo day 88 254

09:57 BST


  Yesterday morning started very dull and depressing, and the afternoon featured some hazy sunny spells. Early forecast predicted sunshine for the afternoon. later forecasts downgraded that to sunny spells. The reality was that when the sun did break through it was usually rather hazy. Most significantly, it was cold. I am not sure if the temperature actually rose to the forecast 10° C (and 11° C for a very brief time). By my reckoning it barely reached 9° C. To make matters worse it seemed quite breezy. I gave in and closed the bathroom window because it felt like an icy blast coming through it. I had hoped I could leave it open until as late as next November.
similar to how yesterday turned out
   Today has one big similarity with yesterday. It is cold and grey this morning. Maybe the weather will improve a little later. The latest revision to the forecast says the dark grey clouds should lighten up to maybe even white cloud by 2pm. Between 4 and 6pm there could be sunny spells. It is going to be cold again. The latest revision to the forecast only gives hope for a mere 10° C. Tomorrow may offer a brief respite. The afternoon should feature sunshine, and the temperature could rise to 15° C.

  Yesterday could be described as a horrible day, but once I had decided I was depressed, and there was nothing I could do about it, it was not nearly so bad. Sometimes you just have to let these things happen, and not struggle against them. Struggling just makes the binding tighter. I probably say more about last night and this morning, than I do about yesterday in my full archive page for today.
Friday 2nd April 2021
Lockdown day 374
Shopping embargo day 88 253

09:23 BST


  The build up to the long, bank holiday, weekend weather was well underway yesterday. The temperature was only 14° C, but it did feel slightly warm in the hazy afternoon sunshine, and probably wasn't that bad for the start of April. The morning was rather dull yesterday. In earlier forecasts there was supposed to be a fair bit of sunshine in the afternoon. That changed to just sunny spells in later revisions. The reality was halfway between sun and sunny spells. The cloud cover was very thin, and so we had rather hazy sunshine breaking through for a lot of the afternoon. To sum up, the day was neither good nor bad. It was mediocre.
cool, but maybe some sunshine this
                        afternoon
   It has been very dull, but is now a bit brighter. This is in line with the early forecast of dark cloud until 9am, and then light cloud. This morning has started off very chilly, and the best we can hope for is maybe a brief peak of 11° C this afternoon. Maybe that won't happen because it looks like it was based upon sunshine from 3pm, but the latest revision to the forecast now shows just sunny spells, or maybe even sunny intervals, for this afternoon. In broad terms, the forecast for tomorrow looks very similar to today.

  My right knee definitely showed an improvement yesterday. It was still a bit stiff from time to time, but it was rarely painful. In fact the only time I can remember it being painful was just for a brief moment as I stood up after sitting at my PC for long periods (where long could be as little as half an hour, but often more). The rest of my day, including eating, boozing, and sleeping, plus how I feel, and what I have planned this morning for the day, can be read in my full archive page for today.
Thursday 1st April 2021
Lockdown day 373
Shopping embargo day 88 252

09:54 BST


  Yesterday was very disappointing. I had originally hoped that yesterday might have been a slightly toned down version of the previous two day, but it turning out to be much worse. There was some sunshine until mid morning, but from then on it was just another grey day. I can't even recall the sun breaking through for the last hour or two before sunset as was once hoped for. The temperature did rise to over 20° C - possibly even to 22° C. It actually did feel warm outside in the afternoon when I went out briefly to put some stuff in the wheelie bin, but with no sunshine to warm my front rooms, it felt cool enough to put the heater on now and again (particularly when trying to snooze).
cool, but maybe some sunshine this
                        afternoon
   You can tell we are coming to a long bank holiday weekend - the temperature is dropping ! The weather forecast has actually improved since taking the screenshot above. The afternoon temperature will still probably be 14° C for an hour or two, but more sunny spells have been added between late morning and mid afternoon. The sun is trying to come out as I write this, but while it was very bright for a few minutes, the cloud seems too thick at the moment. Tomorrow may touch 12° C for an hour or two in the afternoon, but perhaps no more even though the afternoon is predicted to be very sunny.
  
  Some of my day was constrained by waiting for a parcel delivery yesterday. I did have an earlier idea that I might go straight to the park to see if Angela was in there at lunchtime, but two other things put paid to that before I was informed about the parcel delivery being due. The other constraints on my day, plus what was in the parcel, together with an overview of my day, night, and plans for today are all in my full archive page for today.