Planning intensifies.

The planning and Niel's training has intensified. There is only 3 months until Niel leaves for London. To the normal person doing a daily routine 3 months is a long time, to us it's no time at all.

Most of the equipment has been bought or ordered. There is still a few things to get - GPS for example. And things needed here to keep the home fires burning - literally - we need a load of firewood for next winter.

His kilometres within the correct amount of days, have been perfected [with some days off to retain  his sanity], to equal Vin Cox's current record. [Assuming nothing goes wrong.] All maps bought, and some large scale maps photocopied, joined together and marked with a highlighter pen.

Niel is starting to look at Airfares. They very wildly. To book and pay in advance is almost twice the price of booking and paying as you go. You'd think it would be the other way around. So we are trying to work out the best plan of action ,to streamline things for Niel as he's cycling to his limit every day. Unfortunately for us, he has to go around the world twice, as he has to get to London for the start and home from London afterwards. So his airfares are twice the price as everyone else's from Europe. That's one of the reason's I can't afford to be at the finish to watch him complete his global challenge.

He might be disadvantaged financially, but on the plus side, he's the only competitor who can go home for a day off half way around.

Bob the cat and I seeing Niel off  on his long ride.

He left on a 435 km 2 day training ride this week. It was lovely weather when he left. 20 kms later it rained for the rest of the day. Coming home it not only rained [heavily], but it hailed and snowed on the hills [which is where he was]. He never gave up, so completely wet through, with his gear weighing a tonne, he made it home. His mobile phone got so wet, that 4 days later it's only just starting to show signs that it might work again.

On the home front, he's helped me shift the raised bed in the garden from a shady spot where the plants struggled to grow, to a sunnier spot closer to the house. It's been a big job, transplanting lots of plants and bulbs, not to mention actually getting the frame work moved. So I'm thrilled that it's finally nearing completion. I think I'm going to have a sore back tonight!

The framework of the raised bed.

A huge pile of dirt to shift.