lets hope 2026 is better for us all than 2025!

So how have the last days of 2025 gone for Madeline? Well not too bad, yes it has got progressively colder but it has stayed dry and we've even seen some sunshine.

On Monday i thought i'd get the drop on my Festive riding challenge, setting off fairly early to visit Imber (the 'lost' village on Salisbury Plain) which i reckoned would give me another solid 100+km in the bank. That cold wind was still making its presence felt as i headed down through Wiltshire to a village besieged by visitors. I managed to get a cuppa to warm me up a bit then it was back out to civilisation now with the wind at my back. My 5th challenge ride ended with just over 130km and almost 1200m of up. All i needed to complete the challenge was another 56km over the last two days.

I decided to rest on Tuesday, apparently i'm not getting any younger, so i ended up doing a 7km walk instead! But that was all part of the plan, on my return i hit the keyboard and managed to complete the 20th chapter of the new book. That's half way there, pretty much where i thought i'd be at this point in time.

And so to today, New Years Eve. I had a plan that was only slightly dented by waking to minus c temperatures and a heavy frost. On the plus side it was to be a 'short' ride, the sun was out and the wind nowhere to be seen/felt. Having survived the previous 364 days without mishap, i was determined to not blot my copy book with a fall today, lets just say i was cautious in my route and riding all day, there was some ice on the roads but i navigated it all without issue. Back at the house the numbers were in, my target was beaten, officially i rode 518km across the 8 day challenge - it was actually a bit more but that's another story.

Once back, it was into chef mode, Aunty Bev had fetched a lamb joint so i cooked that for our New Year dinner, 4 veg, roasties, Yorkshires, a meal fit for a queen! This evening i've got some prep ahead of tomorrow's journey to Sheffield and of course we'll be toasting the New Year at the appropriate time. I don't get back until Tuesday so no Sunday posting this week - i'll be at my daughters gaff up in Leeds.

So there you have it, a sober (for now), tired old git wishes you all the best and i'll be back in a year's time,
Tschussie,
Madeline Anafrid