I know that this is becoming a bit repetitive, but when I said it was cold last week at the track, I hadn't appreciated how cold it would be today. The car was frozen solid, the roads were icy and the temperature gauge started at zero and worked its way down to -4 degrees centigrade by the time that I arrived at the track.
Silence. Not a sound. Only Punch's car in the car park and no one in sight. With great reluctance I turned off the air conditioning and got out of the car. Believe me, it was that cold that I could feel the chill work its way down into my lungs, race around my chest and then rise.
As I gasped I heard the feint sound of hammering coming from the staff room.
"Here's a house ... here's a door ..." It's just like something out of the halcyon days of BBC's "Play School."
But this is no ordinary door - this is the door to the ultimate "Des Res" in Swindon, number 96 (thank God the numbers are that way round!!) Abbey Stadium, Blunsdon, Swindon. Not only have we acquired a new door to our staff room, but Punch has been in doing a bit of DIY on the old place.
The walls have been freshly painted, the rubbish thrown out and Punch and Roy are merrily laying a wooden floor atop of the concrete that has served us thus far. With our door firmly shut, a new heater in place and working well, we decide that it's probably too cold to work outside and we might as well use our time profitably making our little bolt hole that much more bearable, even salubrious.
The transformation is remarkable. Roy and I can only stand in awe as Punch cuts the boards and hammers in the nails. Gerald is back from the States but has an early morning meeting so wont be back until lunch time. We venture out into the frozen wastes, decide that we ought to wait for Gerald to return and hasten back into the warmth of our staff room.
But time is moving on and it must be getting warmer outside. Perhaps we ought to get some work done. Roy is the first to don his overalls, gloves, wooly hat, thermals etc.
Out on the track the morning is absolutely beautiful - a brilliant blue sky and the sun shining off the frost and ice - almost poetic.
Except, that as I prepare to take the photos I am vaguely aware that the feeling is racing from my fingers as the blood hastens away from my extremities. I am reminded of a stunning short story by Jack London called "To build a fire" - if you ever want to read about real cold, and feel cold even on the hottest of summer days, get a copy of London's classic short story and read it. I am shivering just at the thought of it.
But I digress. It was bloody cold.
Roy is muttering in the background. Not a good sign! As soon as I get close to him I realise why he is cursing - the ground is still rock solid and he just can't get the shovel into the frozen sand.
I recall that we have a pick axe somewhere and collect it from the lock up. The photos above are rare indeed - they actually show me doing something! I am almost as dangerous with a pick axe as Punch is driving the JCB so Roy is well advised to stand well back as I hack at the permafrost.
An hour later and it is lunch time. With consummate timing, Gerald arrives just as we adjourn for lunch. He regales us with stories of his American sojourn.
We are all aware of rumours circulating on the various Fans' forums about the new stadium and whether we might even find ourselves transferring from the old stadium to a new one mid season.
Suffice to say that nothing has been mentioned in our hearing about this and that we probably we wouldn't have bothered with all the modifications to our "Des Res" if it were to be bull dozed to the ground in a matter of months. It would seem that there are still planning issues that have to be resolved at a meeting in January between the developers and the planners before anyone can start thinking about building, let alone moving to, a new stadium.
We battle with the rock hard ground for another hour before we are forced off track by a sudden drop in temperature and the onset of a very thick fog that quickly obscures the entire stadium.
Whether we will be back next week is up for debate - if the Christmas festivities are too much to cope with we may well be back.
I leave Gerald, Punch and Roy worried about checking the Blog on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They will be featuring in a very special Christmas gift for all the Blog's readers ... and they're worried.
In the meantime, before I forget, thanks for all the very kind messages of support and encouragement over the last year, and for all those who have ordered copies of "The Year of the Blog", a title which is surging up the best sellers list and has been requested by Swindon Libraries (do they know what they are letting themselves in for I ask myself).
Merry Christmas and watch out for the Blog's festive special and an upcoming Blog competition to help while away those indigestion induced hours over the holiday week.
