September 2nd – The oncoming darkness made me crave a century, and with improving fitness and a day off I went for it. The rain mean a late start, but the sun soon came out, and I headed from Whittington to Linton, then Donisthorpe, Packington, Newbold Verdon, Cloud Quarry, Breedon on the Hill, then into Derby on cycle trail 68. From there, I followed the trail out through Mackworth to Egginton, then through Burton, Drakelow, Croxall and home. 106 miles, and a nice night ride from Burton was exhilarating too.

I made a healthy pace, and wasn’t too tired when I got back. A satisfying ride.

September 1st – As I arrived home in darkness, I caught sight of a critical milestone on the bike computer: Sunset was now taking place before 8pm. From now until November, the darkest will positively gallop onwards, and summer, with it’s warm and light evenings will just be another memory of a season passed.

How I hate the encroaching darkness.

September 1st – Another evening working late, I managed to pass through Walsall Wood just as the sun was setting behind the pithead sculpture. It’s not a thing I’ve ever been fond of, as many people know, but it does make for an interesting view over the old rail line.

It was a beautiful sky and a lovely evening, but I was far too tired to appreciate it.

August 31st – The willow herb is going to seed now, I noticed the fluff as I rode the cycleway through the Goscote Valley. Filling the air at the slightest provocation from the breeze, the seeds this dweller of the margins produces float and dance on the wind.

When I was a kid, we called the little floating seeds ‘fairies’ and it was considered good luck to catch one. These days, I just tend to catch them in my mouth while riding.

My grandad called this ‘old man’s beard’ and you can see why.

This is a real end-of-summer occurrence and so a little bittersweet, but no summer would be complete without it, even if it does make me spit!

dry-valleys:

When summer’s end is nighing
And skies at evening cloud,
I muse on change and fortune
And all the feats I vowed
When I was young and proud.

The weathercock at sunset
Would lose the slanted ray,
And I would climb the beacon
That looked to Wales away
And saw the last of day.

From hill and cloud and heaven
The hues of evening died;
Night welled through lane and hollow
And hushed the countryside,
But I had youth and pride.

And I with earth and nightfall
In converse high would stand,
Late, till the west was ashen
And darkness hard at hand,
And the eye lost the land.

The year might age, and cloudy
The lessening day might close,
But air of other summers

Breathed from beyond the snows, And I had hope of those

They came and were and are not
And come no more anew;
And all the years and seasons
That ever can ensue
Must now be worse and few.

So here’s an end of roaming
On eves when autumn nighs:
The ear too fondly listens
For summer’s parting sighs,
And then the heart replies.

AE Housman

August 30th – Something in the climate of this day was perfect for the cats of North Walsall. They lazed in the shade of cars and lamp-posts, relaxed, just watching their world go by, making sure all was in order and nothing was untoward.

It’s nice to know they were on guard, these sunshine sentries of suburbia.

August 30th – Today was a great day to be zipping about the Black Country on my bike, seeing people I needed to see, The streets, the urban architecture, the market at Tipton.

 It all glistened like a jewel in the sun.

I said there would still be fine days to come and I wasn’t wrong. Yet again, my beloved Black Country lifted my spirits and filled me with a sense of belonging.

These are the places I love.

August 29th – Here’s an odd one. In the dark, I spotted dark shapes in the field by the canal at Newtown, just at the back of Sandbeds Caravan Park. The shapes were actually six red deer, loafing and browsing the meadow.

I’ve not really noticed them active at night before, all though I do know they move around a lot nocturnally.

Sadly, the flash would reach that far and they were to active to take a long exposure photo. So I I achieved was shining eyes in the darkness.

August 29th – Not a fan of August Bank Holiday. The day off is nice, but it always feels like I should make more of it than I do, this Monday always feels like summer’s last breath, from here on autumn, cold, dark etc.

Of course, it’s rarely that – we will have more warm and fine weather before the darkness returns but I find this milestone sombre and sad.

It also reminds me of all the plans I had for the summer that never got done.

Today I was tired, having trouble with my hips, and recovering; so I stayed home, and did jobs on the bike and enjoyed the company of family. A short dusk spin up to Chasewater and back along the canal was enjoyable on a freshly tuned, fast bike, and painkillers had shown my aches the door.

It hadn’t been a bad day. The weather was good. Much needed jobs were done. And there are still fine, warm days to come,

August 28th – Staunton Harold is a beautiful reservoir, created in 1966 to supply water for the growing conurbations of Derby and Leicester. Unlike its partner Foremark which is a creation of the 1970s, Staunton is more secluded and in rolling countryside – and the construction is architecturally more engaging with a surprisingly ornate pump head. 

From the south, one can descend the steep banks to a secret-seeming beach shore, which gorgeous views of the lake; from the north, a nice visitors centre with playground and other facilities overlooks the water from a high position. In-between, the impressive dam.

I hadn’t been here for a very long time. I forgot how lovely it was. I must come back soon.