January 17th – We had snow. Not much, maybe half an inch, and it was very, very wet. It was enough though, to be beautiful, and so I headed out into it as soon as I could. The light was pretty poor though, and the photography didn’t work out so well, but it was a nice experience apart from the endless mud.

Still, it’s better than the endless rain, and seeing the gorse flowers in the snow was lovely.

January 16th – On my return, I came through Shenstone, and was reminded of s simple fact…

A village can be awash with money. A parish council can be very good at getting grants. But neither of those facts mean the village has any taste.

I think this clock is hideous. Sorry.

January 16th – Another bitterly cold, but generally bright day, so I headed to Hints, Weeford and Shenstone to best enjoy the it. I’d finally got the ice tyres on, so felt confident (literally) breaking the ice and riding through the slush and frozen puddles.

The landscape looked wonderful again, but it was also good to see even more  fungus near Hints – on the same large, felled log, yellow jelly fungus and ascocoryne – and perfect specimens too.

This sudden cold snap has been so much what I’ve been wanting and hoping for..

January 15th – one would tend to think that fungi don’t really grow over the winter, but a few species like the cold, wet weather. Here at Hammerwich the turkey tail fungus is growing well on a rolling, windfallen log.

Initially quite dull, when studied closely you can see how this delicate fungus got its name. 

January 15th – First really cold day of the year, with the lightest, cutest dusting of snow that sat on the landscape like icing sugar. Not yet having fitted the ice tyres, I let some air out and rode the heaviest bike I have. It was gorgeous; the temperature didn’t get above freezing all day, and I got cold and hungry, but it was worth being out in. It was good to be off work but it was also good to be out in the glass-hard, clear day. Stonnall, Wall and Hammerwich positively glowed in the cold winter sunshine.

I’ve needed this for so long.

January 13th – Now, this is winter at last. Riding homeward at 6pm, the air temperature according to the ride computer was -2.4 degrees C. It felt it too.

That morning had shown a light, wet dusting of snow, and it half-heartedly snowed during the late evening, too.

I’d like a bit of snow, or some good hard frosts.Come on then, weather… show us what you’re made of.

January 13th – I was grumbling uphill in Bradford Street, Walsall, and a piece of fresh graffiti art caught my eye. In light of the recent grumbles I’ve been having about the weather, it seemed like a message from fate.

In the last couple of days I had a message from a good friend and reader of this journal ‘Stop moaning about the rain!’

I shall try, promise. There’s always hope, after all.

January 13th – And there you go, it can’t even manage 24 hours dry at the moment. Another soaking on the way home – and it was cold too, with the temperature hovering just above zero degrees.

I stopped to adjust my scarf at Maybrook Road and took two quick shots. They look wet, cold and desolate and that’s just how it was.

January 13th – A better day, at least: the sun was out as I cycled through Victoria Park in Darlaston and under the Mystic Bridge. It was still very wet, though and I was running late against a headwind. But the light was nice, and I felt better.

One of the things about cycling nearly everywhere you go is the massive connection you have with the outdoors and the weather. Periods of continued poor conditions can get to feel like a personal attack, and that’s how I’ve been feeling just lately.

There has to be a break in this soon, for a few days at least.

January 12th – this was around 3:30pm, during the rains. I was soaked, and cold. Every single light was red and the traffic was doing the mad things it always does when we have rain.

I keep saying I think I’m developing webbed feet. Shelve that. At the moment I’m considering a coat of Cuprinol to stave off wet rot…