Tag: 365daysofbiking

January 31st – One of the sure signs of a change in season from winter to spring is the appearance of various types of catkins, which are most commonly seen at this time of year on hazel trees, or in the case of these long ones, alder.

Alder is curious in that the buds you can see are also flows, the large blooms are male, and those female.

The word catkin is likely to have come from the Dutch Kateken, meaning kitten – due to the resemblance to kitten’s tails.

Catkins emerge this time of year as they’re wind pollinating, and emergence after coming into leaf would hamper pollination.

January 30th – It’s on the way back up. As my lungs clear, my on-bike performance is improving; my average speed over the same commute journey has gained 1.7mph in a week.

It’s still not up to it’s usual 13-14mph, but I’m getting there.

I’m also really liking the Velo utility for the Garmin Edge 1030 on IQ – it gives some great speed tools in one nicely laid out large data field.

January 30th – Visiting Telford in the morning, the work on the new footbridge there is very serious now. A large continuous flight auger piling rig is drilling very deep piles to support the new structure, and concrete trucks line up to supply it as it works.

In front of the rig, the first pile is standing clear of the ground bounded by the blue sleeve, and on these solid foundations, the new bridge will stand.

Earth is being moved, surveyors measure the ground and excavators are busy. This is a project well underway know and will be worth keeping an eye on.

January 29th – Kings Hill, my workaday home. 

Light is just edging into my evening commute again. I am nearing the season of the early spring sunset. Tonight, I caught the dying light on the twin sisters, and saw the Kings Hill communication tower trading it’s secrets with a glowing, clear ether.

It’s been a cold, grey, horrible month: With the shoulder injury and that awful bug, coupled with atrocious weather riding a bike has been a battle since before Christmas. But tonight, I was fluid again. Speed, like the light, is returning.

I hope this darkness has reached it’s end.

January 29th – I got to work, then it rained. It had not been a great morning – then I realised I needed to pop down to the retail park at Junction 9. I took a short cut through a glistening, dripping Kings Hill Park.

Jack in the Green has tapped his cane upon the ground, and you can almost hear the shoots and buds straining to get up and into bloom.

Watching over it all, the resplendent, shining converted chapel, looking splendid in it’s temporary shiny jacket.

Despite the rain, I was filled with joy and optimism for a new season just starting.

January 28th – Remarkably, there is a trace of spring in the air. I noted the odd nascent crocus in the week, so decided to check out CHasetown cemetery and St. Annes now I was feeling better.

On a grey, overcast but very warm afternoon, I found a single snowdrop, hundreds of crocuses, aconites and primroses, and as an added bonus, deer on the verge of the Chasetown bypass, which although lovely to see, was quite worrying with their proximity to fast traffic.

Be careful out there folks.

There was quite a decent sunset too, and a punishing wind. It’s quite clear that bad weather is coming in, but I don’t think anything can stop the spring now. The flowers are here – it’s starting.

Welcome, my green and beautiful friend.

January 28th – The work on Ogley Junction Footbridge in Brownhills looks to be more than just a quick coat of paint. On the pontoon built a week ago, scaffold has now been built and looks set to encase the whole structure – possibly to screen it off fo shotblasting.

Crossing the bridge was still possible but tricky with a bike due to the bracing poles across the footpath, and I think this week the bridge will become impassible. 

I do hope they create a decent diversion, but at the moment, I’m not optimistic about that, as none was in force when I passed through.

The work carried out on this ageing bridge – one of only three listed structures in Brownhills – will be fascinating to watch.

January 27th – Another run up Walsall Wood on an errand in the early evening gave good chance to play with the Canon camera more.

I love what it did to Barrow Close, Hollanders and Black Cock bridges, and the water they cross. Walsall Wood High Street, for 7:30pm on a Saturday, looked vital and busy.

After struggling with tripods of various kinds and other techniques for two years now, its nice to have a camera that works well, handheld, in the dark

January 26th – Returning from Walsall Wood in darkness I’m pleased to see the hedgerow arch over the towpath between the Black Cock Bridge and Clayhanger Bridge has escaped the attentions of the tree cutting crew who’ve been so keen down here since Christmas.

Despite appearances, it’s clear of your average cyclist’s head and is delightful in summer.

And rather spooky in a headlight-lit night…

January 26th – Friday meant a hectic day in Birmingham on business, then a frantic, frenetic dash back home for an important errand. I hit home, and set off to make the calls I had to at dusk.

Another way I’m liking the Canon camera is the clarity of even low daylight shots. It’s really pleasing me, like these grey canalscapes quickly snatched passing over Catshill Junction on my way to Walsall Wood.