November 23rd -Noticed in light drizzle just by the far side of the canal, on the edgelands of a scrapyard near Bentley Bridge in Walsall: apples, so far out of human reach, they’re rotting off the tree – food only for birds, squirrels and foxes.
Dripping with winter rain, I guess they’ll stay until the next really heavy wind.
Sad to see. I wonder if they’re tasty at all?
November 22nd – Despite a bit of a slow ride back up the Chester Road (though powering down into Brownhills from the crossroads is always a joy) a couple of things stood out as I glanced at the computer at the lights at Shire Oak. The first was it felt warmer than it had for a while, and secondly the sunset was now coming up to 4pm.
The temperature though, was not even 4 degrees celsius, which means I must be getting used to the cold again, something I’ve had trouble with this year. I also noted that the elevation was horribly inaccurate – at least 70m out. Normally fairly accurate, the elevation was automatically calibrated when I set out in the morning, and is based on air pressure, so it shows that during the day, atmospheric pressure rose.
Perhaps we’re in for better weather. I do hope so.
November 22nd – Sorry, another night picture… I’m trying to avoid posting too many but life at the moment means I’m mostly cycling in the dark!
I had to take some documents into Birmingham late in the day, and returned on the train on a dry, warm-seeming evening, which was a welcome relief from the washout of the day before. Unusually, I alighted at Black Street for a change, and as I watched my train roll off into the dark, I realised what a great station this is at night.
Not as beautiful as Shenstone, or as dramatic as others, but I do like the lights, their interaction with the overhead lines and signals. All contribute to my my Late Night Feelings thing I have a bout rail stations at night.
November 21st – I’ve not known a day’s weather so consistently, unrelentingly bad for a long, long time. It rained continuously from before I awoke, through my 7am commute, right up until around 6pm.
Riding to work was a battle. Despite waterproofs, a ride rendered 50 minutes rather than the usual 35-40 left me wet in places. I was miserable, cold and grumpy.
In Darlaston at teatime, the rain slowed, so I made a bolt for it. Mostly, the rain held back during my journey home, on flooded, waterlogged roads through a glistening, dripping, wet and cold town.
Drivers were behaving in that terrifyingly single minded, selfish way they always do in bad weather; either travelling at ridiculously inappropriate speeds, or crawling. The spray was penetrating.
Thankfully, by the time I reached the Coppice Road junction on the Brownhills/Walsall Wood border, there was little traffic around.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to get home, have a shower, and a mug of tea. I so hope tomorrow is better.
November 21st – The UK, today. It was raining in my heart.
November 20th – I know very little about great crested grebes, but there seemed to be rather a lot of them on Chasewater as I passed through. Difficult to photograph for their habit of diving just as you get them in shot, they are gradually transitioning into winter plumage and losing their distinctive brown flashes on their heads. They dive and pursue fish underwater, and I wonder if their recent apparent profusion at Chasewater indicates improving fish populations there following the dry years when the lake was drained.
Lovely birds, fascinating to watch.
November 20th – A dreadfully great and damp afternoon saw me head out with a heavy heart – but hitting the fresh air, I took a spin over Brownhills Common for the first time in ages. it’s looking good, despite the autumnal decay; the heathland restoration here has clearly been beneficial, and it’s lovely to see so many self-seeded deciduous trees like oaks and sycamores growing well.
On to Chasewater, a circuit around the lake was wet but rewarding; the huge number of birds on the lake were mesmerising and the gull roost was massive. Fly Creek is flowing well with the recent rains and the area of the boardwalk crossing is as enchanting as ever.
As dusk fell, heading back to Brownhills, the blue light caught the canal at Catshill, and for a moment at least, was magical.
Sometimes, you set out for a ride in miserable weather and it turns out to be better than you’d ever imagine.
November 19th – In Lichfield, I had a request from fellow blogger @Bhillscommoner for some images of Lichfield, and was happy to oblige. Unlike my other recent photos, these were taken with the city busy and bustling, and I like the way the people appear as ghostly witness, indistinct to the solid, defined architecture around them.
Transients before the longer lasting.
November 19th – Riding to Lichfield on a grey afternoon to get a little shopping in and get some fresh air. I went through the backlanes of Hilton, Wall Butts and Chesterfield, and was cheered here as I was elsewhere earlier in the week by the still wonderful autumnal colours.
I’m finding the darkness a little tough this year, but rides like this, although mostly dull and grey, the brightness I do find helps immensely.
Spring can’t come soon enough – yet it’s barely winter. Oh dear.
November 18th – Another gorgeous, but bitterly cold late autumn morning, and the oaks near Clayhanger were showing their autumn explosion of colour beautifully against an azure sky.
It’s been a very tough week, with very long hours again. I’m tired, and aching and mentally spent. But sights like this feel me with positivity and joy counteracting the hours I’ve spend riding in the darkness.
Winter is long, and still to come. But I think I can get through this.
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