Tag: 365daysofbiking

October 22nd – Seeing my old friend, who’s still ill but better than the time I saw him in the spring, we talked about time, and waiting and how illness makes waiting a very variable thing.

During the conversation I reflected on that being the reason why I doggedly note and watch the yearly changes, and any season’s passage welcome or unwelcome, is time gained, even if ultimately lost. 

Time’s arrow is sometimes your greatest friend, and sometimes your worst enemy. But time is everything, and one thing my friend taught me today was that time with those we like and love is valuable, whether a gained or lost.

As autumn closes in, both I and my friend look forward to a warm spring with the sun on our faces and open countryside, fine walks, a good pint in a decent pub, and the joy of time to pass.

Get well soon old friend. This journey, though mine alone, is still for you.

October 22nd – I’d been to see an old mate who’s not been so well of late, and came back along the canal past the new pond at Clayhanger, where a large, grumbling flock of Canada geese seem to have lately taken residence.

Oddly, they aren’t aggressive, but aren’t scared of me either, and I have to stop and actively shoo them out of the way, which they’ll com-operate with grudgingly.

They’re puzzling me a bit as all the other local geese are positively sociopathic malcontents, honking and flapping at anything that approaches.

People give these geese a hard time, but they are actually quite fascinating birds.

October 21st – A free afternoon in Birmingham was fun, rooting around the markets for fruit, veg, shellfish and other treats. On the fruit market itself, one stallholder only selling melons stored his rather lovely Orbea road bike in an innovative way I had to admire.

Also admiring was the young musician, guitar case in hand, photographing the wonderful Bowie artwork by Anna Tomix near the Smallbrook Queensway bridge. I think David Jones would approve of that imagery.

An afternoon in Brum is never wasted. And the shellfish was superb.

October 21st – Riding to work along the canal in Walsall in the early morning, I noticed how green parts of the towpath margins still were – the bracken hasn’t yet turned at Bentley Bridge and the dead nettles are full in flower for the second burst this year.

This has been a peculiar autumn, with many things coming into bloom a second time before dying off. The weather really has been kind to us this year, but I can’t help feeling winter is going to be a shock to the system.

October 20th – Spotted from the canal towpath as I zipped past, a forest of toadstools growing on a fallen log in the scrub at the back of Queen Street Cemetery in Walsall. 

I think they might be honey fungus, but I’m not sure. There were hundreds of caps, all growing in clumps, feeding on the decaying wood. Ranging in colour from a dull weigh to a dark burnt umber, they were beautiful and fascinating.

Best crop of toadstools I’ve seen for a while.

October 20th – Heading home along the canal through Pleck, another of those rare treats: a rainbow.

It hadn’t rained here that I was aware of and I guess someone in east Walsall was getting an unexpected shower.

Hadn’t seen any for ages, and this is the third this month. You can’t beat a good rainbow.

October 19th – Although I use the bike cam constantly, I stopped featuring video here because road cams are so common now I think they probably bore the pants off people.

But I’ve been thinking of late that I should start again – short clips showing positive things about riding.

Here, I’m about to tackle the Bescot Road island in Pleck, Walsall, and the importance or environmental awareness is key. A quick dive left and they pass, no delay.

Monitor not just your fore space, but to the left, right and behind you. And never relay on hearing. 

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

October 19th – Ostensibly asleep, but wide awake and studiously ignoring me, this spendid striped character spotted in North Walsall presumably waiting for their owner to come home. Snoozing on a garden wall, with a clearly well-used carpet atop for comfort, this seems like a regular haunt for a watcher of the world.

What lovely markings and what a delightful puss!

October 19th – Darlaston is at it’s best in autumn, and with the leaves turning, this is a great time to visit this humming little town and take in it’s unexpectedly great architecture and scenery.

Some of the best of Darlaston can be seen in it’s two parks – Victoria and King’s Hill, from which the glorious twin sisters of Wednesbury can be appreciated in all their glory.

It would be hard not to love this place.

October 18th – Another lovely golden hour, this time as I came through Walsall Wood and the Black Cock Bridge. The sun reflected off the golden leaves beautifully and rendered the farmhouse precious.

As the sun receded further, the skies were dramatic over Clayhanger, too. 

The sunsets at this time of year are fantastic.