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 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 – 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 – 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.
November 16th – Not sure what this large fungus actually is, but it was handsome and glistening with collected dew and rainwater as I passed through Victoria Park in Darlaston in the early morning.
To my sadness, the fungi haven’t been terribly prolific this year – some did explode into life late, like the fly agaric, but this year I’ve hardly seen any puffballs, very few shaggy ink caps and the brackets seem well down too.
I do hope the unusually dry autumn hasn’t scuppered chances of seeing rosy earthstars at Clayhanger again…
November 16th – Also providing colour, and much later than normally expected, the leaves are stunning still.
It’s that time of year when if it rains, many tracks, backlanes and other cycle routes become slippery with leaf pulp, which is treacherous and hard to predict.
The colours were beautiful, even against a threatening sky.
November 11th – I had to go to Telford, and bruised but a lot more careful, I popped over midmorning on a beautiful day right on the cusp of autumn and winter.
The surprisingly strong sun melted the frost and suffused Telford with a beautiful, sunlit mist that made even the railway look beautiful.
November 9th – A wet night in Walsall, returning later than usual through the area near the Civic Centre, I noticed the fallen leaves were forming a glistening, multicoloured carpet. This area is surprisingly beautiful at any time of year, with usually unnoticed mature trees and wide pedestrian areas, but in autumn, after dark, even with the peculiarly strident street lighting this place is special.
Walsall is a place of many hidden beautiful and unexpected corners.
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