#365daysofbiking Subterranean sunny station blue

March 28th – Always nice to get a glimpse of blue, sunny sky from the dark platforms at New Street Station in Birmingham.

Today I was waiting for a connection early, and although there were loads of trains, there weren’t seemingly too many people around. I killed time with a snack, and peered up out of the tangle of steel, concrete, wires and machinery to the surrounding architecture – always fascinating, always in transition.

And then beyond that to a blue sky – and even in this urban morass devoid of anything natural – the promise of a beautiful, sun-dappled spring.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2V3M6hA
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Deceptive

March 10th – Some days you look at the photos you’ve taken and wonder if the camera experienced the same thing you did. Today was that kind of day.

I slipped out mid afternoon. I had things to check up on. I felt rough, I needed the air. But it was bitterly cold, had periodically been snowing, and there was a very wolfish wind that punished for any open zip or gap in clothing.

The towpaths and trails were muddy and wet, but I headed for the common anyway, and found it looking good. The heathland management is still going on here and the latest effort has been using and excavator to pull pack the grass in small squares all over the common.

This will help small, fragile plants take a hold and also give bugs and other small creatures access to fresh earth.

Looking at the pictures, I notice how blue the sky looks and how serene it appears. It was really rather unpleasant. My camera is lying.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2tXlFOV
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Alder time

January 17th – Signs of spring continue to seep into my daily commute.

On a bright, sunny, blue-sky morning fresh, alder catkins are growing, ready for spring next to last year’s fruit – female catkins which grow to become Coe-shaped and release seeds in winter, in the same was as pine cones.

Catkins are some of the first tree blooms of spring, and always a welcome sight.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2T8CGQZ
via IFTTT

May 2nd – Further up the canal, at the new pond in Clayhanger, the pear blossom is very strong and fulsome this year – since we’re now hopefully too late for a frost, we might have a decent crop this year.

The canal itself is beautiful at the moment in shades of bright green – with the rare glimpse of blue sky and such gorgeous blossom it’s possible to convince yourself that this morning had to be the last of the bad weather and summer might finally be coming…

July 3rd – I passed Grove Hill near Stonnall late afternoon, under a stunning blue sky with light clouds. Currently with barley on the lower slopes and wheat on the upper, it’s a timeless sight that can’t have altered much in a century or more.

The other thing I like about this is it clearly illustrates the purpose of the hedge and lone three; they are there to limit soil erosion. Think about it.

April 5th – A bad day for commuting, really; soaked with a headwind on the way to work, and shot blasted by hail and caught in a short, sharp shower on the way home. But at least by then, the wind was behind me.

The rain on my return was broken by periods of bright sunshine which although directly warm on the back, couldn’t counter the strong, bitter wind; but we did get a rainbow. Almost Imperceptible to the northeast, but stronger over the darker cloud to the southeast it was beautiful – and a good while since I saw one.

Talk about four seasons in one day…