April 2nd – The shoots and leaves are coming now, and it makes me happy. Spotted beside the cycleway in Goscote, and interesting variety of nascent foliage, and once again, the greening commences.
I adore the promise of this time of year; it may be grey and dull now, but these signs of life promise warm days, sunshine, long rides and open trails.
Bring it on.
April 1st – It doesn’t feel like spring right now – another pair of wind-blasted, periodically damp commutes; but in the hedgerows, verges and field-margins nature is stirring. The pussy willows are flowering well, the blackthorn is smattered with blossom and there are the bright green shoots of a new growing season beginning to show.
I have the feeling that if I hold on, spring will kick in very shortly…
Which is just as well, as today is the 4th birthday of this journal. On April 1st, 2011, fellow cyclist and full time Dutch Cycling Girl Renee Van Baar persuaded me to do #30daysofbiking for the April social media project. The rest is history.
I have ridden a bike without fail every day for four years, all but for two lost days to illness over New Year 2011/12. I have now cycled well over 1,000 days continuously, and logged a picture or short film from every day.
I couldn’t give up now. This is ingrained in me, as part of my daily riding habit. Tens of thousands of miles in everything from bright sunshine to heavy snow, I’ve chronicled my life on two wheels. The drive to keep the journal keeps me connected with my environment and still makes me look at things afresh, and sometimes, gets my arse into gear when I otherwise wouldn’t.
I will continue this as long as I’m able, but if it gets embarrassing or unseemly, just tell me to stop. Relying on you lot there, so I am…
Thanks for riding with me. I’ve had a great time so far, and I’m looking forward to a great summer. You lot up for it?
March 31st – A dreadful day to commute, although you’d never tell from the photos. It was very, very windy all day, with strong gusts that felt very threatening. I cycled to and from work in sun, overcast grey, rain and hail. The weather didn’t stay the same for five minutes. Talk about four seasons in one day.
Still, the young heron by the canal at Clayhanger was an unexpected treat. Hopefully, the wind will die down tomorrow and the weather may settle a little.
March 30th – The delightful spring day evaporated late afternoon, and the wind and rain drove me home.
Oh my days, it was grim. To quote @thestymaster, ‘Wetter than an otter’s pocket.’
Some days, you just count getting home at all as a victory.
March 24th – From Fallings Heath, the twin sisters of Wednesbury: St. Bart’s and St. Mary’s looking splendid in the evening sun.
I know I keep banging on about it, but the TZ70 is light years ahead of the old camera. Very pleased with this shot.
March 22nd – Minutes later, in the same ethereal half light, waiting at the Arboretum junction for a green light. I spend a lot of time waiting here, as the induction loop isn’t great at picking up bicycles.
Still, it gives me time to appreciate the victorian gatehouse clocktower at the Arboretum…
March 22nd – We’re in that interesting time of year again now with very curious, half-light dusks. It felt dark, but wasn’t; the sky was really quite light, and it seemed the whole world was in some curious interregnum between night and day.
I have no idea if this is a real astronomical thing or not; but it’s great for those Late Night Feeling type photos, like these, taken from the junction of Hatherton Street and Wisemore in Walsall.
March 18th – Gone 6:30pm, and still not dark. I stopped on Catshill Junction Bridge, and took a throwaway shot of the Humphries House flats, looking ghostly in the half-light.
The more I use it, the happier I am with this camera. There’s clearly a lot more fiddling to be had yet, and I must sit down and read the manual. But for a point and shoot operated by a monkey, it doesn’t do bad.
March 18th -This week has odd weather. Misty, with a perceptible wind, but the air quality is very poor; it seems smoggy like it did about a year ago, but I could be imagining that. The sun seems to have a hard time penetrating the murkiness, but when it does, it’s springlike, and warm.
It makes for decent canal views, that’s for sure.
March 17th – Heading to work on a misty, smoggy morning, the sun trying desperately to break through the murk and light up the day, but not quite managing it.
Spinning down the canal over Bentley Aqueduct, the twin sisters of Wednesbury on the skyline were as beautiful as ever. This view fascinates me.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 