Tag: dog

May 25th – A dreadful commute, in both directions. It was the first rainy day for ages, so I can’t complain really by by heck it was wet. I got soaked in heavy rain in the morning, battling my way through standing water and on slippery roads; then on my return in fine, penetrating, all dampening drizzle.

The roses along the cycleway in Goscote looked beautiful on it though.

Hopefully a better day tomorrow.

April 14th – Just in the nick of time the weather improved. It was a bright, warm sunny and dry day, of the type we’re usually having a fair bit at this time of year, but have remained curiously elusive in the never ending winter of the last couple of months.

I rode out to Chasewater, then up onto the Chase itself at Hednesord; then along Marquis Drive and over to Rifle Range Corner. A total blast down Abrahams Valley, followed by a journey over Stepping Stones to Milford for ice cream.

I returned via Shugborough, then the canal to Rugeley and home over Longdon and Chorley.

The weather was lovely with bright sun, blue skies and a lovely golden hour. The Chase was gorgeous, Shugborough seems to be getting better under the stewardship of the National Trust now, and the canal was a peaceful restorative as ever.

Most long, offload rides wear you out, but today was the reverse. With every pedal stroke I felt my charge and life returning. I was being replenished by the sun and awakening spring.

Just in the nick of time…

December 14th – Some things you see while out and about just make you smile. 

As I was taking a call on my way through Darlaston on a sunny but cold day, two young ladies passed me, one pushing a child in a buggy, the other carrying a huge dog soft toy, one of the largest I’ve ever seen.

All the time chattering in Polish like there was nothing unusual about this at all.

September 2nd – With autumn looming large, and the forecast being good, I got in a good hayride to The Roaches, taking in Uttoxeter, The Weaver Hills, Marriage, the Roaches themselves, the Dane Valley, Wildboarclough and Macclesfield Forest, returning on the train.

It was a fantastic day, with great weather and a 100 mile plus ride.

I won’t elaborate too much on that as there’s a post hopefully coming on my main blog in the next day or so.

However, as with any long ride, it’s the quirky things that were great, particularly this elderly border collie at The Roaches Tea Rooms near Hulme End.

A great day. Stay tuned for more.

August 1st – Also ripening well are the rosehips, the seed fruit of the various types of wild and feral rose that grow so beautifully by the towpaths and edge lands all over urban Britain. Sweet and juicy, they are sought after by birds, mammals and foragers alike.

Less common and indeed, quite a find, is the odd, hairy wasp gall growing on the same bush. This is the wonderfully named robins pincushion gall, or sometimes just moss gall.

Like oak galls, this curious mutation forms from a leaf bud on the rose stem injected with eggs and a DNA corrupting chemical by a tiny wasp. The chemical causes the leaf bud to mutate into this odd growth instead, and at the heart of the woolly mass is a solid core, in which the eggs hatch, and the larvae eat their way out when ready.

the gall doesn’t harm the rose particularly and is just another fascinating example of the ingenuity of evolution, with host and parasite developing together for thousands of years.

July 7th – I’ve been up the Wrekin before, but never on a bike. And it was a great, if tiring experience. The view is as stunning as ever, and the views of Telford, the Welsh Mountains and even the Malverns are commanding. Even the idle and closed power station in the gorge looked tiny.

The ride up (about 85% ridden, 15% pushed) was tough but not as hard as expected, despite rock and loose gravel making the way treacherous, and the descent was easy too (although scary in some parts and it ate a pair of brake pads).

Two things of note – it was chilly up there, and the crows seem very tame and will actively try to take your snacks while you’re eating them.

The many dogs up there seem to enjoy it too.

May 26th – A lovely, warm shirtsleeve ride to work on a gorgeous morning, with the wayside wild roses fully in bloom and bees busy, even at an early hour.

I know I keep saying this, but this is what I look forward to all year. I know many don’t enjoy the heat and humid conditions can be wearing, but this really is the best kind of day.

May 15th – A wet, horrible morning commute with the wind against me. The only brightnesses I found in the gathering dark were these dog roses and some ox-eye daisies. 

No matter how bad the weather, summer flowers are a guaranteed pick-you-up that will leave you smiling. And is it me, or do wild roses always look best with a covering of raindrops?

February 19th – There were other stars, too though. The cats are waking up in the warm weather, and I saw several, including the two canalside kitties at Brierley Hill and the great dog and cat partnership at Bumble Hole. That pair’s facial expressions were absolutely priceless. I think they are big mates, but the cat clearly tries to hide it.