March 1st – A dreadful day with high winds and rain.
Coming home at dusk, I just caught the remainder of a sunset over the canal at Walsall Wood.
Sometimes, even the horrible days have a decent sunset.
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December 31st – I’m so not a fan of New Year’s Eve. The forced jollity, camaraderie and excuse for overindulgence just depresses me, so I tend to sit it out at home, until the madness passes.
Today, I slipped out after dark for a windy, cold spin to Chasewater, which was peaceful but resounding to the call of thousands of unseen, roosting gulls.
The M6 Toll was beautiful in it’s eerie emptiness too.
Happy new year everyone, here’s to a better 2019 and I wish you all the best – and thanks for following along.
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December 16th – Delivering Christmas cards in Chasetown, the light rain turned to a downpour, and although the Headquarters of Chasetown Civil Engineering and the nearby pub The Uxbridge looked beautiful with their lights reflected on wet tarmac, the rain had me low.
I tried long exposure photography on the Chasetown Bypass footbridge, but the weather was determined to wreck my plans.
I returned home wet, cold and despondent. This time last year, I think we had snow. Which at least is fun.
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#365daysofbiking Fade to grey:
December 9th – A throughly grey unpleasant afternoon leeched into dusk as I took a spin around Chasewater, taking a break from my workload. I saw no deer, and even the birdlife seemed suppressed, perhaps due to the unpleasant wind.
It’s was utterly colourless, wet and my heart was heavy. Days like this get me down.
#365daysofbiking The daily grind:
25th November – A mechanical job that should have been easy was far from it. Replacing brake discs resulted in a struggle with seized fasteners, the failure of a brake calliper and the discovery that the parts I thought I had in the spares box brand new for this eventually were in fact the wrong ones.
The front disc was so badly worn it was starting to warp.
For a job I thought would take 15 minutes and leave me bags of time to get out turned into hours and I was lucky to get time for tea…
Perhaps I shouldn’t leave it so long next time.
#365daysofbiking Tonic:
November 11th – After the traditional act of Remembrancem I spoon out late afternoon. its been a sad few weeks and I needed a decent restorative and where better than Abraham’s Valley on Cannock Chase at dusk?
The colours of the heath and forest were gorgeous, and the riding fast and easy. My mood was lifted dramatically.
Returning via Rugeley and the backlands of London after nightfall was also unexpectedly pleasurable.
Despite everything, there’s still very little that’s better than a good ride out when you’re down.
#365daysofbiking Hard work:
November 9th – Heavy rain to and from work. High winds. Awful traffic.
This is the only image of the day, taken from the bike computer on the way home.
Never was the battle of a ride summed up better.
#365daysofbiking Darker now:
November 6th – Today was another day distant, so I felt proportionately better. Still in Redditch, the morning was dull but I headed down through Arrow Valley Park and was rewarded with the most beautiful autumn display; the colours were gorgeous and I was reminded that even when we’re desperately sad, nature is still doing stuff just to try and grab out attention and make us happy.
#365daysofbiking Homeward bound:
November 5th – I’d been in Redditch, a place I used to work lots but in recent years, hardly had been to at all.it’s fair to say that following the events of the weekend, my heart wasn’t in life at all.
I didn’t get the camera out all day, until I returned to Shenstone – and there it was shining in the dark like a beacon.
This station is part of my soul and has been for 40 years. Coming back here after a hard day is reassuring, soulful, welcoming.
Like Paul Simon, I sat on the railway station and reflected for a while. Then I got on my bike and rode, homeward bound.
#365daysofbiking Darker now:
November 4th – My heart is broken. A great online friend has gone and left us all bereft.
These streets and views of Walsall Wood belonged to Janey, and now she’s gone.
Sleep well my friend. You have left Walsall Wood a darker place.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 