March 5th – Heading to work on a bright, sunny and very warm morning, with the snow melting heavily, I was enjoying the warmth and thaw, with the icy remnants of the weekend now confined to the verges.
Looking over to Jockey Meadows, I noticed a herd of red deer grazing the goat field. Sadly, I couldn’t get closer due to the wet ground, but what a lovely way to perk up a Monday Morning ride to work!
February 25th – There’s cold weather coming in, and on this splendid day, there was a razor-sharp edge to the harsh east wind that made the journey to the cake stop at Hints hard work, made worse by the fact they mithered about serving me 40 minutes before closing time.
Customers are such a pain in the arse.
The cake and day however, were beautiful, as was the countryside. I saw my first full size daffodils of the year on the old A5 at Hints, and lots of plants are clearly waiting for the warmth to come and spring will be on her throne.
February 23rd – If the mist of the previous evening had been beautiful, it was nothing compared to the beauty of the following morning.
I passed through Mill Green on the way to the station heading for an appointment in Telford, and this bitterly cold but sunlit and beautiful morning was quite the tonic I needed.
The ice was challenging in places, but used to the cold after a chilly season I rode carefully, really enjoying the scenery.
Yes, this is definitely why a ride a bike to work…
January 17th – Still off, but thankfully brighter if still sporting a rather productive cough, I headed up to Aldridge for a change of scenery.
I was feeling much brighter about myself, and looked for snowdrops, but was sadly unable to find any. But one winter reliable did please me with it’s colour – the gorse is looking stunning, particularly welcome in a little weak winter sun.
Going to have to watch the macro mode on the TZ100, it’s quite limiting at the moment…
January 3rd – Returning to Brownhills, there was a lovely, low sun at lunchtime so I visited the row of trees that make for such great autumn pictures during the leaf fall.
It’s fair to say they look totally different undressed, but no less beautiful.
Every time I see these, I can’t help but remember the when I was a kid, I remember these saplings being planted.
Oh, how that makes me feel old…
December 7th – Out and about on a sunny, bright but windy day in Darlaston, and I was passing through the parks I love now that winter is now in full effect.
Mostly the leaves and flowers have gone, the majestic trees are bare and growth has stopped – yet the colours are still lovely and there’s still a barren beauty, and above all, peace.
The long shadows, sunlight and crisp air always make Victoria and Kings Hill Parks beautiful – every year I hate it’s approach, but every year I again learn to love winter.
November 30th – In Telford mid morning again, and fascinated to note that on what had been a very cold night, there still wasn’t a great deal of surface frost due to the dry conditions, which pleased me as I haven’t yet got the studded winter tyres on.
Also, I think that’s probably the last vestige of Autumn now and we’re well into winter… oh well, soon be time for a break.
November 28th – Probably the coldest commute of the winter so far, yet no ice, which was a bit odd – but the wind was bitter. Luckily I was wrapped up warm and didn’t really feel it much.
What there was though, were gorgeous azure blue skies silhouetting the shivering trees, now mostly devoid of leaves for winter.
‘I awoke this morning, and found a frost perched on the town’ wrote Joni Mitchell. The was no frost, but I know what she meant.
Oh well, onwards – soon be Christmas.
November 26th – Another day of beautiful light, but cold. Probably not cold for the time of year, but after recent mild weeks it seems to be positively arctic.
I’d been doing a lot of mechanical work on the bike in recent days, and needed to test it with a shortish run with plenty of good hill action, so I went out early afternoon, over to Shenstone, Weeford, Hints, Hopwas, up the canal to Hademore and back in darkness through Wall and Chesterfield.
I took time to study the churches at Shenstone, Weeford and Hopwas – from the hideous but triumphant Gothic of Shenstone, to the farmhouse twee of Hopwas, all three are classics. All within a short distance.
Staffordshire is unusually blessed with a stunning and varied ecclesiastical architectural tradition.
November 17th – But still, some vestiges of autumn cling in in the final trees still shedding their formerly green leaves. Noticed while on an errand to Tipton, this sycamore in Ocker Hill was showing a beautiful range of colour against the bright blue frost-morning sky.
Sad, but very beautiful on such a chilly morning.
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