Tag: good weather

#365daysofbiking Strange signals

September 19th – Returning to Bloxwich station, I alighted at the north end of the platform. Since the electrification of the Chase Line, I’ve been wondering about some aspects of the installation.

I note the metalwork of the light column near this signal control cabinet and the guard rail behind has been heavily insulated and screened. I’ve not seen that before. Wonder what’s in the cabinet that’s so dangerous?

The other columns are not insulated in the same way. Puzzling.

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#365daysofbiking On the turn

September 19th – The cycleways of Telford are putting on their autumn jacket now and they always look so fine at this time of year.

The green tunnel effect of the track up from the station is gorgeous in summer, but when on the turn, with sunlight through the hedgerows, it’s magical.

You wouldn’t think you were a few metres from a busy motorway. Only concern is watching out for slippery patched of wet leaves looking to steal my wheels…

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#365daysofbiking An Indian summer lover

September 18th -The unusually fine, warm autumn weather meant probably the last public appearance for Mr. Miyagi, the local feral yellowfins belly slider turtle who lives in the canal near Clayhanger.

He was sunbathing happily in his normal spot with admires passing by gently as not to scare him.

For a discarded pet, he certainly has many fans. He’ll soon retire to the deep mud where the cold doesn’t get, before re-emerging in spring.

An unusual local celebrity.

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#365daysofbiking A better taste

August 31st – I have no idea who this character is, but I’ve seen him a lot over the years. A large but nimble cat who always seems vaguely irritated to be observed, he seems to like the canalside scrub between the gardens of Lindon Drive and Silver Street, where only the anglers seem to get.

On a warm, sunny morning he was oh so thirsty, and no water tastes as good as fresh canal water…

A lovely lad clearly very irritated to be photographed!

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#365daysofbiking Beyond the blue

August 26th – I normally hate August Bank Holiday Monday – it’s seems to be the end of summer (although it usually isn’t). If it’s grim it’s the most depressing day, and when bright it can be hard to think of a summer passed.

However, today was fabulous. I slipped out in the morning heading for old hands – the countryside of the A515 corridor to Sudbury, the lovely villages between there, Ashbourne and Utoxetter and the Weaver hills, before returning via the Churnet Valley and Blithfield.

I was fast and the riding was good. I caught Sbnelston, the perfect little village in the Dove valley with it’s gorgeous, tree shrouded church; I sat at the top of the Weabvers, unusually with the company of picnickers. I saw the Moorlands edge village of Cotton shrouded in heat mist.

A cracking day that was just what I needed. A most excellent Bank Holiday.

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#365daysofbiking Sunspots

August 25th – On the way home I did a lazy loop of Shuttington, Seckington, Clifton Campville, Harlaston and Whittington. Amazingly, there were few folk around in the heat, and I had a lovely peaceful journey home.

At Shuttington, the neighbourhood watch was dozing, but not enough not to keep a close eye on me from an appropriately sun-bathed spot.

It’s nice to see cats enjoying the summer at last.

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#365daysofbiking History afloat

August 25th – The second day of remarkably good weather and so I headed to what’s become an annual fixture for me: The Alvecote Marine Heritage Gathering at Tamworth, where historic narrowboats rally for the three day weekend.

It’s hard to think of a better way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon than admiring lovingly cared for ex-working craft and listening to their owners shoot the breeze.

It’s a great people watching event, with plenty of boater dogs too to entertain and delight.

A perfect afternoon.

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#365daysofbiking De-stressing

August 13th – On the way back, it was still sunny and having got through my appointment quickly, I had time to dawdle on my way back. I’m glad I did, as near Bently Bridge on the Walsall Canal, I met another family of happy, content mallards being charming.

They weren’t bothered about me, and mama was happy to mind her loose group of developing ducklings from a relative distance as they dozed and chattered to each other in the sun.

Such a delightful little family. Just wthe kind of thing you need after a stressful task.

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#365daysofbiking The secret of pie

 


July 31st – A drier day, at least. After the deluge of the previous day, it was good to feel the landscape slowly drying in the morning sun.

The lousy summer has at least been good for the fruits: All along the waysides from Brownhills to Darlaston, fruit ids swelling and ripening, from apples to blackberries.

Autumn will soon be upon us – how quickly this season and year have passed.

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#365daysofbiking And then, there were three

July 29th -An old boss used to get really annoyed with me if I came in after a wet weekend moaning that the following Monday morning weather was sunny, because I was stuck at work.

He’d point out I’d be even more miserable had the commute been wet and cold.

He was right.

I noted that the robins pincushion galls I’d found a couple of weeks ago had expanded in number to three, and that they were growing well, showing lovely colours in the strong morning sun.

I felt sad I was indoors for most of the day. But old John was right, it was a whole bunch better than had today been like Sunday.

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