Tag: ill

August 5th – A day when I wasn’t feeling great. People I love are leaving for long holidays, which will make my personal life unusually quiet for a few weeks, and I had a dreadful migraine that disturbed my vision and made it impossible to read or concentrate.

I went out late to do some shopping, and spun out to Chasewater along the canal. The day had been squally, but right now there were blue skies and sun, and I admired the fields of wheat running across Home Farm to Sandhills. I guess these will be harvested soon as the adjacent oilseed rape has been, and the cycle resets for another year.

Today, I felt sad, but the sun and air did me good. But inside, the weeks of quiet to come were making me down.

July 16th – I seem to have it with a cold. I’ve been feeling a bit peaky all weekend with a headache and sinus trouble, and today I couldn’t raise any energy to move until evening – but a short ride in a terrific warm, sunny golden hour was well worth what seemed like a superhuman effort.

In the backlanes of Stonnall, a shed, fallen spent marble oak gall. Spongy, expanded and very different to the marble-hardness of the fresh variety, this had maybe a couple of hundred holes drilled in it where the emerging wasp larva had bored their way out to freedom.

Galls are fascinating and gruesome at the same time. They do captivate me so: I wonder what the tine wasps look like?

March 13th – I headed for work feeling otherworldly and not really well at all. Nothing specific, but I was very tired, and I felt light headed, and not really there. On the way, the only thing that really broke my mood was the profusion of daffodils, which seem really early this year (but I don’t think they are).

I booked an appointment with the doctor for later in the week, and got to see a medical friend in the meantime.She told me I’d got low blood sugar and a previous medical issue was most likely playing up again, it would seem.

Sometimes it’s just nice to know you’re not losing the plot, and you really are unwell. Because once you know you’re not well, you know you’ll get better.

January 1st – I wasn’t well, and didn’t go far. Not overindulgence from the previous evening – I partook of no alcohol at all on New Year’s Eve – but the recurring IBS I sometimes get, thankfully very rarely these days.

I was also drowning under a sea of paperwork I had to complete for work, which always drives me mad. At least the day was wet, so I didn’t miss good riding time…

I spun up Walsall Wood on an errand, and hopped off the canal at Hollander’s Bridge and took a quick shot of Binary Mews. It still disappoints me that the addresses here don’t go 1,10,11,100,101 etc…

Passing St. John’s, I forgot to note this year that the Christmas tree in the Churchyard – donated as it always is by the local councillors – was looking splendid this year with a new set of coloured lights. The generosity of the politicians is noted, and appreciated.

I welcome 2017, and a return to normality. When my stomach settles, of course.

August 20th – A very tired day in which I felt groggy, tired and insubstantial, like I was a ghost or something. I didn’t realise at the time, but I think I was experiencing low sugar levels.

I set out late to the supermarket in Burntwood on a punishingly windy day, and got caught in a rain squall on the way back that made my forehead so cold it hurt. But there was a rainbow, too, which didn’t photograph well, but made me feel better.

Passing through Chasewater, I note the valves are still open and the water level is steadily dropping, now about 12 inches from maximum. 

I love the tide marks on the spillway weir.

February 29th – On the return, I felt leaden. Clearly still not recovered, my stamina was non-existent and riding was hard, painful work. This cold has really got into my bones and joints and I ache.

Rounding the bend on the canal by Barrow Close in Walsall Wood I noted it was past 6pm and still not really dark, but the lights of the houses looked welcoming and warm in the half-light.

They made me want to be home and warm, and out of the cold and exertion – so I remounted and undertook the final slog home with grim, but renewed determination.

This cold can sod off.

January 29th – I came home fairly late and had to pop into Stonnall. Coming back up the hill was hard – I have a cold and my energy was nearly gone. But there’s something about reaching the Shire Oak junction – maybe it’s just being at the top of the hill, or the fact that it’s all downhill to Brownhills from here, or maybe just the welcoming lights from the pub – that’s almost cathartic.

The working week ended here, and it was a soft roll down into the weekend, sleep and a good deal of rest.

Bring it on.

January 11th – I had to go to a meeting in Leicester, and for some reason felt very low for most of the day. My health wasn’t great and I felt grim and lacklustre.

Only one thing for it – comfort food on the way back. I called in a a favourite asian snack shop, and bought the most wonderful dhokla, patra and five small, crunchy samosas. The whole lot was less than £3 and came with various sauces.

They tasted wonderful and got me home feeling better. Sometimes, you just need a bit of soul food.

December 19th – I’m slain with a cold, and not yet finished work, I woke up to a weekend of pre-Christmas errands and jobs, which I was having trouble raising enthusiasm for. I haven’t felt very festive this year yet, but this weekend before does tend to set me up. This one was no exception.

Full of painkillers and decongestant, I headed out on another grey day and on my way, passed through Lichfield on the A51. It was warm, and the going much better than expected, and I actually found myself enjoying the ride. I had the wind behind me and progress was good, so I took a little time to check out the works by the Lichfield & Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust there – and I was impressed.

There’s clearly a huge amount to do, and this is just a fragment, but in civil engineering terms it’s impressive. There’s water in one of the pounds now, and the famous Borrowcop mallards were still in residence. Volunteers work hard here most Sundays and Wednesdays, gradually ploughing through a gargantuan task.

I wish them well.

August 15th – Returning by train because I was short of time, I cycled from Blake Street through the backlanes of Footherley and Stonnall on a beautiful, slightly chilly evening. My energy reserves were very low, and the ride was hard going, which can only have been due to the recent ill-health.

Still, the sun set fire a glorious golden hour and the fields were rendered beautiful. Even the horse chestnuts hit by leaf miners were gorgeous in the late sunlight.

Is that autumn’s breath I can feel on my shoulder?