November 19th – Next morning, back to Telford in the early morning on a hard frost, as expected. Mill Green was as beautiful as it always is on such a morning: Icy, pale but mistily serene and peaceful.
It was a good morning for once and that looked like continuing. With the winter tyres on, I’m ready.
Come on then, let’s have it…
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October 28th – The descent into winter seems quite fast now: Heading off to get the train to Brum and onward to Telford on an early morning with frost on the ground and ice on the roads – and I’ve not got the winter tyres on yet, as the bike reminded me in an unguarded moment.
Stability restored, the sunlight streamed through the trees of Mill Green and despite the chill, rendered the day precious.
As welcomes to winter go, that wasn’t so bad.
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September 17th – My sadness at the end of summer and oncoming winter slides in and out, accompanied usually by a delight at the new season.
They say that drowning is quite pleasurable if you stop fighting it. Autumn and the oncoming darkness are a bit like that for me.
Early morning in Mill Green, on my way to the early train, the mist, low sun and autumnal fields combine and give me a reason to be positive about things.
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#365daysofbiking The wind that shakes…
May 23rd – Seemingly very early to me, but probably not: The barley is growing beautifully in the fields all around us at the moment. Every year seems to have a different crop that local farmers major on, and this year beans and alley seem to be the popular choices.
Barley is an odd crop aesthetically: it’s spiny heads interact with the wind in a beautiful way and the colours are stunning, yet close up it seems almost hostile and maybe just a bit insect-like.
Either way, it’s a sign of the rapidly advancing summer and made for a lovely sight on a beautiful morning.
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February 14th – An early morning train commute to Telford was gorgeous on a beautiful, late winter morning. It was cold with a lingering frost, but the low, clinging mist rendered everything it touched precious when the sun caught it.
From Grove Hill and Stonnall to Mill Green and Little Aston, this morning was a joy to be on a bike. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world – my only regret was that I couldn’t enjoy it for longer.
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February 12th – One of the most reliable indicators of an ending winter are the daffodils on the corner of Wood Lane and Chester Road near the (soon to be closed) Wyevale garden centre.
Every year without fail they are the earliest patch of wild daffodils I see, usually appearing in the second or third week of February.
This morning, they were blooming bright yellow for my as I rode to the station, like old pals stand at the roadside to greet me.
Hello, old friends. Welcome back. Good to see you, and the springtime you bring. Looks like we both survived another long, dark winter.
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#365daysofbiking Some velvet morning:
October 10th – Seasons and situations have a habit of redeeming themselves. This chilly, but sunlit and misty dawn in Mill Green, on the the way to the station, I fell in love with autumn all over again.
Ever year I’m furious with it for stealing my summer, then it goes and does something beautiful to win me over.
I’m so glad I was around to see this.
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…
February 25th – I love daffodils – harbingers of spring, I eagerly await their appearance to herald the light and sun every year.
By now, I know where the earliest local ones appear – the miniature ones (possibly actually narcissus) in Kings Hill Park are usually competing to be first with this patch on the Chester Road near Stonnall, at the Wood Lane junction.
I know they’re both unnaturally early. But a man can dream of spring, after all.
They are a delight to welcome back every year, and on this dull, wet and blustery ride up the Chester Road, they gladdened my heart.
December 20th – I keep passing this sign at the garden centre on the Chester Road near Mill Green, and as I passed it tonight, I realised that as with every year, it’s purpose had now all but ceased; few people will be buying the traditional nordman fir now, and so inexorably, the season is ticking away; One more day at work, then holiday, then on my return, a new year and nights that open out again after the winter solstice and shortest day, which occur the very next day.
Time marches on quickly for me these days, but this autumn, with the huge workload and long hours, has seemed particularly cruel.
I long for spring flowers, warm breezes and the sun on my face.
Soon be over the peak.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 