Tag: overcast

October 18th – I also liked how beautiful Walsall Wood was on this greyest of grey Sundays. The trees around the Brookland Road junction look superb – and the church of St. John, this evening with lights on for a service -looked great with the turning leaves in the background.

I felt much better today. I got stuff actually done. Once the black dog settles in it can be the very devil to shift, and at this time of year I’m always susceptible. But in truth, the light nights will return, a new year and new spring will dawn, and I’ll feel the warmth again.

In the meantime, I’ll learn to love the darkness. Sometimes it’s your friend. But it’s like doing a deal with the devil.

There’s a lot of cold, a lot of rough weather and a lot of darkness to come before the next spring.

October 6th – A terribly grey morning, spotting with rain and I wasn’t sure I’d make it to work before the heavens opened, but… Victoria Park.

The greenspace at the centre of Darlaston looks beautiful at the moment, even on this greyest of days. Sometimes autumn is so beautiful, you can forgive it the darkness it leads you to.

October 3rd – A short recovery ride over to Clayhanger Marsh and Ryders Mere to keep the legs going and get some fresh air. The afternoon was very grey, and it’s on days like this I often used to see the gnarled old dog fox who hunted here. I think he must have passed away by now, but I thought of him as I surveyed the grey, still waters.

Me and that fox knew each other – we were familiars. As far as I was concerned, he was just another resident of the area, using the facilities available. To him, I was tolerable company as long as I kept silent, made no sudden movements and minded my own business.

Ah well, I daresay one or two of his extended family were watching me from the thickets nearby as I remembered him.

July 14th – A desperately grey journey home in fine rain. Totally uninspiring. Even my mates the coos of Jockey Meadows have – literally – moved on to pastures new, and the water meadow is recovering from their attentions. It looks good, although you’d not think it at first glance. But a lot of the invasive fast growing stuff has been grazed out, there’s lots of soft earth and mud turned by the lads and plenty of poo to spread the fertile love.

I love this land. It’s like a barometer of the seasons, and even without the coos, it’s fascinating.

July 5th – An odd day involving a fair few errands. I set out early afternoon, hoping to miss the rain. I didn’t.

I had to nip to Chasetown, and as ever, the High Street looked great, but the sky, even when sunny, was threatening and grey. I was caught out both on the outward journey, and on my return. 

It was warm enough though, and bare legs dry quickly. Let’s hope next weekend is a little more temperate.

June 12th – Whilst I like the flexibility of the Sony HX90, the photos so far have left me underwhelmed. They’re not bad, they just seem to lack a bit of zing: but then, the light yesterday was very very poor on my way home, and perhaps I’m not being fair to it.

I had business in Aldridge, so hopped on the canal there and rode back along the dreaming green waterway in a curious, tense stillness that seemed to be flexing its muscles for a storm. 

The storm never came.

May 30th – As is traditional on a day when you have a new camera to try out, the light was crap. It was dull and overcast and less than inspiring – but the views over the Brownhills and Shenstone countryside were green and lush.

That limpid-looking pool is a surface drainage lagoon for the M6 Toll. You’d never know to look at it.

May 22nd – I’d been planning a long ride the following day for a good couple of weeks. Up until today, the weather forecast had been excellent. As I returned from Lichfield, I was having doubts. It was warm enough, but the sky was threatening all sorts, and the wind seemed quite bullish.

At the optimistically named Summerhill, found myself praying for a break in the clouds.

May 22nd – A quick trip to Lichfield after lunch on a very dull afternoon which seemed to be constantly threatening rain, yet still I noticed how immaculate Friary Gardens were looking in their springtime colours. The trees and blossom looked wonderful, and I was particularly struck by the ceanothus, the blue flowering shrub.

Lichfield has every reason to be proud of it’s parks and open spaces; Friary Gardens are little-noticed but beautifully kept and a credit to the city.