Tag: rain

May 10th – What a horrendous day of commuting – heavy rain in both directions left me soaked with frayed nerves.

Such was my desire to escape the traffic on the way to work, I hopped on the canal knowing how bad the mud would be – but I was past caring.

In the warm, actually not unpleasant rain, the canal rang with raindrops, almost musical, and the swans at Bentley Mill Way didn’t seem to mind.

Hope it’s a bit drier tomorrow.

May 7th – I set out late afternoon expecting limited showers – and to be fair, that was all I got. Heading to Middleton for cake and tea, there was an absolute deluge while I was in the coffee shop, but 15 minutes later it had ceased, and in a fairly lengthy tour of north Warwickshire’s border country, including Lea Marston, Hurley, Woodend and Dordon. I returned via Polesworth, Alvecote and Tamworth, and only tangled with the rain through Tamworth.

I watched a thunderstorm over north Birmingham from a safe, bright and dry hillside near Dorado, and appeared to miss all the weather-excitement at home.

So nice to see the old school in Polesworth has been restored and now back in use – although I’m not sure what as.

A great, enjoyable 55 mile ride.

May 2nd – What a difference an hour made.

It had been a miserable day – maybe a decent start, but over lunchtime and early afternoon, it rained, and the wind was gusty. Not great bank holiday weather.

I’d resolved, with some faith in a weather forecast that predicted a better end to the day, to ride out to Middleton Hall for cake. I set out in the rain, and sped through damp, dripping countryside. And then, the sun came out. It was warm, too.

I enjoyed tea and great cake, and a shifty around this architectural and historical gem. I have no idea what the wood carvings are about, but they were cute.

I think a proper spring arrived this afternoon.

April 25th – Awful commuting weather. On the way to work in the morning, I faced a grim wind and sharp, heavy shows. It was cold and I was missing waterproof trousers, so arrived at work damp and miserable. Similarly, on the way home I was caught in heavy rain, but this time there was a severe headwind. And between the squalls? Flashes of bright sunshine and dark, threatening skies.

April has proven a real challenge this year.

April 5th – A bad day for commuting, really; soaked with a headwind on the way to work, and shot blasted by hail and caught in a short, sharp shower on the way home. But at least by then, the wind was behind me.

The rain on my return was broken by periods of bright sunshine which although directly warm on the back, couldn’t counter the strong, bitter wind; but we did get a rainbow. Almost Imperceptible to the northeast, but stronger over the darker cloud to the southeast it was beautiful – and a good while since I saw one.

Talk about four seasons in one day…

April 4th – An odd day – heavy showers in the morning interspersed with bright, warm sunny periods, and a nightmare, torrential-rain soaked ride home. At lunchtime on an errand from work into Walsall, I have no idea what the pigeon was thinking, but it seemed happy. Walsall dripped, sparkled and glistened, and the swans at Bentley Bridge didn’t seem bothered. 

The homeward trip was fun, but very wet. Flash floods hit the main roads and drains blew their covers. It was warm though, so not too bad.

I guess this are April showers, then…

March 29th – It never rains but it pours. After a period of quite grim ill health, things became a bit more complicated over Easter, and I’m beginning to wonder if life will ever return to normal. But of course, it will – it always does.

So it was into a wet, post-rain landscape that I slipped out into at dusk after a chaotic, frenetic day. Nothing was working, I was in some discomfort and I was exhausted. I was heading for Chasewater, and had looped up through Catshill Junction along saturated towpaths. In fading light, cold and with wet legs I decided to cut the expedition off at Chase Road and head back for Brownhills.

Some days you’re glad just to make it through in one piece.

March 9th – Coming back to Brownhills on the wettest and greyest of evenings, I stopped to take a call at the top of Clayhanger Lane on Lindon Road. The traffic was terrible, it was cold and the rain was penetrating.

It seems a world away from the warmth of a few weeks ago.

Hopefully, spring won’t be far away – and we can at least, hope for warmer rain…

Have to say, if the road surface gets any worse on Lindon Road they’ll have to give up sweeping it and plough it instead.