Tag: seasons

March 17th  – Something interesting will happen between today and tomorrow. Thanks to the GPS based bike computer I use these days, I’ve been keeping an eye on sunrise and sunset times to measure the progress of the seasons. Today, the daylight will be just shorter than the night; by tomorrow, the day will be longer by about the same.

This is effectively the spring equinox – when day and night are equal length of 12 hours. This isn’t quite the astronomical equinox, which this year occurs on the 20th, but it’s good enough for me. 

Another milestone of the changing seasons and the ascent from darkness.

March 14th – So pleasant to be coming home in the light at last. Not so pleasant, several motorists today seemed to want me dead, which was a shock. People, check when you turn or change lanes, please.

The wind was very sharp, against me and I was cold, but the dusk falling over jockey meadows was beautiful, and it looked like a low bit was forming. 

It’ll be a while yet before the meadows green up for a new season, but right now, it’s enough that I can see them at all at gone six o’clock.

I note from sunrise and sunset times on the GPS that we’re approaching the equinox… it’ll be interesting to see when that occurs.

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.

February 29th – I know this journal is becoming somewhat old when I realise this is the second leap year it’s passed. I still find that peculiar, really.

Today was not so sunny, although there were patches of brightness in the morning. On the way to work I noticed flowers – primroses amongst a stack of cut logs in Kings Hill Park and marigolds in a roadside garden flowerbed. I still can’t believe this is happening in February – but given the coldness of the day, and keenest of the wind, it was welcome colour.

February 19th – In Walsall Wood, the spring flowers on the grass in front of St. Johns Close are showing well. A range of beautiful daffodils and yellow crocuses form a cheery carpet on this greyest of dull days.

Interestingly, the purple crocuses – normally here in profusion – seem to have suffered a crop failure this year. Maybe they’re late to what is a very early party.

Curious.

February 15th – A few weeks ago I was recording this view at this time in darkness. The twin sisters of Wednesbury looking beautiful in the cold evening light of a winter sunset.

I love this view and never tire of it.

It was just about light until I got home – soon I’ll be travelling in the daylight again. This makes me very happy indeed.

February 14th – A sunset spin around Brownhills on a bitingly cold, but thankfully dry afternoon. This is again the season of good fine sunsets, and cold days like these are usually rewarding. Chasewater was as beautiful as ever, but the beauty caught Newtown and the canal, too, and it was a pleasure to cycle in. Hopefully with the lengthening days and drier weather I can get up on the Chase soon. I’m so missing it, but since Christmas it’s been so muddy it’s been very difficult going from what I’ve heard.

Evenings like this make me optimistic that the current spell of bad weather will be settling down soon.