Tag: spring

#365daysofbiking Cherry amore

March 26th – A full three weeks earlier than last year, the cherry blossom is coming out on the industrial estate where I work.

Returning from Telford at lunchtime, I noticed the pinky white flowers catching the sunlight. Then I looked around, and all the other ornamental cherries on the estate that I could see were flowering similarly.

Against the fine china blue sky it was a wonderful, uplifting sight.

This spring is early, but I’m not complaining about that at all! I just wish it would warm up a little now.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2OvDHBm
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Going green

March 26th – Telford, early morning on a chilly but beautiful day.

The cycleway to the Priorslee Bridge from the station is really greening up now with this season’s new leaf growth.

In no time at all, this will be a green tunnel again, like it is every year – a real joy to the heart to ride along, alive with birds, squirrels and wildflowers.

Real beauty exists in even the most improbably urban situations.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2U4Wolq
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking When the sun shone


March 22nd – A great 62 mile ride out to Rosliston Foresstry Centre, Coton in the Elms, Lullington, Netherseal and No Mans Heath. It was a lovely spring day in the sun, and the cake at Rosliston was excellent. It was a lovely day top be out.

When I changed direction at No Mans Heath, the sun was setting and the wind drove against me. It went very cold, and coming home was a real batt.e, reminding me that although the sun had been out, winter’s hand could still be felt on the weather. It was bitter.

A lovely ride out though, and just what I needed.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2Yzpc42
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Reconstruction time again

March 23rd – On a short late afternoon ride out on a cold, windy afternoon, I noticed the Watermead swan couple were making preparations for another family, just by the canal basin and houses around the canal bend from the canoe centre.

These two birds have raised many cygnets to maturity in recent years and it’s good to see them back.

However, the mail is somewhat formidable and canoeists, kayakers, passing dogs and waterfowl will need to be careful: This lad protects his family aggressively.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2TuShJX
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Unknown pleasure

March 21st – Meanwhile, up at Kings Hill Park things are moving swiftly on. The crocuses have gone now, and the daffodils – always early here – are past their best and dying off.

However, in the patch of wildflowers near the gate, there are loads and loads of tiny flowers which I thought were violets, but now I’m not sure in a lilac, pastel blue and sky blue selection.

I can’t identify them for sure, but I can say they’re absolutely delightful.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2HzMuBo
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking No danger

March 21st – A remarkable early riser at the moment in this early and temperate spring is the purple dead-nettle. Not usually seen until mid April around here, there are lovely little mauve-pink patches of this small plant in scrubs, commons, heaths, hedgerows and towpaths everywhere I go.

It doesn’t sting, and I love how the upper leaves have a red colour that compliments the delicate blooms.

In the last couple of years I’ve really come to appreciate nettles – yellow archangel is another member of the family which will soon appear and it’s stunningly beautiful too.

A real gem.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2YfRxMk
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking A small ‘slip

March 20th – As if to cement my good feeling, on a grass verge in Stonnall, an annual first and my favourite flower: The cowslip.

These tough, beautiful little primroses are my absolute favourite flower and it’s always wonderful to welcome them back into my life.

Let’s hope this solitary soldier is the first of a record year!

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2WjKjp9
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Looks like I made it

March 20th – In the backlanes between Shenstone and Stonnall, on the way home from the station late on a sunny, warm spring afternoon.

Feeling the sun on my face, looking at the daffodils and green, and smelling the rising of the sap and the scents of earth and fresh growth, I realise I survived another long winter, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here, right now.

The winter hasn’t been a harsh one. But my goodness I found it tough.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2TQ9RwY
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking A host:

March 19th – I notice this year, due to the early then slightly stalled spring, that the daffodils have been really slow-burning: The came out early, then paused for a while and are now coming out fully.

This is the time of year when verges in towns and industrial estates like here in Telford are absolutely stunning for a few all too short weeks.

These yellow wonders are gorgeous and the perfect antidote to a dark winter.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2Cx7Wmt
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking The world spins

March 18th – I keep banging on about equinoxes, and like the idiot I surely am, I thought I knew about them. It turns out like many things I think I understand, there’s so much more to it than I knew.

Today, the length of the daylight was near as damn it 12 hours: the sunrise was 6:16am and sunset a 6:15pm. Tomorrow, the daylight will be longer than night.

But this is not the equinox (when the sun crosses the equator). This is the equilux – equal light. Although, it’s not really equal at all: A number of factors including how we might use the three definitions of twilight complicate this.

I looked it up tonight and was fascinated. The equinox actually happens on March 20th this year – that’s Wednesday.

You can find out all the gory detail of how this stuff works at this excellent blog post here – the comments are worth a read too if you have time to spare.

You learn something new every day.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr https://ift.tt/2Oc8Au7
via IFTTT