Tag: spring

#365daysofbiking Approaching equity

March 14th – One of the nice but pointlessly geeky things about riding with a GPS bike computer is the ability to see sunrise and sunset times change every day.

That’s not so great when nights are closing in, but when they’re opening out, it’s lovely to watch; and one of the things that always makes me happy is the spring equinox.

The science of the equinox/equilux is basically beyond me but the equinox is when the length of day is equal to the length of night, and the difference between sunset and sunrise is 12 hours. I always find it intriguing that thins’t smack bang at 6pm and 6pm, which would be neat, but usually around 6:15.

Every year this gets me, and every year I’m as delighted and inspired by it.

Find out more about the science of the equinox here.

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#365daysofbiking Positive vibes

March 9th – It was a nicer morning, and I was pleased to find some interesting blossom on the way.

This viburnum was growing beside the cycleway at Goscote and was absolutely beautiful. I love how when you look closely, the tiny flowers that make up the whole are each really perfect.

An uplifting thing for a Monday morning.

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#365daysofbiking Impressively tolerant

March 7th – The canal was a bad choice of route, as I realised after a short time that the toads were on the move, and the towpath was littered with amphibians taking the cold night air.

Heading to spawning waters, many would not make the perilous land journey from their normal habitats, being lost to traffic and, er… Bike wheels.

Fortunately, as far as I know, I didn’t hit any. I came back on the road, with the lights on full.

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#365daysofbiking Let it bee


March 6th – The honeybees were very much awake, and busy, if a little ponderous. This one seemed OK with me being close, which isn’t something they tend to like later on.

These, remarkably enough, are phone photos. How far technology has come…

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#365daysofbiking Quiet riot

March 6th – The sun was shining, the day was almost warm, and at lunchtime, Kings Hill Park in Darlaston was the perfect place to chill out.

Spring flowers like crocuses and daffodils bobbed and waved in the breeze, and there was much bee buzz and birdsong… All to the accompaniment of an industrial Black Country town going about it’s Friday business.

A veritable riot, but a quiet one.

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#365daysofbiking The village green preservation society

March 3rd – I’ve honestly lost track of whether this is an early or late spring. I don’t suppose it matters, but I think it’s a bit early. The rain seems to be tailing off a bit now, and the daffodils are taking over from the crocuses which are now passing over.

Early, passing through Walsall Wood, the patch of grass next to the Red Lion, in front of St Johns Close – remarkably claimed to be a ‘village green’ some years ago to best a planning application – looked gorgeous as many patches of Walsall verge at the moment with a dense, beautiful carpet of flowers.

This is always an excellent display and never gets enough appreciation.

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#365daysofbiking A tempting brush with spring

March 1st – It was a gorgeous day for sure. Yes, everything was wet; despite overtopping the weir for weeks on end now, the main body of Chasewater seems fuller than ever I remember it being.

The fields of Home Farm at Sandhills were emerald green, and deer loafed at Brownhills West and Clayhanger.

A day that reminded me what spring was all about.

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#365daysofbiking The promise of green

 

March 1st – Today was sunny, periodically, and when the sone shone (even though it tried to snow a couple of times) it was warm on my back and face. It didn’t rain, well not much anyway.

But what did happen was I found in the hedgerows of Home Farm at Ogley Hay fresh, bright green hawthorn leaves.

Yes, the hedgerows are starting to green up. This is excellent news.

Perhaps spring isn’t cancelled after all.

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#365daysofbiking The wind and the willows

February 29th – it seems odd this is the third February 29th in the history of this nearly nine year old journal, but it’s just the way the dates fall I guess.

On the canal at Walsall Wood, another subtle sign of spring – pussy willow catkins. Like the hazel ones, the male flower of the smaller willows.

Bedraggled, wind-buffeted, but in some proliferation. As I’ve noted all week, spring is coming, it’s not holding back. It just needs some decent weather to accelerate the process.

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#365daysofbiking Go with the flow

February 27th – The weather at the moment is almost continually foul.

Everywhere is saturated. The canal overflows are at full capacity, like here at Clayhanger; the towpaths are a long series of conjoined puddles. The roads are filthy, swamped and traffic bad tempered.

Every ride means carefully drying waterproofs and bags on arrival.

I’m used to it now. I don’t even frown when I see the rain.

But we must be due an end to it now, surely? Or at least a cessation in the merciless, continual wind please?

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