Tag: storm

June 12th – Washed out.

I didn’t think rain was in store for today; I awoke to the sound of it, and it continued until early afternoon. I needed to collect something from Cannock Chase, so sensing a break in the weather, I went for it. 

I got soaked. 

I took shelter in Birches Valley, and watched the torrential rain until it stopped. I was there an hour. Very little of the standing water was there when I arrived.

As soon as the skies lightened I was off. No unpleasant particularly, but wet and uncomfortable, these are the only photos I took.

Some days are just a challenge.

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.

March 26th – Not a great day – squally, wet, windy with periods of heavy rain. It brightened up as I slipped out for the last dusk before British Summer Time commenced, and I caught the wonderful, intemperate sunset from Silver Street, looking over the canal.

For an ostensibly ugly place, Brownhills sure can take your breath away.

January 12th – this was around 3:30pm, during the rains. I was soaked, and cold. Every single light was red and the traffic was doing the mad things it always does when we have rain.

I keep saying I think I’m developing webbed feet. Shelve that. At the moment I’m considering a coat of Cuprinol to stave off wet rot…

November 27th – In Telford, the skies westwards were foreboding, and eastwards more optimistic, but it was to be a terrible afternoon both in terms of work and the weather. The stark beauty of low sun and early winter cycleways was gorgeous, but the western sky wasn’t making idle threats and I would return home in a rainstorm, battling bad connections having had a terrible day.

Sometimes, the omens are not good from the start.

September 15th – It was an intemperate commute, the traffic was mad and the weather highly changeable, derring between azure blue skies and sudden, hectoring bursts of rain.

On the canal in central Walsall, there was little to indicate autumn here in green nowhere, with just blue skies, verdant foliage and mirror-like water. Only the saturated towpath spoke of the untrustworthy weather.

August 23rd – Caught in heavy rains at Cannock Chase, I headed for the nearest shelter which happened to be the cafe, Springslade Lodge. Awful phone photos, but I was struck by the effort the staff had put into dressing the garden with plastic tablecloths, flower vases and such, for no customers to be able to use it.

Oddly beautiful and a little sad.

August 22nd – A day of unexpected jobs and delayed activity, I finally got out at dusk and span on an errand to Burntwood, so naturally, despite the oncoming storm, I headed up through Chasewater.

The skies were dramatic, but I failed to capture them well, and whilst there were flashes of lightning and the odd rumble of thunder, despite riding back in steady, warm, refreshing rain, the foreboding, brooding skies failed to deliver.

But it was actually a lovely ride.

July 26th – In heavy rain, a flotilla of swans. not far from the place I last saw them, cruising for all the world like it was a bright, sunny day. 

I don’t suppose they care about the rain. 

They had somewhere to be, and were travelling with purpose. But despite the horrid, grey weather, they just sailed on like it didn’t matter – because to them, it clearly doesn’t.

I should be more like the swans. Rainy days like this pull me down. But soon the sun will shine, and the world will seem brighter once more.

June 20th – A ride out on a bright, sunny but windy afternoon, punctuated by very heavy, thundery rainstorms. I went to Chasewater to see what I could find, and the range of wildflowers did not disappoint. I’m particularly pleased with the marsh orchid i found on the canal embankment at Newtown.

Such beauty on an afternoon when many would have stayed indoors…