Tag: sunset

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 27th – Despite the start of British summer time and the lighter nights, I still returned in darkness. Passing through Chasewater gave me chance for some classic local night shots – but best of all was the wee toad, sat on the canal towpath. I severed to avoid squishing it on  the way back. Thankfully, I missed…

Spring is definitely here. Is it safe to take the winter tyres off the bike yet?

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.

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 17th – Another cold commute, although less windy. It really seems to have become more wintry of late, but much drier, which is welcome.

The light nights continue to please me, and even leaving work a little late I managed to cross the Black Cock Bridge as the dusk fell. A beautiful but musty, overcast dusk that glowed a soft purply pink.

It’s great to be riding in the light again.

February 15th – My deer magnet is currently working well.

I stopped in Shelfield to catch the sunset, and came upon a herd of red deer near Coppice Woods on Green Lane.

They were comfortably loafing, and showed slight interest in me, but weren’t overly bothered. I still can’t believe these wonderful creatures roam free in out countryside.

A wonderful, and unexpected sight. Shame the light wasn’t better!

March 15th – Passing through Pleck on an evening commute at sunset, mashing into the wind. Not a pleasant ride, but stopping to wipe my eyes, I noticed what a lovely effect the light was having on the wonderful row of terraces on the Walsall Road.

Such fine chimneys, and remarkable symmetry. Even the sun over the canal – from what normally could barely be described as good view – was gorgeous.

I love these spring and autumn sunset commutes. Shame Walsall doesn’t have many good places to catch them from.

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.