20°C, turned out nice, strong W

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Riding home today on a fast A road that sweeps in curves roughly in parallel to the Trent river. About 100yds I spotted a bird running across the road, a juvenile pheasant, large & lanky but still with stubby wings. I heaved a sigh of releif as it made it to my side, then I could see just as a car cleared that another was following. This one was struck squarely but a large 4×4, with a crunch itbecame a tumbling rag or diminishing life, only the legs left with any movement after the vehicle passed at over 50mph. That bird had followed it (sibling?) with trust and it’s whole life before it.

 

That’s the bit that disturbs me, the bludgeoning of noble qualities. It’s death was quick and probably painless as it looked like concussion from the way it rebounded under the vehicle. I felt just as bad after watching The Trawlermen on TV, tragic for those fish.

 

I always get rather perturbed when animals get killed on the road, but I have to confess here, it’s not that much worse when I see people killed

 

Otherwise a rather good day.

…It doesn’t matter

27°C, cloud & sun

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Twycross: cycled past from the west, the sound of the primates could be heard from near to Orton-on-the-hill, which must be nearly two miles away. There were chimps, howler monkeys as well as other sounds that I didn’t recognise. The sound was less obvious near the zoo so I turned around to go back for another listen. That kept me fascinated for quite a while, enough to vow to make a proper visit there next week. From over the hedge it was clear that there were few people there;  dissappointingly I could see no Elephants either.

20°C, clearing

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Hit the road: why such a slow start today? Get-up-&-go stayed in bed today – though I didn’t. Quite why eludes me right now.

One of the Ladies has peed on the kitchen floor.

Oh well, the bike is ready out there.

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…later..54 miles done with ease. Funny how the outbreak of some sunshine can change everything.

32°C, hot sun, low humidity

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Sunday run: Leave for cycling early before it gets too hot. It was only in the last 20 miles or so of seventy that the heat became noticable.

 

Beethoven: I’ve discovered Beethoven as of yesterday. At the Cathederal was a performance by the BBC philharmonic of Mozart ( non-plussed as usual), Beethoven with some stunning violin solos, and lastly Prokoviev (who made a great entry only to get quickly boring).

 

Linseed: just quickly added another more opaque layer to the shoulder, titanium white covers much better than the zinc does. Notice all the colour banding has gone, the blends are much more integrated now. Colour balance is all wrong on this photo, but it doesn’t really matter until the final shot is uploaded.

Thursday:24°C, thunderous storms

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Electrical storm: It doesn’t take long for a big punchy storm to build up. Today’s ones are quite slow moving, slow enough to allow the rain to turn roads into rivers. I hid in a bus-shelter to avoid the lightning strikes- which never came in the end. The bus-stop was across the road from the one I hid in last year to avoid a morning storm.

 

the photos below was part of a series where it was clear how they billow up. When scrolling through the folder of photos the movement is clear- perhaps a project for the weekend.

 

30°C, humid

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70.3 miles in the heat. Some places must have been at 40°C, especially near fields of straw. I have that cough referred to in a post a few weeks ago. It’s said to be caused by an ozone haze, but I bet there is straw dust involved too.

Thrips must lead an interesting life, as adults they look like little bits of rubber left after using a pencil rubber. There must be vast numbers of them, they form clouds under trees, and stick to jerseys and car radiators in large numbers. I’m nearly puzzled by them as much as I am by Crane Flys.

22°C, like yesterday with more wind

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Screech: The front brake cable broke on pulling up at traffic lights this afternoon. I over-ran the line by about 10 feet & pulled over cursing. Quick decision- go to Brownhills, a slight detour and find somewhere to get a new cable. What an odd place- it’s all shut and run-down looking. It was probably like that when I was little, but it didn’t seem that way then. Anyway, there was nowhere to buy any cycling stuff, not even something as basic as a brake cable. No choice then but to return to my route and carefully make it home.

 

Reports: I have found all sorts of distractions while trying to write school reports. Internet sites, games, and other rubbish that I wouldn’t normally give a second to. Teachers writing reports have very clean houses, the lawn is cut and the cupboards are tidy- all jobs that normally get put off, but now seem worthwhile. I have discovered webcams

 

TOTP: is getting dropped by the BBC. You may be expecting someone of my age to be whistful with nostalgia about the news, but no. It’s been a waste of electricity/airtime & in all the forty years it has been onair. It claimed to be a showcase for British popular music when all it does is reflect the buying habits of the singles age-group. that is, apparaently mostly 13 year old girls- hardly a comprehensive cross-section of Britain in the 20th Century. Good-bye Top of the Pops and don’t come back

28+°C, light SW.

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Cosford: cycled to RAF Cosford via quite a long route and took lunch at "The Spider’s web". 45 miles to get there, buy hey- it was the nice route. Just as I finished the food the jets took off. The row they made…

Anyway, I teamed up with some old guys from another cycle club who knew a good place to spectate. I sat myself in the heat, the grass and nettles as long as my water supply lasted out. It was so hot that 2 litres was good for only 2½ hours. In that time I watched the spitfires, some noisy jets and the police move and book the cars parked illegally. As soon as the police went, more cars arrived. Then helicopters arrived to do a funny dance in the air; it wasn’t a courtship dance, helicopters are machines and they don’t do that.

 

Once the water ran out, I rode home, calling at the cafe again to top up the bottles then set off north-east, downwind. It’s amazing how far away from the airbase were there people who filled the lanes, laybys and gardens to watch the planes. Four or more miles passed before the last ones were seen, standing there with binoculars. The whole of the east of Shopshire had a jubilee atmosphere.

 

As it rode away, the obligatory Lancaster/Spitfire/Hurricane flight was standing off over Boscobel house waiting their turn.

The wind saved today- it prevented too much heat-building up, the diust was keep away and I haven’t noticed any of that ozone-cough. On days like this I can sink into bed, even if it’s a hard bed like a futon and not be seen from above- I’m that tired (74 miles). Such a nice feeling.

15°C, rain then

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Cycling: 61 miles. rain on & off but light. Finches, a buzzard and maybe a kestrel today. Spring is very very late this year.

Otherwise a web-designing day for school.

13°C, +

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Ouch: my hamstrings hurt. They have toghtened up and gone all achey. It’ll be Ok if I do lots of toe touching (mine that is). It’s Sunday, so as any past visitors will know, it’s cycling-day. Only did 56 miles today but that’s on top of quite a cumilative distance last week. Holidays are good aren’t they? Good times are upon us: I have a new camera- which I’m still excited about. It’s now got enough internal memory to store 6,375 pictures if they are really tiny ones.

thanks to PicStop.

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Walrus: Opened up an old model to add a few finisheing ddetails to the 3D. It’s about ready for mapping and texturing. As I’ve said before, this plane was designed by Mitchell – the same bloke who did the Spitfire for Supermarine. It’s a more recent design that the Spit’. but has a canopy that looks like it’s from a holiday caravan.