Mushroom forest

Posted on 6th Nov 2011 by essiep

12C, clear, NE light. CR:61 miles

Mushrooms live rather well on roadside verges, this was an un-missable display, like clusters of eggs.

Coprinus comatus, the Shaggy Inkcap?

And yes, I know they are not plants.

Even on this small scale, you can see it’s a fuzzy photo. I carry my phone with its pinhole camera on bike rides. Sometime this winter, an upgrade- but to what? My next phone should have a really good camera, and by that, it must have a good lens, control over exposure, colour balance and optical zoom. Does such a camera-phone even exist?

Dogs’ puzzle

Posted on 30th Oct 2011 by essiep

17C, rain then sun, wind lightening. CR:70.2 miles

After a few days off the bike, today’s ride felt easy, right up to the 70th mile. Only early sunset stopped me doing more. Home, the dogs were caught working on a puzzle. the chocolate box must have had a second layer, it just had to!

Track stand

Posted on 24th Oct 2011 by essiep

15C, clear but winds strong. CK19 miles.

Not up to a full ride today so playtime on the fixed-gear bike instead. I tried doing a track stand on a quiet road. Erm, it’s not as easy as it seems. The problem, for me I suppose, is fear of falling off. Very slow speed control is okay, but kicking backwards to cancel a leftwards fall is, so far, impossible.

More time another day.

Sunday morning rain.

Posted on 25th Sep 2011 by essiep

14°C, rain. CR:?

It would be dry if I'd left it in the house

Sunday is cyclingday, so I wake to rain and a washingline full of wet clothes. I face a grim choice: finish the last bit of painting in the attic, or attack the pile of marking while I wait for the clouds to lift. It’s a tough life.

Silly cows

Posted on 18th Sep 2011 by essiep

16°C, towering cumulonimbus- they missed me, just. CR:48 miles

Late ride today, with only limited time before sunset at 19.15, so you want to freesteady miles, unimpeded by traffic, then this happens- it’s milking time. Those ladies weren’t in a hurry, many stopped at that big puddle on the right to drink, others just toddled off on their daily routine.
Blimey, those ladies looked full.

Strap on your bag and ride into dusk

Posted on 14th Sep 2011 by essiep

17C, lighter WSW wind, CA:45 miles

Extended my ride home tonight. Up the High Street of desolation that is Brownhills, straight on, along a canal tow-path and then onto Cannock Chase. Eventually clocked up 45 miles arriving home in fading light. I shalln’t do this for much longer, though it’s done the job of making up for tomorrow’s drive. Not looking forward to open evening- it makes for such a long day.

After work ride

Posted on 6th Sep 2011 by essiep

Windy & cooler, CR:25 miles

Rode after work today, the shower has been cleaned of legionnaires, but is has to be tested before I am allowed to use it. Early evening light is fading fast now it’s September, but at least I could ride the ‘best’ bike and choose my route. A real feature of holiday rides is the effect of proper rest. Real athletes must benefit so much from deep rest, the effect on your energy levels is so strong.

Missing a day’s ride in the holidays feels just like stress, by the end of the six weeks, you need to ride.

Legionellosis in the shower

Posted on 5th Sep 2011 by essiep

17C , some rain

I am forbidden to use the shower at work. Legionellosis has been detected in the showerhead, the boss told me I couldn’t ride in tomorrow because of it. There must be a way around this, maybe wash in a sink for just one day- it depends how long it takes to sterilise it. I have to wonder about the shower here at home- perhaps I should remove the head and leave it in a bucket of bleach overnight. It’s maybe worse here because I only shower at home once a week (the mostly shower at work). Is this why some people leave the showerhead lying on the shower floor to let the water drain?

back to the millstone

Posted on 4th Sep 2011 by essiep

19C, rain early & late. CR:57 miles

Well, is that all there is? All there is to a summer holiday? Work tomorrow & today’s ride has removed fizzy-legs that has bugged me so much while doing that damned marking. Sad that I didn’t make it to Scotland this year.

Next year is my 10th in this school; so what do you get for 10 years service? A: a stomach ulcer? Maybe this academic year will a bit better than last.

Another record

Posted on 25th Aug 2011 by essiep

11C, rain. CR:60

Only to echo last week, the GCSE results are out today, likely to be the 24th consecutive year of higher results. The changed course structure will get some of the credit this time, it’s more modular now, so girls will probably do better. This story is worn out.

BBC The Education minister wants to end modularity, so perhaps we’ll see the boys catch up from nest year. The Daily Mail report was interesting, in almost every respect, they got their fact diametrically opposite to the truth. They said boys were closing the gap (the gap has widened), that the yearly grade inflation (which they blamed on Labour) had finished (the increase is about the same as last year). They couldn’t have got it more wrong. Why do people buy this newspaper, everything they print is wrong?

Later: Sunshine after an afternoon decorating. Rode for 60 miles and felt really strong. No aches, stiffness or discomfort, the ride simply flowed nicely. The end of the summer holidays is often like this.

Micycle

Mike thinks b/hikes

Category Archives: Travel