Succession (contingent upon)

15°C, clear, minimal breeze


Secession: could this be the word I am looking for? We need (as you know from previous posts on here) a word for the process of  nature reclaiming derelict man-made sites.

this Beech is watching you from Beaudesert.

On second thoughts, Succession is pretty close to the idea I had in mind, see here: Wiki

longer is easier

17°C, brightening


Made it half-way home before remembering something left behind. The ride back then added 8 miles to the total journey. But contrary to expectation that made the ride home easier. It’s all about the benefits of a good warm up. I can only conclude that cycling to work would be easier if work was further away.
Morning briefing & a bit of assembly.

Cadair instead

15°C, dry, light cloud NW


Interesting, interesting days.

Went to Cadair Idris instead. I’ll be going through every step of this weekend in my head in my head over the next week.
Ask me when you see me.

Frogs dodging the combine

17°C, westerlies continue. Cycle 36 Miles.


Better start packing again. Cycled slowly to start with- combine harvesters only do 12 mph on a single-track road, no room to pass. But after 6 wheels rolled over along 3 tracks, a perfectly unharmed frog flopped several times to the verge.Lucky damned frog: there go the quick, here are the dead. He was too fast to catch on camera. May your luck contine..

Llwybr Cyhoeddus

22°C, sunny


Came back from Wales a day early because of some guttural illness. It was not easy trailing up that 1:5 hill to get to the toilet block of that last camp-site.
I was there a week and had quite an experience.
Day 1: Carneddau: Easy walk up to the first peak. Little more than finishing off walk in June that I cut short because of  time.
Summit Pen Yr Helgi Du, 845m
Day 2: Glyders. The first days were difficult; wet weather meant I got lost on a mountain Glyder Fawr. It had clear paths but each one led to nowhere, we’d spent 2½ hours looking for the route up there in the clouds. that was stressful. In despiration, I took a southerly route after spotting a clearing in the cloud and seeing a lake that was recognisable. Even so, getting down that slope took two hours- it was very steep and no clear pathways there either. This took us to the wrong side of the mountain but the 5 mile walk back to camp was at least clear.
Summits: Y Foel Goch 805m; Glyder Fach, 994m
Day 3: Drive home– but a change of mind while passing through Betws-y-coed saw me turn south and pitch the tent on the coast at Llandanwg. It was a glimmer of sumshine that did it.
Day 4: the Rhinogs: Change of weather and the sun comes out- so repeat that route up the Roman steps (from June) with no fog to obscure the route this time. This time we made the ascent up to Rhinog Fawr
Summit
: Rhinog Fawr. 720m
Day 5: Cnicht: Another magnificent day, you meet some great people on these mountains. There is nothing lonely about taking a holiday on your own in places like this. It’s probably better having a conversation breaker, in this case; a dog.
Summits: Cnicht, 740m, Moelwyn Mawr 770m in blazing sun.
Day 6: Move to Cader Idris, the camp next to Kings Youth Hostel. Excellent site which became rather crowded and Friday evening wore on. Tents were pitched with overlapping guys. There was a developing community there, many knew each other before and the atmosphere was excellent. But..
I became ill in the night.
Must be something I ate.

Here is an excellent guide to Welsh pronunciation: Placenames

Heracleum mantegazzianum

20°C, clearing, breeze.


In a break with tradition, we didn’t go to Flying Legends: Duxford. Shame really, it would have been good- They have a FW190 taking part in the show.
5 Signets, gone- to join the bigger flocks I expect.
Heracleum mantegazzianum: "Giant Hogweed" found at the edge of a drainage ditch near Market Bosworth.

It stands about twice my height, and is furiously poisonous I am told. It has this strange property where the sap, if it gets onto skin is toxic in the presence of daylight- phototoxicity. The scarring can be permanent or even lethal.

Bad tempered

27°C, Sun & some rain. Close.


How the weather changes the way people drive- I got annoyed crossing lights (on green) to be startled by a car shooting out from the right driven by a woman who jumped a red light. I shouted out as two cars blasted their horns too. After another incident caused by driver arrogance (the car blocked the traffic while turning onto the main road) it was then fairly conclusive that the heat is making folks feel rather bad tempered. Me included- these kinds of thoughtless driving incidents happen a lot in Walsall.
I suspect that habits spread in towns so that drivers copy each others’ bad habits. In Walsall it’s jumping red lights; in Cannock, Signalling right to go straight-on at a roundabout; Lichfield, crossing the opposing carriageway on corners. Bad habits appear to be infectious rather like apostrophe abuse.
[/end of rant]

The secret- food

24°C, milky grey, then bright C64 miles.


Compared to last week, today’s ride was fine. The difference- food.

No camera on the ride today- I thought there would be heavy rain, so a picture of some sunny furniture instead.