7th November 2014

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Friday 7th 40-46F, 4-8C, almost still, thick mist clearing. I had a 5 mile walk up through the woods and back along the tracks and lanes. A thin easterly wind was sneaking along behind me until I turned for home. When it immediately became much more chilly. The sun came and went repeatedly and always weakly through variable cloud. The mist is still clinging onto more distant views even now.

The autumn trees are all looking very beautiful but very hard to capture with the camera. Mist can easily make it look like the camera is simply out of focus. Increasing the contrast, with image handling software, will often cut through the mist. Burning out the sky and completely spoiling the original and much more desirable, softened effect.

Some juxtapositions of the low hills are immensely satisfying when seen from an ideal viewpoint. A few yards either way and they can become merely mundane. Thanks to the undulating fields, the woods and copses are usually providing almost a manicured landscape. Very reminiscent of the grounds of an English stately home. All the fun without the inheritance taxes. The crops in the large fields are always an important factor. Immature growth can look like vast, lush lawns. Defeating the eye as it flows smoothly into the distance.

I went out after lunch today. It didn't really brighten up as hoped. A cold easterly wind had picked up too. Only the last leg, at dusk, was with the wind and I was cruising at 18-20mph. I wish I could say that my 'flu had gone but I'm still bunged up and short of breath. 21 miles.

Saturday 8th 45-46F, 7-8C, breezy, heavy overcast. The DMI are promising it will brighten up. Not in this multiverse! It's just getting greyer, windier and darker. I went for a 3 mile stroll to get away from the chainsawing. Only to be confronted by more of the same.

Another copse was being leveled for growing more worthless grain at taxpayer's expense. Only for the "priceless" crop to be strewn ankle deep, for literally miles along the verges, year after year after year. Rat food in superabundance, killer slug food on a truly epic scale and [not least] hazardous for cyclists running into the drifts. Danish agroculture writ large. Where there's muck there's murk in high places.

Left after morning coffee for my ride. It rained lightly for half an hour somewhere in the middle of my outing. Detoured on the way back to put some more miles in and quickly began to question my ever-doubtful wisdom. 21 miles.

Sunday 9th 44-51F, 7-11C, breezy, early cloud supposedly clearing. So, another repeat of yesterday. [Grey, cool and miserable!] A 3 mile walk in heavy dew. My [leather] boots and socks were soaking. Lots of small birds moving away down the hedges as I progressed.

Had a pleasant ride in bright sunshine. The wind had picked up but was mostly across my bows. Not very energetic today. Only 19 miles.

Click on any image for an enlargement. 

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