Sunday 21 February 2010

Saturday Morning Bike Ride

Yesterday morning dawned fair and just a little frosty. I consider not going for a bike ride and cleaning (or starting to clean!) the house instead... ummm what a choice - let's see, I think bike riding wins! Fresh air and exercise are both badly needed. I missed my cycle last week as I spent the morning partying on down with 4 and 5 year olds - the grown ups were practically forced to partake of the abundance of party food on offer so not a healthy alternative to cycling really.

I put on my woolly socks (nice to have them back - they'd been missing for a while having disappeared into a stuff pile which is now no more - sorted!), so with toasty toes I set off up my favourite road out of the village.

Pesky power lines rather spoil this view overlooking a pond in one of the fields along the top.

My bike poses beside the Clochoderick Stone just before the crossroads where I turn right...

... along what has to be my favourite little stretch of road. It's only a few miles long but holds many lovely views. Prior to taking up my weekly cycle rides last summer I had driven this road several times and thought nothing of it, it's only since cycling it that I appreciate all it has to offer.

Once Spring arrives and the temperature is a little warmer there'll be lots of lambs out in the fields round here, I can't wait!

For now though there are just mummy-to-be sheep...

... and frosty fields.

Now we've reached the little knoll of trees which I always like to photograph. A beautiful bare winter branch arches over it, silhouetted against the pure blue sky.

And here it is again, fronted by a lovely old gate with the red gate post. The last five photos were all within a couple of miles of each other...

...by this point I've left my little road, cycled a couple of miles along a B road, turned off back onto unclassified roads for perhaps another 5 miles before I stop at the little loch in the woods for some more photos. It's covered with a just a thin layer of ice. I make sure I don't go too close to the edge as I'm a little clumsy and seem to get easily tripped by brambles and other evil branches so don't want to risk falling in!

After the little loch I'm approaching one of the other villages close by to ours. On the way I pass the farm of the Vietnamese pot bellied pig (himself nowhere to be seen) and spot these four geese walking towards me down the road.

They turn into a field and show me their bottoms as I pass.

Agnetha pauses from his/her breakfast to give me a look...

As does Annifrid. (I was an Abba fan in my early years)

The morning's too nice to head home straight away, so I take another loop round the back roads before ending my run. I wish I'd realised just how lovely the morning was to have been and I would have gone for a longer and better planned ride. As it was I just toottled around the back roads fairly close to home, but at least I escaped out for a while!

13 comments:

VintageVicki said...

I love your cycle rides & the photos that accompany them - really gorgeous area you live in :)

rockinloubylou said...

oh, that was lovely. I feel I've had a really fun bike ride today. So grateful to you for sharing all these views of places only seen from a bike. Not so sure about the view of the goose bottoms, right enough!

Helsie said...

I love your cycle rides too and it seems to me that you travel quite a distance so they must be doing you a lot of good.
Cheers
Helen

Unknown said...

I really, really want to pack up my bike and come for a ride with you. Great morning journey. Love the pic of the loch.

Happy Sunday
Kate - The Garden Bell - <3 <3 <3

Lesley said...

De-lurking after several months of enjoying your blog. How I love the pics of your bike ride — I can almost smell the ice-cold air and the mud at the farm gates.
I'm now living in a city in Australia, but I spent my first 16 years in a village in Norfolk. I recall frosty mornings and bike rides alongside fields and trees full of rooks — I wonder if the little area I used to wander about is still like that?
It's comforting to see that your part of the world still has such spectacular countryside and that there are still views that go on forever.
I'm very happy here, but so love looking at your pics of the farmland, the lakes and the ancient stones.

I just read that very same Persephone edition of the Whipple book and absolutely loved it — look forward to reading your review!

kirsty said...

Beautiful photos! x

Jennyff said...

You are so good at getting yourself out even if it is cold and I'm sure photos of you cleaning the house wouldn't be as interesting as the ones you've shown us. You owe it to your public to keep riding.

Cathy said...

I love all your photos is this post Anne. Have you got a new camera? They just look so sharp and beautiful. Have I already asked you how you get such big photos on Blogger?

I have been checking out what I have missed for the past two weeks and I love The Linen Cat's birds. So very kind of her to send them to you. I too am a charity shop aficionado. In fact, sometimes, I am dressed completely in charity shop, but very good charity shop. We live in one of the country's most expensive areas and although we are in the cheap end...haha... we do have access to extremely posh charity shops.

Lesley Todd said...

Hello! Thanks for taking us on your bike ride with you, really enjoyed it! Your photo of the clump of trees on the hill instantly reminded me of a view just down the road from here. Your blog is lovely, looking forward to having a good read!

...Nina Nixon... said...

Stunning pictures and such breath taking views - though I would of avoided getting too close to the frozen water.

Have a lovely day,

Nina xxx

ps. how do you get your pictures published so big? Nxx

blueskyscotland said...

Fantastic set of photographs :)

periwinkle said...

I really like the big pics, gorgeous views , makes me feel like I'm on the ride with you -- oh and I think the turquoise birds are perfect on yur mantlepiece.

Kate said...

Wow! Your photos are really gorgeous! I'm loving all your crochet and your bike ride pics. Fabulous blog. X

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