Saturday Morning Bike Ride

Up early - at 7am a quick peek out the window shows some lovely mistiness lying along low ground. I quickly get the cycling gear on and munch a banana sandwich for breakfast, then get on the bike and set off up the hill to catch the views from on high.

Heading uphill along the road through the woods.

At the top the sun is only just appearing over the hill. Two little cows are silhouetted beside the base of the pylon.

Lovely colours here in the landscape and skies. I had to get off the bike to see above the wire fence for this photo so...

...here's a bike shot before I get back on.

I love the effect of the mist wreathing it's way over the fields.

A mossy wall. We've had a light frost...

...and the leaves of the plants along the verges are looking especially pretty.

Tree silhoutte, lovely blue skies above.

Just a few hundres yards further on another tree silhoutte, however this mist is rising fast and the sun is already obscured. I'll need to find even higher ground now if I want to see more blue skies. I decide I'll cross over to the other side of the valley to reach where the road lies higher. It'll mean going deeper down into the fog first though...

Through the fog, a rook on a wire.

At the crossroads past the big stone (a glacial erratic) I'm going to turn left.

I pause for a couple of photos first though, I like this one of the silhouetted stone with the hazy sun on one side and a shadowy tree on the other.

Here I'm now past the stone and from this angle the sun is strong enough to light the surface features.

Brrrr, I'm so glad I brought my gloves, it's very cold down in the foggy air.

Rook.

No photos for the next few miles as it's super foggy and cold. I reach the bottom of the hill on the other side and make my way up...

Yay, back to blue skies and sunshine again. But what's this, the road I'm planning to take is closed... to cars perhaps but not to bikes.

Frosty leaves (and a toadstool) underfoot.

Uh oh, can you see the mist making it's way up here too.

This spider web looks fantastic.

Look closely and there are webs adorning these hogweed heads too.

A late cornflower bloom.

A rainbow.

Sheep with gorgeous misty wreaths over the land in the back ground. Aside from the sheep and cows I have miles of countryside to myself and it's all absolutely beautiful!

The road ahead. Misty patches but still plenty sunshine here.

Fantastic! So glad I got out and came up here.

Grrr, scenes like this don't please me though. Some people...

More road closed signs. Perhaps they really mean it. I ignore them anyway, I can always turn back if need be.

The rainbow can still be seen, here faintly to the right of this large solitary tree.

A very grubby looking cow.

I've decided to come as far along the road as the tree avenue (right at the end is parked the tarmac lifting machine, hence the road closed signs, but the surface is fine for cycling). Then I'll retrace my route a little before heading down to a nearby reservoir. The mist is already starting to dissipate in the warming sun.

Many of the trees in the avenue have various scribbles on them. I wonder if Jaz and Stu are still together.

Don't forget to look up.

Lovely little line of shapely trees.

I like how these four trees are perfectly formed into one rounded canopy.

This little tree is growing in the doorway of an old ruined cottage.

Balls of sheep fleece caught on the fence barbs.

A first view of the reservoir. All around is the sound of honking geese (as has been the case for much of my cycle ride round here).

To get down to the reservoir I will be passing through a most picturesquely untidy farm (you can almost make it out, right in the middle of the photo above). I would so like to photograph it. It is absolutely full of junk - there must be at least 15 abandoned cars for a start, never mind all the old tractors and farm equipment gently decaying in the yard. However, there are bright, colourful flowers planted in any and every usuable container including the old carts and troughs, so it is obviously a place that is loved too. Often there is an old biddy pottering about close by so I feel it's a bit too intrusive to take my camera out and start snapping away, and I seem to be too shy to ask permission.

A lovley little group of Scots pines grace this bend just before the farm.

Now I'm through the farm and admiring the view of the reservoir on the other side.

A long straight road lined with neatly clipped beech hedges. A beautiful sky.

At last, some "proper" Autumn colour.

Good old beech, it seems the most reliable tree herabouts for a fiery display, so long as all the leaves aren't blown off too early.

This one must be in a sheltered spot.

A last view over the reservoir. It's looking nice and full (well, we have had quite a lot of rain recently).

And when I start my descent of the hill to reach home the mist has completely lifted and a bright sunny afternoon awaits.