as we start the new month.

The weather has been a big influence on my activities since i last wrote, warm and sunny one minute, wet and windy the next. As a result my plans have had to adapt somewhat to avoid getting too wet for too long - nobody likes that.

Thursday then, my usual cycling day but the forecast was for some quite heavy rain late afternoon after a glorious morning. I got in @ 70km, a nice stop for tea and cake getting almost back before the heavens opened. I enjoyed what i did do, an even shorter ride could've avoided the wet but its not like it was cold.

On to Friday, i fancied a longer walk so despite a showery outlook, i made the hike up to Kingswood, picking up a few bits on the way, round trip @ 7km. On my return, after a cuppa i then set off again, this time to actually do some food shopping but at least it stayed dry for that trip.

The forecast for Saturday was damp until early adternoon turning to bright and sunny - not exactly great for a good bike ride so it was on to Plan B. Plan B was to move the ride to today and go for a walk Saturday afternoon, not just any walk but a proper hike, i settled on catching a bus to Chipping Sodbury then walking the 8/9 miles back following the cycle route for most of the way. Which is how i ended up at the wrong end of the walk at 2pm. The brighter weather was late so i started my odyssey in my rain coat although i only got rained on lightly for about five minutes or so.

As i was passing anyway i stopped off at a couple of plant nurseries, picking up a bag full of new plants to join the flora at Aunty Bev's. A blocked path (overgrown with thorn and bramble where it crossed a hedge) resulted in a retrace and alternate route after which it became an increasingly urban walk. My feet were tired, i was tired, the trip took a total of 4 hours and ended up just over 10 miles!

And so to today, I wasn't expecting rain even if there were some grey clouds scudding across the skies when i departed. I've not been through the mess of the eastern Mendip for quite a while so that is where i was headed, before i got clear of south Brizzle i had the first visit of the damp fairy, over the next hour there were a couple more but they didn't last and weren't that heavy, i just plugged on. I didn't have a specific route in mind, it was a case of deciding at each junction, eventually though i had to think a bit further ahead as i approached Shepton Mallet.

It was still a bit vague but it was firmly dry now, the grey clouds replaced by white, the roads drying rapidly after the last cloudburst passed through. i turned east, towards Frome, an almost straight route running almost parallel to the A road but surprisingly somewhat flatter. I bypassed Frome itself to miss the climb out of the town centre then followed a laney route to reach Bradford on Avon. The sun was out, it was quite pleasant but there is no escaping a goodly ascent out of the town on any road that was vaguely heading my way but i felt quite spritely and made short work of the effort before starting the run towards Bath.

The city was quieter than of late, i quickly transited the centre de la ville and joined the bike path for a fairly rapid return to base. 110km, 1009m, not the fastest but a 22kph/14mph average isn't too shabby for the distance/ascent. I'm still the thick end of 700km behind to reach my target but i keep chipping away at it and i'm sure i'll get there.

The weather is almost balmy as i sit typing this, the evening sun just dipping behind the nearby buildings, the sky predominantly blue with just the odd skein of cloud drifting slowly across the heavens. I have of course posted the next part of Gaby - Fame, Decisions, Decisions is another longer chapter with plenty going on so i hope you enjoy it.

I'll be back midweek,
so for now, Tack,
Madeline Anafrid