Crisp clear and balloons

The best morning to ride to work. No wind, clear, cool, spectacular.

Then I decided to detour, not start work early as I usually do and see the Balloon Festival. I stayed until just after 7am. Could have stayed longer but I felt guilty.

These photos just don't do it justice. The colours of the balloons, the roar of the burners and the quiet nothing as they drift up and over you. It was truly spectacular.

Tuesday 13 March

Erin's birthday and what a lovely ride to work.

Catching up on posts

A long weekend and after a week of rain and miserable weather it was lovely to see some clear skies.

On Saturday I circled Gungahlin Lake. You can see from the photo just how high the water was, well up over the seat. In fact the seat is still sitting in water. it might be a while before it drops back again.

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Sunday I visited the Oompa Loompa statue whose official name is "Lady with Flowers". I think she needs a proper name and should have been commissioned to be someone from a book, after all Franklin is named after Australian authors. Franklin, Miles Franklin. Perhaps one of her characters. The other disappointing thing is she is behind the bus shelter. Driving along Flemington Road you wouldn't see her until it was too late.

Rode the two ponds circuit on Sunday but overcast and didn't take any photos.

Windy, Windy, Windy

Not sure where yesterday's post disappeared to. It seems to have vanished! Yesterday I complained about the wind. It was a headwind blowing 20-30kmph. I thought it was hard work. It took 7 minutes longer than my normal ride.

This morning I was lying in bed listening to the wind howling and seriously considered the bus. Bike to Gungahlin, catch bus to Civic, ride to Forrest. Definitely a plan. Got on the bike and started riding. Left early as I knew the wind would slow me down. Got to the intersection where I would need to turn to go to G for the bus. Nah, keep cycling. Just take it easy. Well, I cycled all the way. Average speed was a sluggish 17 kmph but considering the winds were 40-50kmph thi smorning, it's probably not too bad.

The trip took 1 hr 7 minutes. My normal is around 52 minutes. Just a tad slower. Oh well. I did enjoy the ride generally.

One beautiful thing was the moon. A full moon in the west. If only my camera could capture it.

No photos today again as what is there to photograph the grey skies in the dark.

Oh and with the strong southerly you would think that I would have it easy going home. Well, almost. It did make the cyling easier but it decided to rain as well. Wind and rain. Aren't I lucky!

Actually I shouldn't be sarcastic. I am lucky. I am very blessed that I have the health and strength to do this. And the fact that I can do it with a smile on my face.

Surprise, surprise, rain again

Why did it surprise me when I went out to the recycling bin at 5.30am to find it raining. I did know that we were only expecting one fine day. So back inside, out comes the rain gear and off I head. Into the dark, rainy (but at least not stormy) night.

I really didn't mind the rain today. It was lovely gentle rain, not like the driving hard rain last week. Still a headwind though. I really think we should have bought on the southside so I would have a tailwind every day. As it is, living in the north, southerlies in the morning and northerlies in the afternoon. I am not making it up, check the BoM observations and you will see I am right. On the odd occasion I get a northerly in the morning, but on a blue moon is it a southerly going home.

No point taking any pics today. Just grey and wet. What's new.

Monday 5 March 2012

Monday was a glorious morning with not a cloud to be seen. A rare spectacle was in view … stars! Cool, only 9 degrees, but a lovely feeling heading out in dry weather.

The grasslands of Gungaderra, Mulangarri and Crace are more like swamplands. If it had been daylight I would have taken pics, but the light from the moon reflected beautifully in the puddles. Unfortunately the camera is not quite as good as picking up these subtleties.

Wet Friday

Another wet day although not as bad as yesterday. But I did arrive with dry feet today! My new trick. Nice clean, dry socks, then wrap feet totally in cling wrap, then sticky tape cling wrap around and around and attach to ankle (stops drips running down inside). Place foot inside shoe and put booty over top. My feet stayed totally dry.

Wet and dark so no pics. Nothing worth taking photos of. There were a few more people out today though. I saw one lucky dog having a walk – the only one I have seen since Monday and a couple more cyclists.

Some people I know think that I'm crazy

I think everyone I know or don't know thinks I am crazy this morning. I rode to work in torrential rain. Yes I did. And guess what? I had fun! I would do it again.

Remember as a kid when you would jump in puddles and run outside in the rain before coming inside and getting nice and warm?

Well that was me this morning. I had fun riding my bike through puddles, enjoying the rain on my face, sticking my tongue out to catch the drops. What great fun! Although I really would like someone to invent windscreen wipers for my wet and foggy glasses.

Love the big mushrooms popping up on Gungahlin Drive. The biggest is about 30 cm in diameter. It's hard to tell in photos without a reference point, and even worse in the dark, wet weather at the time.

In the whole ride I only saw 2 pedestrians and 2 cyclists. one cyclist like me, dressed for the weather and well lit. The other an idiot in black with no lighting whatsoever and it was dark. Dark and wet. Idiot.

It was amazing to see LBG so empty. Not a sole to be seen. No bootcampers, no cars, no rowers/ kayakers, no runners or walkers. It was eerily quiet. The two photos from LBG are taken 20 seconds apart. it just goes to show what changing the setting on your camera can do.

A fun ride in. I'm now at work warm and dry. Just wish I knew I would have dry clothes to put on for the return trip. I have dry knicks and socks and a spare shirt if necessary. It's the socks and shoes that will take the longest to dry.

Note to self: remember to replace batteries in tail light. Not sure if they failed due to water, if they have run flat or a combination. It was blinking brightly when I left and faint by the time I arrived at work - still working though.