Wensleydale

Today was an upturn. After a doing a bit of work first thing, waiting for the air to warm up under clear skies, I headed out on the bike for a ride in the Dales. To begin with I was still, like yesterday, stuck in my head and feeling detached from the ride and the landscape, thinking about a whole load of stuff. But after a while the centre of my consciousness started to shift from my head to my body and then into my surroundings. The separation and detachment from the world that I've been feeling of late gradually dissolved away. That may sound a little pretentious but I have no other way to express it. I hope you can relate to the experience?

It was an almost perfect day for cycling. It was so incredibly green everywhere, the fields positively sparkling in the dazzling light. The Dales were being shown off at their best. This had to be posted in colour today for it's simply been that kind of day. I'm feeling both wrecked and refreshed at the same time, enjoying the elation of exhaustion.

For the record, I went up Wharfedale through Burnsall and out to Buckden, then the road to Cray, Thoralby and Aysgarth, into the wind through Thornton Rust and then crossing to the other side of the valley to reach Hawes via Askrigg (just before which this shot was taken, looking south) and then back home via Fleet Moss. That climb never gets any easier but the reward of the descent all the way back to Buckden is worth the pain. That was exhilarating today with a fresh following wind.

Posting after midnight and now collapsing into bed. Sadly, I need to be in the office tomorrow. My euphoria may not last too long!