Cragbound

The weather forecast was predicting a beautiful day so I set the alarm to get up reasonably early so as to make the most of it. I awoke out of such a dead sleep that I could only collapse back into bed. When I did eventually get up I still felt as tired as I did last night. These long working weeks are obviously taking a lot out of me.

Despite the body signalling rest there is no way I can be receptive to those messages on a warm and sunny day. I have an inner compulsion to get out which overrides everything else. So, a little later than planned, I headed off into Dales on my bike, to Kettlewell and up Park Rash, then down Coverdale and into Wensleydale via Melmerby, then back via Bishops Dale to retrace my route out, some 75 miles I would guess. The Dales were audaciously beautiful today, the trees carrying the light green of new growth under a fibrous blue sky, little wisps of high cirrus lending a texture to the overhead canvas that made for great photography.

I took lots of stops but still ran out of energy on the way back, not that I had a lot of energy to start with. I enjoyed a ride the other day when the wind seemed to be with me all the way. This time the wind seemed to be against me all the way, with the exception of the stretch down Coverdale. I love that section of twisty undulating road. I actually caught up and overtook a motorbike at one point. I've never done that before!

I got back in time to see the second half of the second eleven game and watched them enjoy a comfortable victory. Roam had come back for the weekend to captain and was rewarded with two wickets plus two good catches. Forrest didn't have quite such a good game for the firsts but his team won too and Arsenal won the cup. I've not seen him but he'll be happy enough tonight. For my own part, I'm now completely wiped out after a day in the sun.

Hard to choose which shot to post. This shot somehow appealed to me most. I've seen these trees many times from the road, between Cray and Buckden but today I noticed a gap in the wall which enabled me to get up to the crags to photograph them. This is on the Tour de France route, although I doubt any of the riders will notice them. There were hundreds of riders out today cycling the route. They pretty much all had smiles on their faces. The buzz is buildling.