No lights needed!

I have had a couple of rest days since Saturday. Sunday was chosen as one, partly due to a disparaging forecast of snow in the afternoon which meant neither of us fancied the planned drive over to the east of the Lakes for a mountain bike ride. We'd have had no problems getting there and ride would have been fun but it looked like getting back may have been an issue. House decorating instead. In the end we did have some snow, but it turned to rain at dusk - another damp squib!! Monday and Tuesday were more of enforced rest due to a couple of big stressful work days.

But I dusted off the commuting bike and rode to work and back today. We surprised a buzzard off its kill at the roadside this morning, and it flew up onto a fence post and sat there defending its hard-won meal. It was so close I could make out the details of its eyes! These have to be the special moments that make enduring the wind and rain on some days all worth it! 

Riding home brought more 'moments'! The sun was shining in a nearly clear blue sky as I headed home, and as it sank to the horizon it dipped behind some thin strips of cloud. It then reappeared again casting the most beautiful alpenglow onto Great Gable, Yewbarrow, Seatallan, and Buckbarrow. It really did take the breath away. The sun dipped behind another thin bank of cloud before reappearing again and casting a deeper alpenglow over the lower hills in the foreground. After the last two evenings moon-rises, this was another spectacular view.

Today was the first day of the year I didn't need lights to ride home... spring's acoming! 

Hopefully I will get in another good stamina session at the wall tonight. As I'm focussing on running at the moment, my climbing is taking a bit of a back seat. However this doesn't seem to be affecting my grade! I have lost stamina recently, no doubt, but I have been climbing the same grades consistently - OK I'm not getting any better but I'm not doing enough for that!! After May huh!!