A standard Sunday cycle ride (at the wrong time)

Today’s guest picture comes from my Somerset correspondent, Venetia who has been up to town where she visited the newish Design Museum in Holland Park with my sister Mary.  I wonder if the very large sign reflects a lack of confidence that the visitors will know where they are.

I started the day by looking out of the kitchen window and being pleased to see a redpoll or two.

They are birds that appeal to me because of the contrast between their generally quite dowdy plumage and the bright red heads that give them their name.

Mrs Tootlepedal (among others) was badly missed from the church choir this morning as numbers were low, doubtless owing to people being on holiday.    With only one tenor and one bass, it was hard to blame anyone else if I made a mistake.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed the singing, especially as our Carlisle choir is on holiday so I have been short of singing.

I had an early lunch when I got home and I had time for another look out of the kitchen window.

I was very pleased to see a male reed bunting…

…and having seen a female yesterday, perhaps we will see more of both of them in the future.

The usual suspects were out in force…

…with a very red polled redpoll in evidence.

In the garden, the daffodils are doing their best to make a show in spite of the chilly weather…

…and a forsythia is in flower too.

I was pleased to see both a bumble and a honey bee but I was a bit disappointed that there was only one of each.

Still, although the temperature was theoretically quite reasonable, in actuality, it felt a little chilly so I don’t blame the bees for staying at home.

It was quite nice enough for a pedal though as the wind wasn’t too brisk so I got the slow bike out and went for a traditional Sunday pedal down the main road.  I had hoped that the sun might break through the clouds but in fact it got gloomier as I went along and it was quite chilly by the time I got home after 40 miles.

I stopped every now and again for a breather and tried to make the stops coincide with something worth photographing.

The bridge over the Esk at Longtown.

The bridge over the River Lyne on the Brampton road.

I worry a bit about the flotsam jammed up against the bridge but it has been there for some time so presumably the people responsible for the bridge don’t think that it is an issue.

Looking east from the bridge, the flood in the field to the left shows how little good drying weather we have had in the past year.

From the bridge, I could see our newest windfarm, sited on an old airfield near Longtown.  If I have to bicycle along in never ending winds, it is a consolation to see that at least they are being made good use of.

The Longtown to Newtown road has quite a few of these individual pine trees along its length.

And the first tree blossom of springtime was just a bit further down the road.

I can’t remember where I saw this elegant moss.  I think that it is Leucobryum glaucum.

Some people disapprove of planting daffodils along our roadsides as being rather unnatural but I think they are very cheerful and don’t mind them at all.  These ones are near Canonbie.

I stopped for a final breather at Irvine House with just a few miles to go and was rewarded by finding a rich yard or two of wall to look at while I got my breath back.

Once back in the garden at home, I had another walk round…

…to admire the different daffodils which are beginning to light up the garden but it was too cold to hang about outside for long so I went in and soon found myself wasting time watching various sports on the telly.  With the Commonwealth Games highlights, a F1 motor race and the Masters Golf, I was spoiled for choice.

When I have finished this post, I will go off and watch the closing holes of the Masters.

The flying bird of the day is a siskin getting a few choice tweets from a goldfinch.

Mrs Tootlepedal returns tomorrow.  Three cheers.