After the rain, blue skies and sunshine – but for how long?

The weather has certainly changed. From the heat of an amazing summer – don't let anyone say it wasn't – there was an overnight drop of 10 degrees, accompanied by rain about a week ago and yesterday (Saturday) was a complete wash-out. It rained all day long, just a fine drizzle most of the time, but unpleasant in a way; everything was wet-through and there was a mild, but cold, breeze.

Blue skies and sunshine, Sunday 15th September 2013 – perfect for cycling

Cycling was off the agenda for Andy and Phil yesterday, but with poor weather they were clearly missing nothing. I can't think of anything more unpleasant while on a bike than rain and a cold breeze. So nobody was out yesterday.

Today (Sunday) is a completely different picture. The sun is shining at 0703hrs and the skies are blue – perfect cycling weather and I know that Andy can make it. Sadly, I can't as I have a bit of driving to do and have to pick up a hire car from Gatwick at 9am. I'm off to Liverpool and hopefully I'll be back later tonight – we'll see. Either way, it looks like I'll be missing a decent ride. I expected to wake up to drizzle and grey skies and feel, in a way, elated that I wasn't going, but I feel the complete opposite. It's definitely not tee-shirt weather anymore. If you take a look at last week's shot of me outside the Tudor Rose, however, you'll note that I'm still wearing shorts. I reckon I'd get away with shorts today, if the truth be known, but the winter clothing needs to be found. I've managed to locate the balaclava and a hooded tracksuit top, not forgetting the waterproof trousers for those days when caught in the rain.

The weather forecasters promised gales and rain this weekend, but so far we've escaped with a drizzly Saturday and, see photograph above, blue skies this morning. But things can change and it'll be interesting to see how things change as I drive north later this morning.

I can't figure out the shot below of Warlingham Green. It says it was taken in May this year, according to my computer, probably at just gone 0700hrs, but those trees look really bare – too bare for May, surely, but there you go.

Supposedly Warlingham in May, but bare trees?

Also, I thought I'd throw in a rather strange shot of a park in Austria that, for some reason is submerged in water (I'm assuming not all the time, but just at a certain time of year). Perhaps I should of read the story accompanying the image, but I was quite taken aback but the image.

Now that's what I call a waterpark!

And here's a shot showing just how sunny it is at 0729hrs on this fine Sunday morning. Look at the way the sun is hitting the bookcase in the conservatory. Here's hoping the weather will stay this way for the rest of the day – although I don't think it will.

Sun hits the books at 0732hrs, Sunday 15th September 2013.