Sunday 20 January 2013

More snow means no cycling at all this weekend

There was a strong chance that we'd go out today, although, somehow, I knew we wouldn't be as more snow was promised and, once again, the delivery was bang on time, as predicted by the weathermen.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. My back garden in the snow
The road outside my house was clear so I figured  – and so did Andy – that a ride would be possible, although I knew that I'd have to get the car out of the garage, take out the bike and then put the car back, which would have been a nuisance. Deep down, therefore, I was counting on the weathermen to be right, mainly because I knew darn well it would damp and very cold out there today and, next to rain, extreme cold is not good for cycling. There were rumours of icy roads too so generally speaking I was aware a ride today (Sunday) wouldn't be a good idea.

I texted Andy around 6am saying I wouldn't be going, based purely on the fact that it wasn't going to be pleasant. It was one of those 'aborts' that turns out to be the right thing. We'd been talking about a later start, meeting at 8am instead of the usual 0730, but by 0800 the snow had started to fall and now, at 1144 it's still coming down: fine snow, but constant and the black roads have turned white again.

Not sure how it would have played out, only that Andy and I would have met at the Green, where there's no cover, and probably cycled back home again, getting a soaking in the process. All-in-all, therefore, a timely and sensible 'abort', although I have no idea whether or not Andy went out alone. He might have done as he's bike's been in the repair shop and he hasn't been cycling for a couple of weeks or more. I went last weekend so I'm relatively at ease with missing out this weekend.

I'm hoping that by next weekend the snow might have thawed and the weather improved a little as I'd like to get out there – if only to eat my mum's cake and sip hot tea at the Tatsfield Bus Stop, although I could do that now so perhaps the real reason is getting out on the bike, chewing the fat with Andy who, I think, hasn't been out since the 29th December (correct me if I'm wrong, Andy).

Dog the Bounty Hunter - he looks like the lion from the Wizard of Oz
Actually, I quite like it when the snow falls. I've spent the entire weekend just lazing about in the house. The car is warm and dry in the garage, a beef casserole is cooking in the oven and outside the snow falls. All very cosy. It would be good if Percy the Parkeeper or Tales of Peter Rabbit was on the box, or Columbo, something like that.

During the afternoon I sat and watched a few episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter, which is an odd programme for so many reasons. Why do all the criminals he catches know him and treat him like an old buddy? Why are they all really amiable people? Why do they not swear at him or, worse still, why aren't guns fired? And I don't know about you, but if I was on the run, the first person I'd notice if I was on the look-out for the fuzz would be Dog himself. He looks like the lion in the Wizard of Oz for a start, he really stands out and he's not in anyway inconspicuous, is he?

I then munched on some Christmas cake, had baked beans on toast for dinner (having eaten a hearty lunch) and watched Aquamarine (a girly movie that I ended up enjoying). Lastly, I sat and watched Road to Perdition with Tom Hanks – what a fantastic movie!