Halloween – and I'm back on the road (to mum's)

I'd have to go back three weeks or so to remember when I last mounted the old Kona Scrap and went for a ride; and I'm in desperate need of a bit of exercise as a result. I'm just hoping, as I sit here in the conservatory, the day coming to life outside, that the bike is fully functioning and there are no flat tyres as that would scupper everything. The last time I looked, which must have been the weekend after I returned from Chicago (but was too jet-lagged to ride the bike) all was well, so here's hoping.

While I haven't been following the weather reports, I get the feeling that all will be well today. I've heard people saying it's going to be a good weekend, which might mean Sunday too.

As the year draws to a close – Halloween tonight being the first signpost of the impending year-end – I'm kind of looking forward to what we call NoVisibleLycra weather (overcast skies, leaves on the ground, frosty starts). During the week we had some rain and it's definitely got colder. There's talk of a severe winter, but then there's always rumour of extreme conditions, normally in the Daily Express.

Autumn in England – Purley Playing Fields this morning

There was some confusion, but not until I'd reached mum's house. I checked my iphone and there was a text from Andy asking where I was. My brow furrowed. But he can't make it Saturday, he says so in a text. Hold on, let's check. Oh, wait a minute. His text related to last weekend. Not good. I hate letting people down so I texted an apology followed by an explanation. Earlier Phil had also aborted due to a sore throat. He'll be out of action all weekend. Alright, mistakes happen, I thought, and at least Andy and I got out on a ride, even if we were both riding alone. There was always tomorrow, I thought, securing a slice of my mum's fruit cake for Andy tomorrow (and a slice for me too).

I had breakfast at mum's consisting of a boiled egg, fingers, bread, tea and freshly sliced orange and banana. Oh, and a slice of fruit cake as 'dessert'.

My ride was pleasant if uneventful. I followed the usual route (see previous posts about riding to mum's – here's one of them) and the weather was a little chilly on the way out, but less so on the return ride, which also followed the same route I normally take back from mum's (through Carshalton Beeches, into Wallington, cutting through the industrial estate, along a short stretch of the A23 heading south and then branching off left past Rockingham's and the Purley Playing Fields. The shot above, incidentally, was taken this morning around 0730hrs.

I reached home at just past 1000hrs and now the sun is shining and all is good with the world. My brother Jon's daughter Elizabeth is in hospital as I write this giving birth to her first baby. Congratulations all round.