Outdoor Discoveries

What originally was a news section for the rest of the website soon became a place for me to write about human-powered wanderings in the countryside. Photography inspires me to get out there, mostly on foot these days, though cycling got me started. Musings on the wider context of outdoor activity complete the picture, so I hope that there is something of interest in all that you find here. Thank you for coming!

October, a month that is not without its delights

31st October 2008

While I may have not got out for a longer outing, this October has had its appealing moments. True, the deluge that derailed the OMM in Cumbria and caused the ensuing manufactured controversy may be what some remember, yet there was a lot of sun about too. In fact, while rain blighted other parts such as Scotland (various stories from those following the West Highland Way come to mind here), we in Cheshire do not seem to have done as badly at all, even with all the rain that we did get. Of course, we are in the midst of a cold snap (if my memory doesn’t fail me, there’s always one around this time to bring us down to earth ahead of the winter) but that is having its pleasures too, so long as we remain wrapped up. We may have no snow but, whenever the sun is released by the clouds, lively appearances are assured by the light that is unleashed. Today was very much a case in point even if great banks of cloud would have allowed those failing to get out a modicum of reassurance.

However, the weather does seem to have been better during the week than at the weekends, something that conspired along with my tiredness after a working week to keep me at home in place of a longer session spent sampling the outdoors. These days though, I have been getting in short lunchtime walks through some nearby woods and pastures, so the autumnal colours have not passed me by; that extra exercise is a bonus too. If anything, visiting woodland as regularly as I have been doing has meant that the oranges, auburns, russets, reds and yellows have been impressed on my memory rather more than otherwise might have been the case. Having had a wet summer, it would be delusional for anyone to expect a display of the calibre of that which greets visitors to New England at this point in the year, but there are plenty of delightful sights to savour nonetheless. It’s all balm to anyone being put out by the shortening of days and drops in temperature and just goes to show that there’s something to enjoy at any time of year, even those that are not as celebrated.

Autumn colour, Nether Alderley, Cheshire, England

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