Call me reckless, but I’ve been casting clouts like mad these past few days. No, nothing kinky, get your mind out of the gutter – just putting the thermals away at last, weaning myself down from two jumpers to just the one and, this morning – it being the third day of warm sunshine in a row – throwing all caution to the wind and setting off on my bike with not only no jumper, but no fleece either: a mere three layers in all. Not only that, but by the top of the first hill the gloves had gone, and by the top of the second the hat too. I think that’s the first time I’ve been out bare headed since August. Weather Gods? I laugh in the face of their wrath.*
And – whether it was the shiny new tarmac, or the lightened load (that fleece must weigh a couple of kilos at least I reckon) or just the general springiness of the day – it was a speedy one too, this morning. Well speedy-ish, I don’t suppose that 12 mph will be getting me chucked out of the slow cycling movement any time soon. Though if I get my new bike, who knows what crimes against leisureliness I will be committing shortly?
* Actually, if they’re reading this, no I don’t. Honest. That was just a joke. I tremble before you and your majesty … don’t give me a summer like last one, I beg you. I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again. I’ll make sacrifices…
You probably know this already, but the “May” referred to in the “Ne’er cast…” saying is said to mean the May tree, not the May month. May is another name for hawthorn, so if you’ve got hawthorn blossom showing up there, then you’re in the clear…
12mph will have you out of the SBM on your ear I’m afraid – 15km/h strict maximum. They might let you off if your long term average is below though.
I do wish people would not mix mph and kph!
12mph is 19kph and 15kph is 9mph.
WW – it’s not got any leaves on it yet, let alone blossom. I think that’s where it gets its (Scottish) name
PB – I take those things with a pinch of salt, frankly.
Flighty – thanks for the translation. I’d be out on my ear whatever, then.
Weather Gods? I laugh in the face of their wrath.
you have just put the kybosh on the rest of your summer.
John
(Sigh) That’ll be why I got my polarfleece out for the first time in 5 months and wore it on my cycle down to the supermarket this morning. It was a little hot and I took it off when I got home. Why does everything have to be so. . . balanced? The tree outside my window is definitely more pink than green now.
There’s some dialectical argument here – from distant memory, in N Aberdeenshire a clout can be a cleaning cloth or a clip round the ear, and further south it means clod of earth – so, are you not meant to clean, wallop or garden until May is out?
John – I’m afraid of that…
Jenny – I know. But come October you’ll be laughing and we’ll be battening down the hatches for a long winter
J – Just to be on the safe side, I shall do none of them. Well, maybe some gardening
Beware the weather gods. At 1730 yesterday I thought it was still nice and sunny and I could put another load of washing out.
At 1735 I was racing to get the first lot in as the haar came up the road. Another 5 minutes and I couldn’t see the road…
Normal service has been resumed here, if the rain on the window is anything to go by… ah well, it was nice while it lasted
So, a speed freak now! What you need, obviously, is a little man with a red flag.
Are you volunteering? I would pay you in parsnips, if the buggers ever germinate
Flighty – sorry for slipping between units – I’m fully bilingual I’m afraid – I inherited the trait from my father (who converts imperial to foreign – or rather the reverse mostly – on the fly to 32nd of an inch/pint/yard/acre/bushel/etc)
I just had a gel saddle cover delivered today – and it’s like riding a whole new bike – I feel like I’ve been in this old yellow pages advert up until now :s
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