Another day in which rain in the morning was followed by a warm, sunny afternoon – which suited me very nicely. Got out of work as soon as I could and, with a moderate wind coming from the north-west, was on my up through Coleorton and Top Brand to Isley Walton – then Swarkestone Bridge and west along the Beloved A Road.
Got as far as Foston then turned back. Came back the quicker way through Melbourne and up Rotter’s Rise.
This particular ride is usually something of a Game of Two Halves when performed after work, with heavier traffic and a headwind over the first half. But it’s worth it to glide along the A road with a tailwind in lighter traffic on the way back. I stopped for a bottle of lucozade and a sandwich at the petrol station near Hatton.
Listened to the first eight chapters of Laurence Krauss’ The Physics of Climate Change which is a brilliant, dispassionate explanation of the science of global warming and the greenhouse effect – the history of the science related to it, how the effects can be measured and correlated empirically to human activity, exactly how it works, the physics of radiative forcing and all that. Fascinating.
I noticed a ladybird on my sleeve near the railway crossing at Derby Airfield and it clung on for four miles. I did wonder whether I was doing it a disservice by transporting it miles away from its usual territory but apparently they can fly over 70 miles in one go at speeds upward of 30mph.
Back on 47.63, and that’s 359 this month.