More edge-of-seat updates from the front line..
Last night's journey brought welcome respite from the drudgery, insecurity and underachievement of the office; so I pushed the ride out a bit through Kennington - keen to make use of what's left as the weather sours and nights draw in.
Unfortunately once out the other end and attempting to negotiate the underpass to the Abingdon road, I was greeted by this:
Unenthused by the prospect of either retracing my route or attempting to drag the bike over four carriageways of rush hour traffic I braved it; to find the water was about crank-level deep at its worst; emerging on the other side with absolutely saturated feet..
Further into town I had to brake to avoid hitting a bus that pulled out in front of me on the high street; only to stop a few hundred yards down the road - the driver's open window giving me ample opportunity to voice my lack of appreciation.
No rings tonight as I'm still getting over illness (Covid?), felt exhausted, while in any case the park is flooded - playing host to a family of marooned bins huddling together for warmth on their impromptu island..
The tow path brought more trimming and with it the day's first and only dose of calm and inner peace.. can't put my finger on it but stopping to "smell the roses" (butcher the brambles) somehow seems to enforce a rare state of mindfulness and tranqulity on my otherwise hectic brain.
While I think the brambles' rate of growth is now slowing as we enter the autumn, I've started trimming back the once-fruit-laden bits projecting onto the path since nearly all of the blackberries are over now... remaining mindful of the many spiders choosing to inhabit these outcrops.
The canal was still high with water passing over some of the locks, however I think not to the same extent as in the morning..
Lots of nice interactions again with others on the tow path, including a very friendly and unsolicited "hi" from an attractive jogger, an incongruous "good morning" from a German-sounding chap on a bike and a compliment on the Brompton from a fellow cyclist as I was trimming at the Yarnton end
Did find that for the second time I'd mashed a sodding dog egg into the LH (folding) pedal, which was pleasant to deal with
This morning's car stage was marred by being tailgated by some vacuous bellend in an X5 for much of it, then spending an additional 10-15 minutes waiting in traffic in Yarnton as it was backed up from Peartree again. Once out on the bike there was a bit of a chill with some drizzle, no sausages thanks to the delay but as usual infinitely less horrible than being in the car.
Forecast seems squiffy for the way home - fingers' crossed I don't get drenched..