DOWN THE CANAL WITH LOCAL HEROES

What a lovely day to get out, just a few miles down the Calder and Hebble canal, lovely wildlife, my partner snapped a grey pied wagtail. I also bumped into Abid Farid and his friend on their daily walk around the locality. 

Abid is a asian make up artist and owner of Abzolute Artistry and amateur photographer. 

Just a week before, he and his friend pulled a female bike rider out of the canal, her laces got caught in her chain; only her head could be seen bobbing up and down in the water.  Abids friend waded into the freezing cold water, the bike had dragged her and her bike to the bottom of the canal. Luckily Abid and his friend was there, as she could have drown, we had a chat on the towpath, they recalled her being very pale, shocked and very cold, they told me that even in this warm weather the water was freezing cold. Any later and they could have been dealing with a fatality. The lady didn't want any further assistance and wanted to remain anonymous.

On the day I bumped into Abid, he told me later that just after seeing me, further up the towpath he had rescued a baby bird, 

Keeping warm in a hoodie

we are not sure what it was, but he took it to a vets in Wakefield. Huddersfield Examiner got hold of his little story after he posted it on a local group on Facebook, the other story wasn't mentioned. See news report here 

One of his friends commented " You have a habit of coming across distressed beings whether its in human form or animal. You're a very kind human being "  Abid has caused a bit of a stir on facebook and he received many comments about his and his friends latest rescues.

Abid

My partner photographed a female pied wagtail. 

We are stuck!! Haha, maneuvering a narrowboat can't be easy. 

MID SUMMER WORKOUT

MORNING

Cup of tea.

A killer 7 min ripped abs Workout with Tamra D. I usually try to do this on an empty stomach as I sometimes get reflux.


BREAKFAST

2 large dessert spoons of porridge
Tsp mixed seeds
Spoonful of mixed nuts
2 dried prunes
1 large dried date
Spoonful of blueberries.

20 mins - 45 light weights training session (at home) USA Pro (2 Kilo) also muscle stretching (Yoga) 

'High intensity bursts' cycle ops (super magneto pro)  session on my road bike. (3 times a week). 3 - 30 second bursts of 'heart attack'  including warm up and warm down.

Including rides out on the bikes, either my road bike (hand built GTR series 3 carbon fibre) or ebike on our Sustrans greenway. My ebike is a Volt metro, its great for a relaxing ride out or you could cycle 40k easily switch the electric to PAS 1 for a great workout!

At the portrait bench on the greenway

IF YOU DON'T GO OUT YOU DON'T SEE THINGS

Today was too good an opportunity to miss, as we have been having some terrible weather, also I am due for a cold and chest infection from my other half. Tomorrow is my 49th birthday and I am feeling brilliant.  I have been doing mindfulness, I have organised my life, I am doing abs training and most of all enjoying getting out and about whenever I can.  In my title "If you don't go out, you don't seee things'  My mother hates me going off on my own, but I find it liberating, if you thought something bad is going to happen every time you leave the house, well, you wouldn't leave the house.  

Everyone is speeding around like loonies in their cars, oh what you miss when you are sat in a car.  I like to go as slow as possible, a saunter, still putting effort into cycling too.  You can hear the birds sing, the newly hatched great tit chicks tweeting in dry stone walls, newly formed waterfalls emerging from nowhere after all the rain; its amazing when you go at a slower pace you conserve energy, I managed to get my ebike ( no electric ) up some hefty hills and with a heavy lithium battery on it can be challenging.  There were loads of people out today, dog walkers, ramblers cyclists, one old lady wearing all the bright luminous green and orange jacket, helmet, gloves, you couldn't miss her.  I always take my camera out wherever I go.. a tornado jet flew over the greenway, then I saw a buzzard circling.  I went and sat in a little local garden area and had a breather.  Back home I spotted Most Haunted events.. then back up the greenway the way I had come. Home for a nice cuppa tea and a dog biscuit. For my spaniel of course. 

Call this a cycle lane ... Wakefield council.. tut..

Sunday cycling in Yorkshire

Making the most of the sunny weather today, I don't think it's going to last. At last I am on the road bike. I need a bit more fitness, some miles in the legs. After doing the sit down stand up fitness test, maybe I need something extra, I am as flexible as a steel rod lol. 

I went down the greenway today, Sustrans route 699. Lots of folks about having fun. Including me. 

Just pulled over to admire the view, the greenway isn't muddy btw, its tarmac, this is just a path.  A man was throwing a stick to a gorgeous Springer Spaniel, made me feel so guilty, leaving my Spaniel at home. Poor bugger. 

Panoramic shot

Dear BMW driver I can see you having a sneaky wee, I am behind the hedge

Again grabbing the chance while I can, to get outside on the bike, hopefully I will miss the showers. It's forecast a nice day today, mild, no wind, maybe the odd shower, but I will risk it. You see I don't like getting my electrics wet.  To my surprise all the oilseed rape was out, so took a few shots.  There were a few folks about, dog walkers, young children with parents, folks washing their cars;  most people usually say hello to me, especially when the sun is out, must put people in a good mood. 

I went a different way today, because I hate cycling on the main road, when the lorries go past I get loads of shit in my eyes. I tend to find the quietest routes, even if it's a longer way around. Two white vans were blocking the lane today, one was wanting to go one way, whilst the other the other way and it was like the Mexican stand off, meanwhile, I am at the back wondering if I am going to be reversed over. So I decide to go down the gap alongside, my handlebars got stuck in the privet hedge. I was a bit sarcastic with the driver of the van. 

I went to sit on a rock near the park, where I usually sit and opened my flask for a quick swig of coffee, as I was sat there I watched a man who was a few feet down the road in a BMW pull up and get out to have a wee. Wonderful... but... he didn't realize I was behind the privet hedge. Haha..

 'THE PADDOCK' THE LOCAL CARAVAN CLUB CERTIFIED LOCATION - Visit here

A COUPLE OF OSSES AND OSSETT CHURCH ;)

 OILSEED RAPE IS OUT

MY ROCK, I LIVE UNDER THEM

 MAYPOLE AT GAWTHORPE

MORE PHOTOS HERE

What happens when more women ride bikes?

What happens when more women ride bikes?: This May sees the second National Women and Cycling conference, this year held in Hereford. It’s hosted by Herefordshire County Council and WE Cycle, a new voluntary group “working towards women’s equality in cycling”. Currently, half as many women as men cycle in this country. (Local area walking and cycling statistics 2013/14*)

February first day on bike in 2016

Where am I?

Sustrans route 699

And the Calder and Hebble navigation, I am very lucky that both of these locations are yards from my doorstep.

Down by the canal in Dewsbury, there is a picnic area, a cafe called The Stables and a pub called Leggers.

Top of Dewsbury/Ossett greenway, looking toward Earlsheaton. This area is called the Runtlins to locals. Up here you can see views right over to Emley Moor TV mast.