“Space is my harp, and I touch it lightly with fingers of steel“

I’m reading a whole heap of classic old school science fiction at the moment, so forgive me the slightly random quote.  However if you translate it into how I was feeling flying down Shipham Hill a little while ago, at well over 40mph, with my hands just over the brakes…maybe you’ll see where I’m coming from?

Yes, this evening I went for a solitary bimble.  While mentally planning my route this afternoon, I decided I wanted to end it on a high.  Which, for me, means a down, however contradictory that would normally sound.  Hey, my middle name is Mary, I’m allowed to be contrary 😉

Which down though?  Not Cheddar again; done that enough of late.  Not Burrington Combe; lovely, but too far to come home again afterwards, and involving more up.  That obviously left Shipham; one of my favourites.

Right then, how to go up to earn the down?  Not Cheddar; too near, not enough time to warm up, not far enough to go to then be coming down again.  So, where to go to be far enough away to climb and come back again within my two hour evening window?  Decisions, decisions…  Apparently my internal musings decided that the answer to this question was Old Bristol Hill.  Time to warm up first, including a couple of smaller climbs to get used to the idea, and then that one bl**dy big long up.  I must have words with my inner voice…!  Talking to yourself is the best way to guarantee a decent conversation, right? 😉  But hey, it may have taken me quarter of an hour, and completely wiped out what was up until then a pretty impressive average speed, but I still got up there.  I’ve done it better, I’ve done it worse, and I’ll no doubt do it again 🙂

Which just left me, where I wanted to be, to enjoy the top of the Mendips.  To admire the gorgeous views glowing under the slowly setting sun.  Not to mention the colourful pheasants completely failing to be camouflaged in the fields, and the evening grazing rabbits of all ages who run down the middle of the road in front of you when startled instead of jumping into the hedge.  Always funny 😀  I also scooped up enough flying beasties to seriously dilute the insectoid gene pool in my back garden when I released them on arriving home!  Flies in my bra as well as in my teeth… 😉  Well it was really lovely out there.  Really quiet too, although my back light was on in an attempt to make me slightly more visible to anyone with the sun in their eyes, it was mostly unnecessary.  I’m increasingly convinced that evening rides rock :).

And then there I was, where we are now, where we began, flying down Shipham Hill, with a big smile on my face, and my ride nearly at an end.  As is this blog.  See, it all makes sense 😉

Cycling time: 1:55
Distance: 28.4 miles
Avg: 14.8 mph
ODO: 5236.5 miles

“I am blind, yet I know the road to the stars“.