I’ve been getting fed up with the boring weather we’ve been having, two full weeks of dry grey skies and light winds; it got to the stage where I’d stopped wishing for sun and would have been happy for wind or rain to relieve the monotony. But yesterday, both the forecasts I check agreed that today was going to be clear blue skies from dawn 'til dusk, both at home and at Ashbourne and Matlock in the Peak District.
Unfortunately they lied, I awoke to clouds, set of at 9am under clouds, and when I got to the Peaks yet more bloody clouds…
Only thing to do was go to Hulme End for a consolation cake based elevenses. 
When I set off from there towards the moors I could see blue skies on the horizon, but every where I went they stayed on the horizon, and the clouds followed me around.
The blue appeared to be to the east, which was where I was working my way around towards for lunch in Monyash, so I was hopeful I’d get some sun eventually. But no, the blue stayed out of reach, and the direction of the sun was still obscured by clouds.
There was a lot of bikes at The Old Smithy as usual, and whilst eating a baked spud for lunch I pondered if I should continue sun chasing or just head home. I decided on the latter as that was two hours away and it would be nice to get there in the daylight.
Not long after starting off again I finally got some sunshine! Had to take a quick snap as proof.
But alas, it was elusive and 10 minutes later I was in the shade of cloud again.
Eventually, about an hour from home, the skies finally cleared properly, in time to let the low sun shine in my eyes as I was riding. But I didn’t mind too much, it was sun after all, and that golden hour sun enhanced by the colour of the autumn leaves still clinging to the trees. I wished I could have got a good photo of that but I passed no convenient place to get one, and was too tired from riding to extend my journey to go exploring the side roads. So there’s just a field with long shadows.
Got home around 3:30 and after putting bike and clothing away opened my usual post-ride beer 