Spring – first daffodils pictures

First open daffodils I saw this spring

On a bit more sunshiney note than some posts, I came across these  flowers growing  in nearby woods, while riding my mountain bike on a beautiful, warm, sunny spring day last saturday.

Late afternoon sun through the trees (27-03-2010)

I have always enjoyed riding my mountain bike more or less since the late eighties when mountain biking started taking off in Britain. As I kid I loved the strenuous exercise, being out in nature in all weathers, and the freedom a bike gave me to travel the world(!) when I still had several years to go before I could drive a car. It also gave me great adventures with friends. We were fellow explorers reclaiming the wild for boys on bikes!

Today I admit I have lost the physique to be an athletic adventurer and the taste for extreme thrills and stunts. I still love riding my bike. I love getting out in touching distance of the natural world, the smells, tastes and the wind against your body and face. I love the peace of nature away from dogma or sectarian categories, nature belongs to all and does not discriminate. Riding is also a good way for me to wrestle with myself. Sometimes I’m like a wild horse that refuses to be tamed or a dog that is restless until its run itself to oblivion and sinks back exhausted, but satisfied (probably with stick!) back in the car!

My trusty stead - "El duderino" - or just call him "The Dude"!

I found the daffodils on the last five minutes of my ride. I was muddy already from the ride, so I didn’t mind gettin ‘down ‘n’ dirty’ on the ground to capture them up close on the camera.

Daffodils (27-03-2010)