December, the darkest month

Geograph Blog ::

December, the darkest month

A possible inspiration to others, I hadn't planned or expected to continue my trips to new places on the map over the winter months, as described in my previous entry, but each week I checked the map and timed the routes to see if I could get around it in time which I did each trip. Sundays were the usual method as there's far less traffic, although I have managed others as well. They have been to Datchet , Croxley , including a square which only had one photo in it previously , Mickleham , Clandon , Virginia Water and a failed attempt to get what may have been a pre-Worboys sign in Uxbridge, illegible on Streetview and used as a reason to get myself out somewhere, with a single new square for the effort (it was a sign telling the story of a local bridge). It also produced some nice views such as

Having expected to go in an ever decreasing spiral mopping up little taken squares to fill up with some more until March I surprised myself by keeping the momentum going right up to the shortest day, managing with the help of my trusty A-Z nine new squares in the area around the North Downs before sundown. It is only uphill (as in improving) from here as the days will be getting longer now, although it got dark almost half an hour earlier today than yesterday as it was so overcast. Had it not been sunny or partly cloudy each week I'd never have managed it as the light wouldn't have been anywhere near good enough. I am now planning ahead by the month, with February and March trips already mapped out I won't spoil by tempting fate and naming. I also have another ambition, the furthest I can get a couple of times before it gets dark in any reasonable direction until the clocks go forward and I can pick and choose. That could be off the A1 NE from Hatfield, the A24 south, and anywhere beyond Chesham I haven't done already. It was a great relief to keep going right through the off season as I'm an unreformed collector and always like adding something new to a collection or other, and as the pre-Worboys signs are getting rarer and rarer (but still turning a few up) new places can keep going as long as I can.

Meanwhile after fiddling with the undocumented menus on the camera I discovered how it was meant to take night photos, so joined many others using the tripod although the exposures are so long (5-10 seconds in some cases) even a light wind will blur them while open.