Is it autumn... or fall?

Hurrah, the sun was shining on Saturday and Olympic Park, with its 35km of bike trails, beckoned. I reckoned it was time Penelope got a run around the Park - last time I took Petunia, but this is really Penelope's territory. Relatively flat, it's ideal territory to get a heavy hub-gear ladies' cruiser going at a smart pace. Our ride usually starts near the river, where we warm up our muscles riding along watching boats on the sparkling water.

As you can see, it was warm for late autumn - I'm in clothes that scream 'spring'. Or scream something, anyway. Stripes with an Hawaiian print skirt - what WAS I thinking!? :-) T'other Half isn't as sartorial as I when we go out; it's always the same old shorts and t-shirt mix.

Once you've gone along the water you can choose to turn left at Silverwater Bridge, and ride up past the prison to Holker Street. Holker Street has a slight slope up to a set of traffic lights and then a long, lovely straight run that's slightly downhill. You have a bike lane all to yourself and a bus lane between you and the cars. You can go like stink. We did. T'other Half told me he was in top gear pedalling down Holker. So was I - and I was gaining on him. Penelope gathers a lot of momentum when she has the space to. I don't usually get to put her in top gear as a lot of our local riding is stop/start. It felt absolutely wonderful screaming along as hard as I could pedal with the lightweight little road bike in front getting closer and closer to Penelope's front wheel.

Then we were back on the bike paths, where I typically hover between third and fourth gear. They're winding and go past wetlands, and through bushy areas, past the back of houses, and criss-cross around the place. We usually do the Riverside ride, about 17km, then cross over a main road and ride around Olympic Park itself or the Bicentennial Wetlands. There's another opportunity to pedal like fury on some of the quieter roads there, as they have bike lanes, new and smooth tarmac, and glorious sweeping bends.

However, we'd reached the spot at the southern end of Riverside where we usually turn around and backtrack a bit until we get to the main road when T'other Half tried to turn his bike in a very tight turn and hit the tarmac.

We were only going at walking pace, so it wasn't a bad fall, but he hurt his hip and his knee - ironically, not on the side that actually hit the ground, but I think he twisted his other leg trying to keep his balance or stay on the bike.

T'other Half picked himself up and made masculine grunty moany noises and remounted, but we didn't go on for the longer ride. He was in a bit of pain and for once didn't charge off ahead of me but was content to stay at my tail as we rode back to the car. He said he has now given up all ideas of joining a Golden Oldies Rugby Club; he just doesn't bounce like he used to.

We're both rubbish at tight turns; I've fallen down a couple of times at slow speed trying to do a 180 but then I have awful balance anyway. That's why I find Penelope, with her stability, much nicer to ride than Petunia despite her weight. I think I'll have to do more practice on turns; I usually dismount if we have to turn around on a narrow pathway and retrace our steps.

It's Monday as I write this and he's much better now, but was still stiff yesterday so no riding or avid dog-walking either. Tomorrow we'll be back into it though. We're already planning another ride for this weekend as the weather is just so wonderful right now.

Blissful coolth...

I've turned the heater on. First time this year. Last night the thermometer got down into single figures; as a result two little cats curled up tightly behind my knees. Twin thermo nuclear reactors! I woke up boiling from the waist down and with freezing shoulders where the little devils had pulled the blankets down into a bundle to keep themselves warm :-)

T'other Half and I went for a brisk walk with the dog when the sun came up and I, for once, wore a light sweatshirt. Until now I've been overheating in a tshirt. Oh, I DO love this cooler weather! I even sprinted in the park, and jogged along the footpath.

We've been taking the bikes out almost every day too. Both of us have been getting fitter and when I'm on Petunia I can give t'Other Half a serious run for his money these days. He doesn't get nearly as far ahead of me as he used to. Penelope is my faithful shopping friend and her Basil bags have shown themselves capable of taking a good load - tins of cat food and tomatoes, litres of milk, apples, chocolate, fish and an entire rockmelon sat comfortably in the messenger bag today.

Last Saturday we went bushwalking with some friends for a couple of hours around North Head national park in Sydney. Summer's last blast, it was a bright blue day with not a cloud in sight until mid afternoon. People were in swimming at the little coves and beaches around Manly and the Head.

Bet there aren't many people in the water today, though. It's grey and cool and dank. So dank that the lightweight load of washing I did this morning - such as cotton sheets - didn't get dry. It's now hanging, Chinese laundry-style, in front of the heater.

The only thing I hate about this time of year is that it's dark by about 5.15. I keep thinking about the title of Douglas Adams' book, The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. It feels a bit like that most days when I've finished work and it's too dark to safely cycle down the unlit paths in our slightly unsavoury neck of the woods. Still, it beats the heat.

Autumnal bliss

OK, the trees haven't started to really change colour yet, but a magical seasonal thing happened over the Easter break.

It got cooler. Just like that.

The heat and humidity that has plagued us since December vanished, leaving sunshine that was warm but not hot, and nights that suddenly we can sleep through - even occasionally needing another blanket. The winter duvet isn't far away. We haven't had to have the aircon on to cool us down. We suddenly need light sweaters in the evenings.

All this delightful coolth means we are waking refreshed and bright-eyed and eager to get out of bed and walk or cycle before breakfast. This week it's been walking for the most part with our dog, who needs the exercise too. The heavy dew on the grass creeps into our trainers, soaking our socks with chilly water. Rosie the spaniel is soaked to the skin halfway up her sides after only ten minutes; she loves to nose through longer grass in the parks, and chases her ball with the delight and dedication of a retriever.

We've had the bikes out, too - I think I'll go for a ride later today, even if T'Other Half isn't up to it. He makes rather a big deal out of any kind of exercise, even if he's doing it regularly. The Birman Boycat and I exchange knowing glances when T'Other Half starts rabbiting on about his calf muscles or thigh muscles or how he should only jog instead of walk every second day. The jogging, by the way, consists of a 200 metre trot down a mild hill, and another 200 metres on the flat in the middle of our brisk walk. You'd think it was a ten mile gallop the way he bangs on about it. The animals and I hear a lot about the muscles after a jog :-). Not that I can talk, my jogs are about the same; my damaged knees scream in protest if I jog for long on the footpath, so I keep any running to the soft turf in the park. Thankfully cycling is much kinder to my knees.

So while now might be the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, it's also the season of cycling - we are planning rides for the next few weekends: Richmond, Olympic Park, along the Parramatta Riverbanks. Weekdays we'll be alternating walking and cycling before breakfast. It doesn't get any more perfect that this.