First bike ride in far too long

After a busy morning I decided to make the most of the mild weather and head out for a ride. After I'd turned up Kirk Edge Road at the village of Worrall, though, I was suddenly riding into a steady wind - and as it was already a grade 15 climb, I decided to turn North rather than continue out to Bradfield. It is actually a nicer ride that way, heading up the intermittent climb of Onesmoor Bottom before slinging down the winding road toward Broomhead Reservoir. Climbing up Onesmoor it was getting increasingly cold above about 300-350 metres, with patches of snow still on the ground and a light but cutting wind that made me regret not gloving up. The fields up here are a mix of cereal crops (currently fallow of course) and hilly meadow, with herds of dreadlocked sheep and some beautiful horses. A creamy white and a piebald brown were having a race around their field, perhaps for the joy of running or perhaps to keep warm. Then the narrow road suddenly winds and drops down into the woods, to both sides jagged lumps of rock and fallen trees covered with a thick green moss that would look positively tropical if you couldn't feel the cold. I'd usually follow the road all the way around the reservoir and then climb up to Bolsterstone, but spotted a path cutting through the woods so decided to make the most of the quiet and the (mostly) frozen ground. A lovely sharp drop down through the woods, losing a hundred meters of altitude in not much more distance, then the following the path beside the reservoirs - winding and bumpy with roots and the uneven topography of the shore. Back on the main road at the bottom of the valley, and a sprint the last seven km home for a nice hot coffee.