I never like the winter these days. It’s harder to keep young kids entertained and that makes it harder on us all, but it’s not even December and it feels like we’ve had an awful lot of wet and rainy or dull and overcast days which I find the hardest! Limited places to go where it’s not muddy, an epic battle with the 3 kids to get shoes/boots and coats etc on just to leave the house, and my own mood and energy is just…bleughh! The weather app says we should at least have a dry spell for a week to 10 days, so fingers crossed that should help. Is it just me or has this autumn felt hard for others? How’s everyone else feeling?

At least it’s mild temps and the heating isn’t costing an arm and a leg, although a cold but bright snap would probably cheer me up no end right now!

Only recently turned muddy here… i’m still riding though, so all good.

Glorious crisp and sunny winter day here in Shropshire, it’s bizarrely dry too and so I won’t need to wash my bike after my imminent lunch ride. Sorry!

It’s all relative I suppose, I’m just happy that it’s overcast and dry instead of constant bloody rain like we had last week.

The dark at 4.30 thing is getting to me a bit though. I feel like my evenings have been stolen now there’s no chance of a light post-work ride.

Yes I still ride with lights, but daylight is good for us.

It’s been wet for a few weeks now but still relatively mild – first colder day today with mist and 2 degree temps.

Trails are muddier but not full slop yet around here (Bristol). I’ve ridden Rowberrow the last 2 weekends and haven’t looked like I’ve been hosed with a jet wash full of red mud so I take that as a victory.

3 kids must be a lot of work though – I’ve got one 5 year old and she’s hard enough to get out the house ready for whatever. We had been bike riding a lot through Sep / Oct but Nov we’ve not got out so much.

A nice crisp blue sky day with bright sunshine would go down well soon though!

…3 kids…

There’s your problem.

But yes. Feeling the pain. Every year I have no idea how I’m going to survive winter. I’m totally miserable already and it’s not even that bad yet.

Lovely and sunny here in the Black Mountains. First time in a while. Soooo wet under foot. It is so sunny my PV has already filled my batteries and I am looking at ways to use the energy rather than waste it (not grid tied). Just done the hoovering and now a big load of washing. Drawing 2.5KW and all from the sun. Loving these new panels 🙂

Another blue-sky day here. Barely a cloud, but it’s noon and the first is still covering the cars and lawns.

first dry-ish day in the south west swamplands for what feels like forever.

Wall to wall fog yesterday, its lifted a bit today though, I guess the drizzle has washed it off.
-2 when I left the house today but dry and a decent pedal in. Up to 3 here now.
It’s almost December though so what to expect?
We’ve really not had a bad run of the weather this year so far and I’m quite pleased to see it looking like it’s starting to have a winter after last year’s warm temps and heavy rain most all winter followed by high winds and floods.

I can barely see out of the windows here it’s that misty/foggy. On this morning’s pre-work pedal I joked to my mate it’s like the Great Smog of 1952 and wondering how long until all the log burners that now exist start creating havoc!
I used to love winter – cold, dark before school home-time, wet, snow etc. Now I’m much less happy with it…I must have got old haha 😥

Glorious sun here. But it has been raining quite a bit lately.
However having said that, it has been ‘warm’, in fact the grass in the fields is still growing and the horses are still out 24/7 grazing. Even in the past few days – daisies have been flowering, and this is central scotland.

So its been a fine not too troubling autumn so far. Even still been out in shorts on the MTB uptill the weekend there. Looking forward to the hard frosts though.

We’ve normally had snow here by now and the temperature will have plummeted, so in the grand scheme of things its not so bad, given the cost involved in staying warm.

At the moment we’ve got thick fog here which is set in for the day, but yesterday was absolutely glorious for the first time after weeks of constant rain, so I did the only sensible thing…

😀

Yes the 3 kids make it hard to just get out and get some air or daylight. I’m the one that forces us out for a walk even when it’s just to the swings at the end of the street. It’s not unheard of for the kids to have a great 30 mins and say something daft like, ‘best day ever!’ but it’s the same battle to get shoes and coats on the next day! Drives me spare.

I’m hoping it turns properly cold for a good spell and I’d love a dump of snow as it’s so much fun for kids. Not that common in London, but the sledges are ready and waiting.

2 days of pea soup in Boroughbridge. No wind, not even drizzle, just fog.
Weird as a guy at work is just 15 miles away as the crow flies & it’s brilliant sunshine & frosty.

I’m with the OP, not helped by what is now 6-7 weeks of various coughing viruses which has ended up with the proper Flu, so I’m lying here either sweating, shivering, nodding off / waking up with even my hair and teeth hurting. The days and nights currently feel very long.

On top of that, gets dark just after 4, work isn’t going well, Mrs K lost her job so well yeah, depressing.

Just returned from a cafe ride with a couple of mates , dense fog , glasses constantly misting up can’t see hand in front of face touch . Not looking like it’s going to lift much today . Yesterday though a bright crisp bluebird morning rode out across the Somerset Levels and took some cracking photos of all the floodwater . Off to the Quantocks Thursday 😎Unlike joebristol I’m not venturing onto the Mendip for a while with all the recent rain .

so I’m lying here either sweating, shivering, nodding off / waking up with even my hair and teeth hurting.

Yep, that’s proper flu alright 😀

Feel better soon matey.

Proper hard frost this am here, blue skies and still below 2c here.

It’s not raining, that’ll do.

Not that common in London, but the sledges are ready and waiting.

That reminds me, I need to buy a sledge BEFORE it snows. I don’t want to miss out again.

We’ve got one 18 month old boy and we’re already pretty sure we can’t do it again and make everything that’s already so difficult twice as hard again.

Not raining, but am struggling for riding motivation at the moment. Would rather run, swim or climb

2 days of pea soup in Boroughbridge. No wind, not even drizzle, just fog.

Pretty much, I got to the office this morning and it was clear ish in the dip where we are, it’s now descending a bit and I get the impression I’ll be cycling home in it too.

Sharkattack, it does get easier. Our eldest is 7 now and can be quite good at getting herself ready…. Sometimes. The 5yo can but rarely does without a lot of ‘Get your shoes on, we are going out’ ‘ooowww ! But daddy! We went out yesterday! I don’t want to.’ …. Usually followed by a grumpy me repeating the first line at increasing volume while trying to locate then cajole, dress, rugby tackle and subdue the youngest who’s 2.5 almost … Although he’s often very keen to get out TBF… Just needs control!

Wife and I are convinced this will be our hardest winter and next year will be very different. Hope so!

OP Count yourself lucky you have a family to keep you company. It can be a long day and night waking up alone, working alone all day and going to bed alone. I’d love to be in your position.

Feel for you there Mr p. The days when I’m WFH and the kids are at school and youngest is out with the wife, I find the house to quiet! Odd as I long for a bit of peace when they all return!

Only 3 more weeks until the solstice !!!

Only 3 more weeks until the solstice !!!

Remarkably true. The warm autumn has made it seem earlier than it is, though last weeks heavy rain and this week’s fog aren’t helping the mood.