June 1st – A great friend from Walsall recently commented that when he came back from holidays or distant journeys, crossing Shire Oak Hill in the car always made him and his family feel like they were nearly home. I love this view. Seeing it, like the one from Church Hill in Walsall, reminds you of what a tremendously green area Walsall actually is.

Nipping up to the Wood on the way home, I was reminded of this. Al, you’re a star.

June 1st – As the week matured, the weather, and the early mornings got better and better. The wind died and the sun came out. It was still grey today, but the meadow before Little Aston church was green and smelt sweet with pollen. Stopping by at 6:15am, with little traffic, I could hear beebuzz and birdsong. I didn’t want to go to work…

May 31st – The weather really settled down today, and summer is definitely on the return. The air was chilly at 6:30AM in Four Oaks, but the light was gorgeous and the wind had died right down. I stopped to admire the architecture of this house in Lichfield Road, which I’ve passed many times. Is this stunning, or what?