July 13th – One of those rare posts when I feature something that isn’t actually here. But was. Recently.

The spring and early summer were marked by the lack of cattle in the water meadow at Green Lane, Walsall Wood called Jockey Meadows. Every year in recent times cows have spent a few months grazing here to maintain the meadow, eating the more voracious species of undergrowth, churning up the soft ground with their feet and spreading the sloppy, fertile cowpat love.

I like the cows. If they’re there, I often stop to talk them, and I always will, because they seem to listen. I’ve missed them this year.

Well, I passed this morning and the cows have been here recently. The meadow and scrub are trampled. There are makeshift cake troughs. But no cows.

I hope they return…