BrownhillsBob

April 8th – Following the sad, low fug of the day before I awoke determined to feel better today come what may. I busied myself catching up with the blog and this journal, and getting things done that had been withering for a while.

I actually got a lot done and felt much better, so much so that I actually didn’t get out on my bike until after dark, when I had to shoot up to the shop for some supplies. I took a more scenic route than usual, and headed for the canal since it was such a clear, still night.

The watered from Coopers Bridge looked wonderful. The only sound was the generator used by the narrowboat, and occasionally waterfowl calls. The Canon camera, as usual, drank up the dark and worked magic with it.

A glorious evening.

madoldbaggage:

Wightwick Manor – 8 April 2018 – interior

geopsych:

This morning in the fields.

April 7th – Ogley Junction Footbridge is mystifying me a little. The bridge itself and deck were restored beautifully, to much local praise. The remainder of the work – the spit and polish, if you like, hats been patchy.

The pathway off the bridge was originally remade badly, and now has been dug out and corrected, which is good to see. But the bit baffling me is the masonry.

The brickwork on the wing walls has been vary sparingly pointed, here and there. To me, it looks like it all could have done with doing, and bits still seem to be in a parlous state. I’m prepared to accept the work might be ongoing and not finished yet, but if it is a work in progress, there’s no logical pattern to completion whatsoever.

A bit of a conundrum.

April 7th – An awful, terrible horrible day in which little went to plan and I just gradually lost the will to try. A spin out in light drizzle late wasn’t so bad though, and did make me feel a little better.

As I headed up the canal towards Newtown, I realised that things are greening up well – the fields of Sandhills and Hammerwich are bright green, but have had little chance to shine as yet.

The mist and murk would ordinarily have been depressing, but for the fresh air, solitude and speed I was grateful.

Life can be tough sometimes.

April 6th – Dipping into Stonnall and the backlanes on an errand on the way home, spring is indeed in the lanes: The first bees are dozy, but about and feeding. Spring flowers are decorous here as well as Telford, and a pheasant pranced in a field, it’s gorgeous golden plumage sparking in the weak sun.

We’re getting there, slowly.

April 6th – A frenetic, hurried visit to Telford in the afternoon showed me something about spring I forget – the optimism and resilience of nature. At the worksite of the new footbridge project, daffodils I spoke of as being lost last year under diggers and demolition have not just survived, but sprout from every patch of undisturbed ground. Bobbing cheerfully from scraped embankments, mounds of silver and defiantly decorating piles of rebar, these yellow flag bearers for better times will not be put off.

Meanwhile, steelwork is going up apace now.

Some features of spring are not just beautiful, but life-affirming.

April 5th – I keep going on about this to the point that readers must be sick to death of it, but Spring seems alternately on my shoulders and miles away.

Stood on Catshill Junction Bridge, looking at the leafless trees, muddy wet towpaths and general lack of green, spring seems delayed.

We need warm weather, clear skies and all this will just bolt into life.

It ain’t too much to ask, is it? A bit of happiness from the sun?

April 5th – There will be a series of muggings on the canal in coming months.

A pair of familiar criminals met me on my way home – gone for the winter, these fair weather foes appear in the spring every year, and raise a local brood, surviving on the abundant local greens – but also on the tidbits and seed they bully out of passers by whom they harass for treats.

If you’re on the canal between Clayhanger Bridge and The Black Cock, take seed or something to shoo them off with…

April 4th – I’d had to call into Aldridge after working late and returned via Streets Corner. I noted that the old wall to the 60s shopping precinct on the corner had gone, and excavations were underway.

This is the preparatory work for the next stage of local junction improvements work which will see this entire junction remodelled with new signals, slip roads and crossings.

Peaceful now in the gathering dusk, but a summer of inconvenience and holdups for motorists seems to be on the cards…

Shire Oak has been massively improved, however, so it’ll be worth it in the end.