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July 16th – Oh dear. Catshill Junction’s cosy spot by the narrows, previously occupied by the black and white sleepyhead was this evening occupied by a new tenant, a rather splendid tabby sporting a rather fetching collar.
A fair sized puss in good condition, someone loves that cat without doubt.
I wonder if they have a timeshare arrangement?
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July 16th – We tend to think of summer as the flowering season, but really that’s only half true. Flowering is mainly spring and early summer, and from high summer on, it’s the time for fruiting.
Starting with cherries and rowan berries, fruits, nuts, haws, hips and seeds are now developing well. The green hawthorn berries are plentiful this year after a thin year last time; and blackberries look like they’ll be in good supply too.
Although this time of plenty should really be celebrated, it always makes me just a bit wistful for a summer passing.
But of course, the fruit will bring colour of it’s own to brighten my hedgerows and waysides for weeks to come.
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July 15th – More galls: I mentioned knopper galls recently and pointed out these wasp galls deform acorn buds to form a home for the wasp larva within. I found an illustration of this in Victoria Park Darlaston.
This is a knapper gall starting to form. The acorn cap is normal, but where the smooth, rounded nascent acorn should be, there is a knobbly, textured growth which will expand to form the gall.
The DNA of the acorn has literally been corrupted or reformed to grow a home for the wasp egg within by a chemical the egg was coated with.
How does such a mechanism evolve? It’s truly wonderful.
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July 15th – The flowers continue to appear daily. Rosebay willowherb is the latest – a beautiful, tall weed, it paints wasteland, hedgerows, scrubs and derelict land with a beautiful hade of purple, complimenting the buddleia which it competes against for light and space.
In a few weeks it will seed with fluffy, wind-born seeds that float on the breeze and were locally known as ‘fairies’ when I was a kid, hence it’s colloquial name ‘Old man’s beard’.
We really should look more closely at the plants we dismiss as weeds.
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July 14th – So pleased to see the cats out and about at last, as I noted last week. This ride was all about the cats.
As usual there are a whole variety in the feline watchers of life: From the lithe white puss resting in Kingsley Wood Road to the stately black and white overseer of the canal towpath. But the real star was Wilf, the ginger narrowboat cat who was helping his dad fishing.
I love to see cats out and about, it’s a real sign of summer and one I’ve really missed so far this year.
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July 14th – Working in the morning, I slipped out late afternoon for a fast ride over Cannock Chase and back through Rugeley via the canal and Longdon.
The sun, canal and golden hour were just the tonic after a hectic day, but my energy was low.
I don’t often visit the Chase in summer, as it’s usually crowded and bikes and dogs don’t really mix, but this evening – probably due to sporting excitement on TV – it was very quiet and away from the centres at Marquis Drive and Birches Valley I saw hardly anyone.
I note Rugeley Power Station is looking forlorn now: The desulphurisation plant has been removed and demolition continues with most of the ancillary plant no gone. It won’t be long now before the huge icon and photographic muse will be nothing but a memory.
It was a long, slower haul home but a lovely ride.
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July 13th – A short run on a rest day down into Stonnall. While there, I noticed that the crops are getting ripe now, and harvest will soon be upon us.
Barley seems popular this year, so the price must be high, but plenty of wheat too, like this fine crop off Lynn Lane.
Always a delight to see and taste.
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July 12th – Coming off the canal near Rushall Junction and following cycle trail 54 to Walsall through Yew Tree, the cycleway between the farm and housing estate is marked in darkness by little solar powered cats eyes.
How fabulous is that?
A joy to ride.
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July 12th – Wanting to ride the city canals the day before but unable to, I broke out of work, collected a mate and went for a spin down the Plants Brook/Newhall Valley and into Brum, returning via the Tame Valley.
The canals were as wonderful and peaceful as ever, and the wildflowers – those that have escaped the fanatical dedication to mowing the Canal and River Trust seems to have – are looking fabulous.
As was the Gas Street black cat, disturbed from it’s slumbers by our happy chatter.
Summer is all about rides like this.
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July 11th – Returning to Birmingham, I had another meeting, but found time to have a look at the new Centenery Square water feature, the perennially unfinished Paradise Circus project and just marvel at the pace of change.
Arriving at Snow Hill I remain fascinated by the decay of the old metro stop there: Bypassed and left unused by the city centre extension, it remains closed off and inaccessible, gently being reclaimed by nature. I remember when that stop and the line was new. What a revolution it was, but I forget that was nearly 20 years ago.
The line extension to Five Ways looks to be coming on well, and the formerly busy Paradise Circus – romanticised and cherished by Stephen Duffy so beautifully – is completely changed, and free of traffic. The views are currently opened up and it’s fascinating to be able to appreciate the city architecture without traffic.
Birmingham is doing what it does best – changing. I’m only a casual, occasional observer these days, but it still feels like home, and a city doing it’s damnedest to move with the times.
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