January 31st – While I’ve yet to break my snowdrop duck for the spring (and BrownhillsCommoner sent me a lovely picture of the ones in his garden) there are some spring flowers around, although maybe not conventional blooms.

These catkins are showing well at the moment in Wednesbury, and are a common feature of hedgerows, scrubs and waysides. They are the male flowers of the alder tree, and also occur on the close relative, Birch.

Wind pollinated, these blossoms don’t have normal petals or a flower like structure, but are a lovely, bright feature of late winter and a signpost into spring.

January 30th – A thoroughly uninspiring day’s riding. I travelled to work on a murky, damp Monday morning and there wasn’t even visible trace of the dawn. 

In the evening, I left Darlaston in light but persistent drizzle that found every not-quite done up zip and flap in my clothes, with a crosswind that made the whole journey an ordeal.

Still, it’s staying late much later now than a month ago – a whole hour – and I keep looking at the green shoots on verges and in parks and know that darkness will reach it’s end soon.

I contented myself with a handful of shots of the canal on my way back to Brownhills, all the time dreaming of warmer, lighter, better days.

January 29th – for the first time in some years, I paid a visit to the railway museum at Chasewater, which was as pleasingly eccentric as ever. This free attraction, run by award-winning volunteers is a little gem, and contains much to enthralling and entertain even if you aren’t a railway buff.

Some of the most interesting stuff though, isn’t in the museum but outside it. That’s certainly nearly a case of the cart before the horse, and that odd little railcar.

That panda looks a bit delinquent to me.

January 29th – A horrible, grey, wet and misty day that had very, very little to commend it. I set out in rain, and came back in rain and there was no cessation between the two. 

My heavy heart was not helped at Chasewater, where some scumbag has dumped an old IBC full of what looks like kitchen fitter’s waste: now a repeat flytipping spot, the space next to the Nine-Foot wouldn’t be suffering if the council had put in a barrier years ago. There’s no reason for anyone except rangers to be here in a vehicle, after all.

The mess these filthy toe rags have left will cost us all to clean up. If you know who it was, please dob them in to the police.

January 28th – A wet, dripping Lichfield was beautiful in the late afternoon and dusk, though. Surprisingly cold but glistening, I always love this city in the rain.

It’ll be nice to see some leaves on the trees of Beacon Street again, though. Hurry up, spring!

January 28th – A day with curious light and dark. It was alternately fairly bright then rained heavily. I set out mid-afternoon on an errand in Lichfield and got caught by the rain, and also a hail-squall which was interesting if somewhat unpleasant.

Avoiding the traffic, I headed through Hammerwich, and looked back to Brownhills. The roads were muddy goop, and the riding could have been better but the skies were wonderfully dramatic.

January 27th – On a mid-morning errand I spotted this magpie on the cycleway around Wednesbury Parkway. Oddly confident, it hopped and pecked in the frozen grass just a few feet away from me and the bike, his antics charming and fascinating, like any corvid.

Magpies seem to get a bad press, but I quite like them. They’re intelligent, resourceful birds that are actually surprisingly colourful when you catch them in the right light.

January 27th – That was a cold one, and quite a fun ride, too. Coldest for a while. Wrapped up well, the roads weren’t particularly icy but there was a hard hoar frost.

It was the kind of morning when your breath burns in your throat and your forehead hurts in the headwind, but still a joy to ride in for the sheer challenge.

All we need now is a decent snowfall and it’ll be a proper winter…

January 26th – On a particularly bitter day, pulling up at my destination in Telford and pushing the bike through the complex, a flash of white and yellow caught my eye.

Tiny, on it’s own and in the shade of a tree, a single, presumably somewhat confused daisy.

Hello there, little flower: in the cold and grey, this morning you made my day.

January 26th – Over to Telford mid morning to pick something up, and I noted that the 80s footbridge that links Telford Station’s two platforms with the cycleway and town centre is breathing it’s last – but one simple change has made it much nicer already, and it’s quite a shock.

The bridge is due to be replaced for one more user friendly, that’s better for wheelchair users and less circuitous for passengers in a hurry, and will also offer lifts, and construction is just commencing. Trees around the bridge have been removed and the lack of dense cop[pice around the station end has opened it right up, and made the chore of using the thing a whole bunch nicer, with less dark corners.

I’ll be watching the project with interest.