July 12th – I was pleased to note that one little purple flower has returned this year to the verge outside the place where I work – Self Heal. It grows low in grass and often misses the mowers. It has a very unusual flower head configuration featuring absolutely tiny but gorgeous violet blooms.
The plant, given it’s name as you might expect, is known for it’s medicinal properties, and brings a splash of colour to lawns and verges throughout middle to late summer.
July 11th – I haven’t seen much of Old Sam, the King of kings Hill lately. He had taken to sleeping on the grass in in the gardens around the old folks flats where he lives, but the gardeners came one day with their mowers and blowers and I only saw him a couple of times after that.
I needn’t have worried. He’s found a shadier spot, just out of my normal sight for the really hot days.
I notice someone had given him a bowl of water, and he was concentrating on washing, and despite my calls and invitations for strokes he studiously ignored me and got on with the important business of fur maintenance.
I adore this crotchety old lad.
July 11th – A beautiful summer’s day and the grass of Victoria Park – up until the 1930s a railway cutting – is looking scorched and brown; but no matter. This little gem of a green space right in the heart of industrial Darlaston still looks superb.
July 10th – Popping from work into Walsall at lunchtime, it seemed the wasteland a the bottom of Bentley Mill Way had been the scene of a small scrub fire.
I first saw the lone fireman, tending the petrol powered pump extracting water from the canal, then saw the last of the smoke from the lads doing an excellent job, as ever.
These fires won’t harm the scrub much, it’ll soon grow back, but the commons, heaths and patches of wasteland right now are like tinder, and there will be many more such fires across the area if the fine weather continues.
And all the time, the good folk of the West Midlands, and indeed national Fire Service will be on hand to do their utmost to protect lives and property.
Thank you.
Monday 9th – One of those days when you get disheartened as you took some great images but didn’t realise until late that there was a smudge on the camera lens that ruined them all…
After realising and wielding the lens pen, coming back from Lichfield late in the evening as I came up Shire Oak Hill the sunset was coming on well. This is the second time in the last few days we’ve had insteresting sun/cloud interactions, and it looked great in a gold-suffused hour.
It felt much fresher, and the building cloud is making me wonder if the weather is soon to break… but after the worst, latest spring I can ever remember, if it rains until l December now, we’ve had a terrific summer.
July 8th – A pleasant 38 miler in the evening sun, relaxed and gentle around Chasewater, Lichfield, Whitemore Haye, Fradley, Alrewas and Yoxall rewarded me with a gorgeous golden hour.
In the soft light, the ripening wheat at Farewell glowed in the evening, and I realised that within 10 days or so this crop would be harvested.
It seems early this year – but we have had a lot of sun. I wonder if this weather continues, shall we face an early autumn? I sincerely hope not!
July 8th – Always pleased to see the wild sweet peas growing around the old coal loading chutes at Anglesey Wharf near Chasewater. They are a symbol of change for the better.
As recent as 50 years ago, this was a busy, filthy and polluting coal loading interchange between road, rail and water. Coal was loaded into a continual stream of narrowboats and the sea was treeless and devoid of life.
The coal here stopped in the 1960s, and nature reclaimed – but the coal chutes stayed, a monument to an industrial past.
Now, surrounded by greenery and wildlife, they are an anachronism, but the sweet peas bloom and speak of peaceful, cleaner, better times. A lovely sight.
July 7th – When I initially spotted this grubby tabby and white puss lying in the shadow of a hedge at the lakeside I thought it must be injured. I was quite worried. Not even a flinch when I stopped.
I needn’t have worried. Puss was fine, and just snoozing in the heat, too torpid to move, but it did get to it’s feet for a stroke and a fuss.
I loved how unashamedly grubby it was from rolling in the dust.
Hot cats know how to do summer.
July 7th – Taking advantage of the quiet roads following England’s victory over Sweden in the World Cup, a lift was bagged to near Measham and an unintentional 87 mile fast paced ride up the Cloud Trail to Derby, then back out through Mackworth and the Needwood Valley, finishing long after dark, ensued.
I explored the trail over Sinfin Moor too where I’d never been before, which really was a nice ride.
Not really any time to take too many pictures, but Cloud Quarry’s view from the trail is still jaw dropping, and it’s fascinating to see one end of this immense quarry being filled while basting continues to remove limestone at the other.
The river crossing is always a delight, and the tiny chapel/church at Church Town is a real gem.
I was intrigued by the crop growing near derby – is that oats? Seems like it but they seem a bit – fulsome for that. You don’t see oats about much is Staffordshire come to think of it. Suggestions gratefully received.
A great ride on a hot, quiet Saturday afternoon.
July 6th – No apparent issues with the thistles this year, however. In fact it seems a good year for them – prickly and purple, they are flowering well and in larger number than I’ve seen for a good few years – so as I suspect, water probably isn’t an issue for them like the berries, hips and haws of the hedgerows above.
The colours – from pale lavender to deep, dark purple – are always a joy. Thisles are very underrated indeed in my opinion.
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