Tag: beautiful

#365daysofbiking Sunspots

August 25th – On the way home I did a lazy loop of Shuttington, Seckington, Clifton Campville, Harlaston and Whittington. Amazingly, there were few folk around in the heat, and I had a lovely peaceful journey home.

At Shuttington, the neighbourhood watch was dozing, but not enough not to keep a close eye on me from an appropriately sun-bathed spot.

It’s nice to see cats enjoying the summer at last.

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#365daysofbiking Opportunism

August 24th – It would appear that herons will eat not only fish and amphibians, but small rodents too.

Home Farm at Sandhills were getting their wheat in – watched carefully by an undaunted heron, who was clearly hoping for something squeaky and furry for tea.

I never knew herons did this, but apparently it’s fairly common. Remarkable birds.

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#365daysofbiking Long life honey

August 23rd – Interesting to see this year the honeysuckle seems to be going on all season. It dipped for a month, and then when it’s normally over save for a few late plants, it’s burst back into life again, but more so the yellow than the pink for some reason.

Whatever the cause, it’s beautiful.

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#365daysofbiking Happy families

August 19th – On the way home from a tiring, enervating day, I met these bandits by Clayhanger Bridge.

The family of five I think are the ones that hatched up by Newtown on the canal to Chasewater, and they’re cheeky, bold and in good health. The youngsters are adult sized now and their pecks – even playful ones – come sharp and hard.

Once they realised I had no treats to give and pecking my shoes made no impact, they happily pottered off back to browsing the weed under the watchful eye of mum.

Further towards Catshill, I saw the family of four who I think hatched in Walsall Wood. That means that with the watermead two, six swans locally have raised 11 offspring this year. Not too bad going, I think.

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#365daysofbiking The place I love

August 15th – Some things make a place what it is, although one may not be fond of them in themselves.

And so it is with the Parkview Centre in Brownhills for me.

The former council house and for many years seat of Brownhills Urban District Council became redundant after our absorption into Walsall in 1974. After a good few years as head office for a building company, this four square, red terracotta building stood empty and decaying.

It is imposing, handsome, I guess. Very civic. It’s got a clock that used to be famously and notoriously wrong (but the clock runs to time now, remarkably). It’s part of the fabric and soul of Brownhills, but I’ve never been fond of it architecturally.

After years empty it was extended horribly insensitively and converted into a health centre and library. The extensions are hideous and completely out of step with the building, and the library, although functionally fine, is boxy and dull.

However, in recent years the flowerbed out front before the Miner Island has been beautifully maintained by a local older couple and it is a credit to them, and looks beautiful. It brings a smile to my face every time I see it.

On a decent but clouding over afternoon, it was a joy to the heart. For better or worse, this building is Brownhills, and is my hometown – and I may not be it’s greatest fan but it’s part of the place I love.

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#365daysofbiking De-stressing

August 13th – On the way back, it was still sunny and having got through my appointment quickly, I had time to dawdle on my way back. I’m glad I did, as near Bently Bridge on the Walsall Canal, I met another family of happy, content mallards being charming.

They weren’t bothered about me, and mama was happy to mind her loose group of developing ducklings from a relative distance as they dozed and chattered to each other in the sun.

Such a delightful little family. Just wthe kind of thing you need after a stressful task.

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#365daysofbiking I know it’s under here somewhere

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August 13th – Spotted at lunchtime on an excursion from work to the hospital, a heron loafing on a wall in one of the most urban, industrial bits of Walsall: Pleck.

I adore herons for their impressive fishing ability, their shabby, almost mad appearance and their raw, appreciable character and individuality. They are endlessly entertaining to watch.

This large adult bird was preening, being slow, methodical, and thorough. It paid me scant attention as it picked at whatever underwing irritation was troubling it, but for all the world it looked like it was searching for a misplaced wallet or pair of glasses.

A welcome distraction on a lovely day.

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#365daysofbiking Plum crazy

August 7th – Spotted in CLayhanger on the way to work, bull aces or wild plums. Slightly larger than cherries, a beautiful, edible old English fruit the slides in and out of fashion as new generations discover it.

Often sent and tasty, these seem to have had a good year., and will soon be ripe.

I’d probably think twice about eating these, though, given the reclaimed nature of the land they grow on…

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#365daysofbiking Alien carrots!

August 6th – A couple of weeks ago I featured a new plant here – wild carrot. This curious, cow-parsley like edgeland weed was readily identifiable by a single dark flower in the centre of the umbel.

Wild carrot is just as distinctive when it goes to seed. This is a seed head; slightly redolent of a clematis, it’s odd, skeletal spines and hairy seeds are quite, quite alien and rather fascinating.

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#365daysofbiking The green mile

August 6th – A decent morning followed that glorious evening. Tired, early, Telford. They cycleway to Priorslee, again from a station, right beside the M54 is a glorious green tunnel.

I love this route and this kind of thing is why Telford can be such a wonderful place to cycle in.

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