May 7th – On a grey, cold and very un-springlike morning, real delights on the way to work: Cygnets from what I believe must be the Watermead swans near Clayhanger Bridge and similarly young goslings near Bentley Mill Way aqueduct in Walsall.
Such a delight to see new life and proud, protective parents.
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May 6th – It wasn’t a bad day, really, and thanks to some emergency help from a doctor, I had some good medication and felt much, much better.
So I did what I always do when improving: Get on my bike.
This season I want to expand my horizons a bit. I want to explore places I’ve not been in years. So I thought I’d make a start by heading west rather than north or east.
West is difficult from Brownhills. Beyond Great Wyrley is miles of lovely, rolling countryside, but sadly, Great Wyrley and Cannock are in the way. When the motorway and bypasses came through, it left few peaceful, viable paths to the countryside of the west, meaning getting to it is a chore.
But as I reminded myself today with a 52 mile bimble, it’s actually gorgeous when you make the effort. So I will. Far more often.
I went via Norton, Washbrook, then into Wyrley, Landywood and Shareshill. Up through Hilton Park, Saredon to Four Ashes, then on to the canal north to Penkridge, Acton Trussell and Milford, and from there down the main roads to Rugeley and back over Red Hill and Chorley.
A really fine ride, sadly in mostly grey, cold weather but the scenery – and lack of discomfort – more than made up for it.
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May 4th – On an evening with a very bad IBS episode, with stomach cramps impeding my progress significantly, I took a ride to Chasewater in absolutely gorgeous light.
The canal, my favourite tree at Home Farm, Sandhils and the sunset itself were a real tonic and made my tired, aching body feel much better.
Sometimes, actually getting out and making the effort makes you feel better: Especially when it’s such a beautiful day.
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May 4th – Another marker of the advancing spring is they waterfowl chicks on local canals. On a gorgeous evening near Middleton Bridge, Brownhills, my first cygnets of the year.
This clutch of what appeared to be at least six – several of whom were riding on momma’s back – are a bit of a mystery: The pair at Barrow Close Walsall Wood are still sitting and at the Watermead, she’s apparently hatched three this year.
So where this lady has been nesting I have no idea. But lovely to see.
Sorry for poor image and video quality: The light was fading.
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May 3rd – Although it’s still not the warm May weather I’d hope for, it’s good to see and smell the may blossom along the hedgerows and waysides.
Although often overlooked, it’s a beautiful blossom with a love-hate scent that is particularly unmistakable.
I guess to the ancients, this lovely flower marked the height of spring and a move in to summer.
I welcome that if the temperatures increase a bit!
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May 2nd – There are many reasons why the local canals develop an organic, natural scum throughout the year. From pollens to seeds, from tree-mast to algae, all kinds of unpleasant looking but natural detritus develops and dissipates throughout the seasons.
Due to the early spring warmth and extended spring, at the moment there’s a very heavy scum on much of the local canal, but particularly in the wind-traps around Walsall Wood and Clayhanger. At he moment it’s mostly appearing to be a combination of reedmace detritus, algae, sallow seeds, disintegrated hazel, alder and birch catkins and hawthorn blossom petals. I’ve never seen a scum so heavy at this time of year.
Given time and sun it should dissipate and fade away. but for the moment, it’s quite ugly but perfectly natural.
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April 22nd – The floating market, despite it’s diminutive size was lovely. Ice creams were had, and I browsed canal ephemera and craft products for an hour or two.
But what made the event – and what always does with these things – were the dogs.
Boater dogs are the best dogs.
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April 22nd – Another tough ride but very enjoyable for Bank Holiday Monday – out for a potter to the floating market at Great Haywood at the back of Shugborough.
It was lovely: I must confess though, I was expecting a bigger, more varied event; although it was lovely it was pretty much the same as Fazeley had been a few years ago. It would me nice to see some different traders.
I took a tough route up through Goosemoor Green and Dollymaker Hill, then over George’s Hayes and Red Hill. On my return I came through Shugborough – which currently have a wonderful herd of longhorns – and back over Cannock Chase.
A great 40 mile bimble but I was still suffering.
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April 21st – Of course, the sunset was yet to come and it was a sign of my slothiness that I caught it on the canal at Newtown, Brownhills.
The colours of the day were beautiful, the colours of the sunset were stunning.
Sometimes, recovery is not in what you do, but what you see.
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April 18th – The end of work for a few blessed days, good weather in prospect and time on my hands. Bliss.
This of course meant the last working day was everything busy, at top speed. Finally nearing home as darkness fell, I stopped to look at the canal as I crossed Clayhanger Bridge.
Blossom is out, the trees are that bright, lucid green they only achieve at the very peak of spring, and things were calm and quiet.
It’s only been a few weeks since Christmas, hasn’t it? Yet here, in the light, the green, and warmth again.
And me, myself, at peace, at last.
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