Tag: Chasewater

November 29th – An early afternoon loop up to Chasewater of a warm but blowy day caught me in the rain once more. The canal was deserted and everything looked grey; Chasewater was little better. 

The wind was such that it drove groups of swans into the shallows over by the dam for shelter, and they didn’t look very happy about it; even the gulls loafed idly in the shallows.

I’m fed up of this weather. There has to be better spell on the horizon. This is grinding me down and making photography very hard!

November 22nd – A run around Brownhills and up to Chasewater on a wintry, cold afternoon. I was looking for deer, but I think they were sheltering from the chill somewhere. Chasewater itself had a great sky and dramatic, cold atmosphere. I note from the Nine-Foot that the level is middling these days, as it has been all summer. It seems to be being maintained here so perhaps that’s the ongoing plan.

The ghostly seed-heads – which I’m told are Clematis )thanks, folks!) just added to the feeling.

Another reminder of the season from the old Cement Works Bridge at The Slough: overlooking the council yard, the road salt barn is full and the council are gearing up for road gritting for another year.

Not been pebbledahed yet. I suppose that delight is yet to come…

November 22nd – Time for a warning to local cyclists again.

The hedges hat (at last!) been flailed again from Anchor Bridge to Chasewater along the canal. The towpath is littered with sharp hawthorns and will puncture thinner tyres.

Probably a route best avoided for a week or two until the weather washes them away.

November 8th – My sombre mood was lifted on the way home by 13 red deer spotted loafing near Chasewater. The young stag seemed to have been fitted with antlers tuned for both DAB and FM, but he was a proud fellow. Sadly, the awful light prevented better photos but this healthy, relaxed herd was beautiful to see.

Just what I needed.

October 11th – The fly agaric are fairly profuse in the usual places around Chasewater. I nipped out late morning, still a bit rough, so kept it short. I mentioned a few days ago that the white spots dropped off the fairytale fungus as they aged – and so they do. The top picture shows an eight-inch monster that’s aged and split under it’s own weight; it’s almost completely free of spots and is starting to fade. Interestingly, the other two examples are younger, and still fairly free of spots.

I love fungi. I could study it all day.

October 4th – A considerably different day, the sun was again shining and warm on my back. I had other stuff to do, so I spun up to Chasewater and back along route 5 over Engine Lane.

The canals and byways really have the autumn jacket on now, although there are still pockets of flowers around – and I’d be interested to know what the pink ones are.

September 7th – An early escape from work, so I went for an afternoon bimble in the sun. I hadn’t got long, so just up to Chasewater, then up through Burntwood to Farewell, over to Lichfield and back through Wall and Lynn. 

A lovely day with beautiful light. Could this be an Indian summer? I do hope so!

August 22nd – A day of unexpected jobs and delayed activity, I finally got out at dusk and span on an errand to Burntwood, so naturally, despite the oncoming storm, I headed up through Chasewater.

The skies were dramatic, but I failed to capture them well, and whilst there were flashes of lightning and the odd rumble of thunder, despite riding back in steady, warm, refreshing rain, the foreboding, brooding skies failed to deliver.

But it was actually a lovely ride.

August 9th – Id been to a function near Burntwood returned at dusk. I thought it was a good chance to try the Nikon in low light.

It takes great pictures, but the image stabilisation is not as good as the Panasonic. You need a tripod. But I do like the images.

Not often I get chance to practice night photography in summer…