April 5th – There will be a series of muggings on the canal in coming months.
A pair of familiar criminals met me on my way home – gone for the winter, these fair weather foes appear in the spring every year, and raise a local brood, surviving on the abundant local greens – but also on the tidbits and seed they bully out of passers by whom they harass for treats.
If you’re on the canal between Clayhanger Bridge and The Black Cock, take seed or something to shoo them off with…
March 31st -Spotted on Clayhanger Common, a touch of optimism in the gloom: one of my guerrilla seeded patches of cowslips is just coming into flower.
My favourite flowers that I spread the seeds for ten years ago now have returned, and in the middle of a wet Saturday when it seemed the sun will never shine, they appeared to cheer me up.
Spring, right there.
March 31st – Heavy rains continued into Saturday with a break in the afternoon, And I took a spin around Clayhanger Common to check out the flooding situation.
As usual in heavy rain, the canal overflow had swamped, and the lower meadow was flooding over the new spot path. I often wonder who comes out and resets the breakers on the street lights after the water level drops.
This area is designed as a flood buffer to hold water away from CLayhanger Village and resolve it’s historical flooding problem – and it does a great job.
March 15th – I was on the canal near the new pool at Clayhanger as night fell.
The sky was impressively foreboding and conditions fairly still. I love the fluid, elastic quality to dusk at this time of year. It really is beautiful.
I love how my variably-timed evening commute changes subtly from mostly dark to mostly in the light about now; I’m already looking forward to the start of British Summer Time in a week’s time and all we need now is some clearer, finer weather.
Despite the velvet, descending dark, it feels good to be emerging into the light.
March 6th – It was still not dark when I returned along the canal to Brownhills. There was none of the snow remaining which surprised med, but there was still quite dense ice on some sections of canal like Catshill Junction.
Things are still looking a bit grey and colourless apart from the early spring flowers, and I’m looking forward to seeing some signs of fresh green soon.
Won’t be too long now hopefully, before life becomes colourful once more. I’ve had it with all this grey.
February 20th – Spring is encroaching. This evening, coming through Walsall at a close to normal homecoming hour, I started in the last vestiges of daylight and finished in the last vestiges of a gorgeous urban sunset.
I first spotted it as I came down the ring road, but couldn’t stop; by the time I got to North Street it was still strong, but although the photos are nice, I don’t think they quite did it justice.
At Walsall Wood, onto the canal, and my long-time muse of Clayhanager Bridge at night. The dozing swans at Catshill Junction were also rather lovely.
This dusk interregnum as the days lengthen when winter draws to a close can certainly be very beautiful.
January 26th – Returning from Walsall Wood in darkness I’m pleased to see the hedgerow arch over the towpath between the Black Cock Bridge and Clayhanger Bridge has escaped the attentions of the tree cutting crew who’ve been so keen down here since Christmas.
Despite appearances, it’s clear of your average cyclist’s head and is delightful in summer.
And rather spooky in a headlight-lit night…
January 20th – Back on the Canon, the photos felt more… vital, or vibrant. Which is an odd thing to say about a bunch of images of a cold, wet, snowy and misty grey winter landscape. But they do.
It was lonely. And cold. And I think these images convey that fairly well…
January 17th – It was a nice day on the canal, and as I came past Lathams Bridge on the way home, I couldn’t resist a couple of peaceful shots of the waterway. The marina doesn’t seem very busy at the moment, I must say, but the view is as lovely and serene as ever. You wouldn’t think you were only tens of metres from a busy, large marl pit and a bustling chemical waste transfer and treatment facility.
The new pond at Clayhanger, this year will be thirty years mature and no longer new is looking stark but beautiful, with the last of the previous night’s snow still hanging on on the shaded bank. I wonder how many times I’ve parked my bike and sat on that bench over the years? At least ten different bikes and it must be hundreds of times. Looking at the rot, I don’t think it’ll stand many more…
January 1st – Something odd has happened and I haven’t really register why.
As I passed the canal overflow at CLayhanger Bridge in the darkness, I noticed it was very noisy indeed, and that the canal was really full and overtopping considerably.
I find this puzzling – we’ve had a fair bit of rain, but not that much, surely? Or have I missed it all?
When the overflow is running at full blast it’s a lovely noise and a fascinating thing, almost hypnotic to watch.
I just can’t see where all the water’s come from…
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