October 20th – And in the green heaven of Kings Hill Park, where clearly busy people tend the flowers unseen to me, a bright, colourful reminder that the beauty isn’t over yet.
Spotted with raindrops, battered by the wind, these planters are still absolutely gorgeous and remind me of why I love the outdoors and why I appreciate this town and it’s hidden, lovely spaces.
I’m BrownhillsBob, not DarloDave. But for a twist of fate, I could have been – and would have been proud to be so.
October 12th – The united colours of… a Black Country Autumn, on the canal at Bentley Bridge.
I can moan about Autumn all I like, but that’s just stunning.
September 23rd – Returning through Lichfield, Festival Gardens looked gorgeous too with the autumn thing going on. Although I feel cheated out of the expected Indian summer, I’m really enjoying the Autumn colour this year.
And there are few better places to admire it than the parks and streets of Lichfield.
August 3rd – I’m amazed at the general variety between types of rosehips. I mentioned these sweet fruit of the rosebush on here a few days ago, and noticed today they were developing at a fair pace now. They range from thin, almost yellow and small, to bright red, akin to a radish, like the one above, which is actually quite large.
It’s interesting as there seems less variety in wild rose flowers than there seems to be in the seed fruit.
At this time in late summer they make for a welcome splash of colour, and will continue to be so until late autumn. A beautiful but slightly sad reminder that the season’s wheel continues to roll forward whether we like it or not.
April 30th – Worst bank holiday weekend weather-wise I can remember for a while. Bad Bank Holiday weather is a cliche in the UK, but recent years have generally been decent for most of them; this weekend has been cold, grey and periodically showery and not very springlike at all.
I popped up to Walsall Wood on an errand late afternoon. It was reasonably still, and spring is showing it’s colours and freshness beautifully, it’s just a shame the sun and warmth haven’t made it here yet…
April 24th – And not far away, just drifting on the canal asleep, softness and colour of a different natural kind. Mallards are colourful birds – even the females who would ordinarily be considered plain have remarkable colourings if you look closely. This fellow’s head is a lovely shade of iridescent green.
As I watched him and took his picture, he opened one eye, regarded me sleepily, and closed it again, totally at peace, drifting in the breeze.
December 19th – Near the Black Country Route in Moxley, the moss on this old hawthorn buss fascinates me. Although, to be fair, it could be lichen… like fellow hugely complex organisms fungi, mosses and lichens are fascinating, intricate and a world away from conventional plants.
The colours alone are stunning. I wonder why this particular bush?
November 19th – Riding to Lichfield on a grey afternoon to get a little shopping in and get some fresh air. I went through the backlanes of Hilton, Wall Butts and Chesterfield, and was cheered here as I was elsewhere earlier in the week by the still wonderful autumnal colours.
I’m finding the darkness a little tough this year, but rides like this, although mostly dull and grey, the brightness I do find helps immensely.
Spring can’t come soon enough – yet it’s barely winter. Oh dear.
November 17th – Passing through Telford near lunchtime, it was a lovely late autumn day. Taking a short cut through Priorslee, I crossed the motorway bridge and was pleased to note the trees were still showing beautiful colours, and the cycleway was still an autumnal Arcadia.
Over the years I’ve given new towns like Telford and Redditch a lot of stick but they can be really beautiful in really unexpected ways.
November 4th – The autumn colours were great this morning. When I started my ride to work, it was in semi darkness and drizzle; by the time I got there it was sunny, with clear blue skies.
Looking up in Darlaston’s Kings Hill Park through a canopy of yellow orange leaves, it felt good to be alive, to be there in the here and now.
It happened every year. I dread the onset of Autumn, and the wily old devil charms me to love in the end.
It was ever thus.
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