June 9th – Such a profusion of flowers at the moment, for which pink and purple seem to be the current fashion. Roses, orchids and one I’m not sure of all brightened my commute.
The orchids are particularly welcome growing along the towpath near Clayhanger, and on the slope to the new pond. I just adore them.
June 8th – On a brighter note, the honeysuckle is in flower again – and it smells beautiful. It may be me, but it seems very early this year. I’m noticing it in hedgerows, embankments and scrubs – and it’s divine.
A real sign of summer.
June 7th – I spotted this proud fellow in central Walsall, watching the world go by. He regarded me distastefully, then posed helpfully for a photo before sauntering off. I love how in summer, the cat population awakens, stretches, and takes the air on summer days.
Oh, to be a cat.
June 7th – Yellow is the colour of the canals at the moment, as the flag irises and water lilies are out and forming a beautiful accompaniment to the greenery around the banks and towpaths.
Even after these last few years I still can’t get used to seeing such flowers on canals – the ones I grew up with were so filthy and dirty.
Not all change is for the worst…
June 6th – On the canal near Clayhanger, it’s good to see the lupins out. A sign of summer, they spread welcome colour to towpaths, embankments and wastelands across the country.
The flowers are so beautifully constructed, and the bees seem to love them too.
May 31st – A bright spot in an atrocious, wet commute home was spotting that the coos have returned to Jockey Meadow in Walsall Wood – and by the look of the lush meadow there, they have their work cut out.
Not that it seems hard work, browsing the bog for the juiciest grasses and shoots, and generally looking handsome.
I love these guys. So nosey, so proud. Good to have my friends back.
May 31st – The season of the dog rose is upon us. You can keep your fancy hybrids, your blobs of colour on thorny sticks; give me the colour and scent of a wild rose any day of the week – bringing colour in an uncontrolled riot to towpaths, hedgerows and edge lands all over.
These were just by the canal in Walsall near Bentley Bridge. A joy to the heart.
May 25th – As we advance to late spring and early summer, some of my favourite flowers are emerging now; birds foot trefoil ‘egg and bacon’, buttercups, elderflowers and ox-eye daisies all brighten the verges, hedgerows and edge lands of my commute.
Such lovely flowers. How I love this busy, colourful time of year.
May 19th – I had gone to work on a pleasantly sunny morning, but returned in light rain, through a glistening, green, dripping landscape, no more in evidence anywhere than Green Lane on the Walsall Wood/Shelfield border.
The wet tarmac glistened, the trees, bright in their new green jackets, dripped softly. There was the gentle hiss of rain and babble of water.
But it was warm, the wind was behind me and for once, I didn’t mind.
Sometimes the only thing to do is open your senses and let it all in.
May 18th – I spotted him sat on the decking on the canal bank by Barrow Close, Walsall Wood. The marmalade cat’s attention was so fixed, I couldn’t possibly distract him.
I hope he caught whatever it was. Not seen this chap before – that looks like a fine stripes tail there!
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