Tag: commute

July 14th – I never lose sight of how lush and green a summer is – even a dry one like this has so far been. From a familiar vantage point at Catshill Junction I can see that everything from gardens to towpaths, Clayanger Common to the thickets and roadbeds are lovely, variant shades of green.

The shades and hues change from fresh to weathered over the season, before turning more golden at the end of the summer, but are always so, so beautiful.

Cycling, and being outdoors in winter generally, makes you appreciate this so much.

July 14th – Well, they’re definitely here at Jockey Meadows at last, my friends the coos; but the lads were far too busy eating to go look at the cyclist calling them from the gate. 

It looks like we’ve got seven as usual, probably Dexters as they’ll eat just about anything.

Oh well, perhaps when they’ve settled in they’ll say hi…

July 13th – I met this affectionate lady on the footpath near The Butts in Walsall. She was patrolling the footpath, so I stopped to say hi. She busily sought my attention, rubbing herself on the bike, as well as my legs and feet. Impossible to photograph properly as she couldn’t keep still, she mewed softly and me before following another chap on foot over the road where she promptly rolled over and invited me to tick her tum.

A lovely puss. I like how she’s wearing eyeliner on her left eye…

July 13th – One of those rare posts when I feature something that isn’t actually here. But was. Recently.

The spring and early summer were marked by the lack of cattle in the water meadow at Green Lane, Walsall Wood called Jockey Meadows. Every year in recent times cows have spent a few months grazing here to maintain the meadow, eating the more voracious species of undergrowth, churning up the soft ground with their feet and spreading the sloppy, fertile cowpat love.

I like the cows. If they’re there, I often stop to talk them, and I always will, because they seem to listen. I’ve missed them this year.

Well, I passed this morning and the cows have been here recently. The meadow and scrub are trampled. There are makeshift cake troughs. But no cows.

I hope they return…

July 12th – Passing through Kings Hill Park on a much better day I stopped to take the place in for five minutes. This small, well maintained patch of calm in an otherwise harsh urban environment cannot be underestimated. 

There are many species of trees and they all look wonderful at the moment. The flowers, usually profuse are between phases  at the moment, yet that doesn’t seem to matter.

I love this place.

July 11th – A day of rain, which wasn’t that unpleasant with waterproofs on. A potter to Wolverhampton on business was cut short by an issue back at Darlaston, so I hopped on the train from there to Coseley to catch some time.

The flowers – even in the rain – at this suburban station are beautiful, and very much made me recall South Wigston. This is an absolutely beautiful thing and cheered me up wonderfully on a dull afternoon.

My compliments to the people who clearly work so hard to maintain this little oasis of beauty.

July 6th – This is terrific. Coming from Walsall down the Wednesbury Road and through Places, I happened to notice the tenement house over the road, with the absolute riot of flowers in borders, tubs and baskets.

All this in a part of Walsall often considered to be less than beautiful.

My compliments and thanks to the householder, a beautiful and wonderful thing – all crammed in to a very small space.  

This really brightened my morning.

July 4th – Also out, but altogether busier was this juvenile heron. A lovely bird, clearly maturing and in very good condition, although still small for an adult.

This is a healthy, native heron fishing in a waterlily-swathed canal in the shadow of a huge scrapyard in the heart of the industrial Black Country.

Tell me this place isn’t wonderful and surprising. I dare you.

July 3rd – Also on the towpath near Darlaston, the poppies are beautiful at the moment, too. Another kind of urban pioneer, these too will grow just about anywhere, be it in a wayside patch or a fissure in some brickwork.

Riding urban backwaters at the moment – be they canals, tracks or inner city streets – is a real riot of natural colour.

June 30th – Spotted near Wednesbury, this lovely black cat that I’m sure a passing witch must have left behind. Prowling the perimeter of it’s territory, it peered at me cautiously before settling down to stare me out through the railings.

A lovely puss that clearly takes security duties very seriously indeed!