June 21st – The north end of Chasewater Dam is currently carpeted in a beautiful display of moon daisies, which not only look delightful, but smell beautiful, too. I love the fact that the rangers stopped mowing the bank and left them to bloom.
In a day riven with toothache, chaos and general bad luck, these cheered me no end.
May 19th – A busy day at Chasewater. Linda Mason had posted some pictures of deer on the dam that morning, and I was surprised when I passed by late afternoon that they were still tree. Not at all nervous of their occasional audience, they browsed the scrub, nibbling the shoots off the birch saplings and generally got on with things.
If anyone had told me 20 years ago there would be red deer here, and they’d be this fearless I’d never have believed them. Beautiful.
May 18th – A late evening run to the supermarket, and one of the (very few) downsides of the summer was very, very evident; riding over Chasewater Dam the air was thick with midges and other bugs, which can be seen if you click on the image above. Glasses are essential to prevent them getting in the eyes, and they get everywhere – in you shirt, ears etc. Over the next few months my protein intake will crank up by a fair percentage.
Annoying, but one of the hazards of the season.
March 22nd – I was in the fortunate position of being able to work from home. I watched the snow fall as I worked, and decided to spin out early afternoon. The sky was threatening, the wind still harsh, and Chasewater barren and deserted. But something significant had happened: in the last week, the lake had achieved maximum level, and was now overflowing the exit weir at the back of the Nine-Foot pool, and flowing down the spillway.
This is momentous, and marks the end of the whole sorry dam-repair saga, 3 years after it commenced. The wildlife, and environment, can now recover.
That was an adventure.
February 16th – On the Dam path, at Chasewater, I gladly hung back to watch this pair of great friends enjoy what must be a regular game…
If you’re a Border Collie, all you need in life is a large stick (or small tree branch), some open space, strong teeth and a willing freind to join you in a tug of war. How wonderfully happy is this dog?
November 4th – With all the rotten tree stumps left in Chasewater’s dam after the felling operation as part of the restoration, there’s now an impressive crop of assorted fungi in evidence. The rusula and glistening ink caps pictured here are amongst several species evidently thriving there. I haven’t seen much fungi about this year, it doesn’t seem to have been a very good season.
October 20th – That something good was one of the most remarkable sunsets I’ve seen for a while. It happened as I crossed Chasewater Dam on my way to Burntwood. Taking just twenty minutes in total, it was fleeting, ever changing and magical. I walked the length of the dam path, stopping to take photos every couple of minutes. I was very lucky to see this.
There are more images on my main blog. I feel the need to point out again that these images are not enhanced – it really was this beautiful.
June 24th – I have’t a bloody clue what’s going on here. In one of the four culverts that make up the new dam spillway bridge at Chasewater, someone has piled up the limestone rock ballast into a neat wall. It’s clearly the work of kids – but would have been serious effort, particular bare-handed. It’s oddly admirable, but will have to be removed. Makes you wonder what they could do by applying themselves to something useful…
June 15th – Chasewater was deserted as I cruised round in the early evening. I’ve noticed in recent years that the park has a burgeoning rabbit population, and when there’s few folk around, they come out of hiding and take the air. This fellow was on the dam by the Downes house. I hope the engineers are keeping an eye on the rabbits… badgers caused the collapse of a canal in Llangollen a few years ago. Mind you, knowing badgers, they could have used explosives or anything. They’re truculent little buggers…
April 7th – Since the day was grey and overcast, I went with the flow. The weather gradually cleared, and I explored the completed dam works at Chasewater. One of the greater sadnesses of the place is the tumbledown cottage at the north end of the dam. Slowly falling into itself, I have no idea who owns it, or how it came to be in this condition. It’s neighbour – a near identical home – is in beautiful condition and very much still inhabited and looked after. I know the cottages to have been built to serve the mine, but other than that, I’m aware of little of their history.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 