August 25th – Although it was a grey, miserable morning, the canal near Bentley Bridge still looked awesome. It’s still very lush and green, in spite of the merciless mowing of the towpath. Today I noted snowberries were coming on to fruit, and the ragwort is still going well.
A little brightness is always nice on dull days. The kingfishers remain elusive…
August 14th – This one’s for Kate Cardigan, who was admiring the flowers on this very boat, moored at Brownhills, as some point on the day I took these pictures.
I’ve not seen this unusual, cream-coloured craft before, but I love the flowers and tomatoes growing on it.
Just the thing when riding through a dull, wet Brownhills on a miserable Friday.
July 26th – In heavy rain, a flotilla of swans. not far from the place I last saw them, cruising for all the world like it was a bright, sunny day.
I don’t suppose they care about the rain.
They had somewhere to be, and were travelling with purpose. But despite the horrid, grey weather, they just sailed on like it didn’t matter – because to them, it clearly doesn’t.
I should be more like the swans. Rainy days like this pull me down. But soon the sun will shine, and the world will seem brighter once more.
June 17th – I cycled past the coos of Jockey Meadows at half six. It was clearly knocking off time. It had been raining and everywhere was grey and dismal. But something about these gentle, inquisitive beasts always cheers me up.
Here’s to the coos.
June 12th – Whilst I like the flexibility of the Sony HX90, the photos so far have left me underwhelmed. They’re not bad, they just seem to lack a bit of zing: but then, the light yesterday was very very poor on my way home, and perhaps I’m not being fair to it.
I had business in Aldridge, so hopped on the canal there and rode back along the dreaming green waterway in a curious, tense stillness that seemed to be flexing its muscles for a storm.
The storm never came.
May 30th – As is traditional on a day when you have a new camera to try out, the light was crap. It was dull and overcast and less than inspiring – but the views over the Brownhills and Shenstone countryside were green and lush.
That limpid-looking pool is a surface drainage lagoon for the M6 Toll. You’d never know to look at it.
May 22nd – A quick trip to Lichfield after lunch on a very dull afternoon which seemed to be constantly threatening rain, yet still I noticed how immaculate Friary Gardens were looking in their springtime colours. The trees and blossom looked wonderful, and I was particularly struck by the ceanothus, the blue flowering shrub.
Lichfield has every reason to be proud of it’s parks and open spaces; Friary Gardens are little-noticed but beautifully kept and a credit to the city.
March 29th – It was just an awfully uninspiring day. There were very few people about. The wildlife seemed to be hiding. Everything looked drab. In a vain search for deer I hopped onto clay hanger Common, which was saturated, like a marsh. Even the pigeons were giving it a miss.
It does look wonderfully green, though.
March 15th – The sunset the previous evening that promised so much failed to deliver anything but grey murk the next day. It was overcast, grey, cold and windy, and while I was out and about mid afternoon, it rained. I hate days like this, particularly so close to spring. You feel almost cheated.
I span round Chasewater, and noted the waterfowl now seem to have claimed the castle as their own, but was troubled that I could only spot one of the three white geese. Hope the other two are OK, but they must be quite old now.
On the other hand, last years cygnets are all doing well on the big pool, and accumulated, must number more than 30. With few natural predators and national treasure status, one wonders how long their population can go on expanding…
The water level seems to be increasing gradually, too; maybe 11 inches to go now. I somehow doubt we’ll see Chasewater overflow this spring, but it’s at a good healthy level right now.
February 7th – I nipped down to Lichfield in the afternoon for some shopping, and it was still cold, but at least the wind had dropped. Minster pool looked terrific and glass-flat on an otherwise very overcast, misty day.
Lichfield can look good on the dullest, most dreary afternoons.
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