May 4th – Nice to see a new year’s worth of youngsters on the canal: Goslings and ducklings compete to out-cute each other, guarded closely by their attentive parents.
There are cygnets, too, apparently although I’ve yet to see any of the local families, which is a bit remiss of me.
A beautiful, cheering thing.
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May 3rd – An interesting surprise to note one tree near Clayhanger Common this year has been hit heavily by the gall wasp that causes oak apple galls.
These growths – protective structures grown from corrupted leaf buds – house gall wasp larva that will eat their way out of the gall as the season progresses. The corruption is caused by the parent wasp injecting the larva’s egg into the nascent leaf bud covered in a chemical that causes the cells to deform.
It’s one of the odder evolutionary parasitic actions I’ve ever come across and it fascinates me. And it doesn’t seem to affect the tree at all.
One of the more peculiar aspects is all the oak trees around the one affected are completely untouched. But this one is affected more heavily than any I’ve ever seen in my life. There must be several thousand oak apples.
But why just this one tree? A fascinating thing.
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May 2nd – Chasewater’s water level is now just below the weir top in the Nine-foot Pool: But only just. Not even an inch. The continued seepage from the dam and around the penstocks in the canal outlet valve will be steady, slightly and continually draining.
It’s been dry now pretty much a month or more, and at one stage last winter it felt like the world would never be dry again. The rain was such that it became a state that just was: I continually dressed for it and it didn’t trouble me much. But by god it was relentless and grim.
I’m glad that period has passed, and at the moment I’ll take any positives from life I can find.
Chasewater remains high, but is falling slowly.
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May 2nd – Chasewater, deserted and peaceful with no traffic noise is magical.
Apart from us, not a soul was around to witness the beauty. Just us, and several thousand waterfowl. I love this place so very much.
A beautiful, uplifting experience.
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May 1st – A ride down into Stonnall and the lanes. It had been a rollercoaster of a week emotionally, but at least we seem to be getting the virus under control. Things don’t seem as terribly threatening as they did.
Winching my way up Castlehill out of the village onto the Chester Road, the lanes here – severed by the straightening of the Chester Road many decades ago – are leafy and peaceful, and diverge oddly.
But in the quiet of a lockdown spring evening, with birds singing and soft sunlight coming through the leaves, this was close to heaven, and like my body, my mind was climbing, slowly.
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April 30th – Nature gets me through times of no hope more reliably than hope gets me through times of no nature – and throughout the pandemic, for all the horror of the news and social media, the simplicity and beauty of the world continuing to turn about it’s seasonal axes is really keeping me going.
The hedgerows, waysides and edgelands are alive with ragwort, bluebells, green alkanet, forget me nots, dandelions and a whole host of others.
And on that daily exercise ride, they really bring joy to a troubled, concerned soul.
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April 29th – Also nice to see the return of cats to my world. Largely absent in winter, these indolent, sleepy, warmth loving characters don’t bother so much in winter, but come spring and a young feline’s fancy turns to… Well, lounging in the long grass, hunting things and generally monitoring the human activity of their neighbourhoods.
This urbane and smart black and white puss was on the far bank behind Humphries House and was quite interested in my activities.
Looks like a lovely puss! Someone loves that one very much.
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April 29th – And, despite a downturn in the weather, nature still keeps me going day to day, and it’s particularly splendid right now.
On an afternoon exercise ride, I didn’t stray too far due to stomach cramps, but stood on the Pier Street bridge, one of my favourite views now has a gorgeous bright green jacket on.
The canalside trees, now so tall they can obscure the view to Humphries House are looking bright and fresh, as are the woodlands dotted over Clayhanger Common where the different species, leaf types and shapes make for a wonderful tapestry.
And on the water below? Blossom petals drifting lazily of the water surface.
It might not be much, but after those dark days and wet winter, it looks wonderful to me.
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April 28th – Almost bang on schedule, the may blossom – Hawthorn – is coming out along the lanes, towpaths and hedges of the area.
This outwardly white blossom which was bad luck according to my grandmother if brought into the house, is actually quite colourful if you look at the small flowers closely.
It’s one of those that is really beautiful, but few ever look at closely. A boost for bugs and bees too, who adore the blossom.
It never looks better then when bejewelled with rain and catching the light.
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April 28th – The welcome warm, dry spell ended with a crash with a very cold-feeling day and seemingly endless rain. But it is still only April.
On a sodden evening exercise ride, I rolled and splashed up the towpath – mercifully quiet – and noted the very beginnings of a surface-air inversion, with barely perceptible rolls of mist sweeping along the canal. Sadly the wind was a little to strong for it to persist.
I suppose the water was probably warmer than the air by a tad.
It is lovely though to see the green return though, even on such a grey, wet day.
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