May 19th – Most of the day, the weather was dynamic. Sun, rain, wind, hail, sun… but even in the sun, it still looked black over Bill’s Mothers. The coos knew what they were doing.
I got soaked three times. But the rain passed as quickly as it came and it wasn’t cold.
May. It rages and it roars and it blows; but usually, it creeps out on tiptoe, spent from all the tantrums.
May 9th – A ride up to Chasewater, and back to Brownhills along the canal. It was a dull, overcast day that seemed to permanently threaten rain. However, the sheer beauty of the newly green landscape was a joy to the heart.
At Newtown, a rabbit in the pasture near the mobile home park; the warren by Newtown Bridge seems to have been wiped out by myxie, and only this burrow remains. The bunny looked healthy enough, though.
The sallow is coming into bloom, and the weeping willows over the canal look majestic, as do some of the canalside gardens.
Even when the sun is elusive, this time of year is beautiful.
May 2nd – How can grey days be so beautiful? It was awful weather, cold, miserable, wet. But returning to Brownhills near Clayhanger on the canal, the hedgerows were emerald green, blossom was around and forget-me-nots dappled the embankments. Such a delight after so long grey.
Sun would be most welcome, and a bit of warmth; but this ain’t so bad.
April 12th – On a headache-grey, still windy day a quick circuit around Brownhills and Chasewater before the storm closed in. Everything looked grim, dark and full of foreboding, as if the previous week of spring hadn’t happened at all. It was so windy, even the wakeboarders had given up.
The common was looking good though, and I must say the recent plantation removal works and tree thinning have been a real improvement.
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.
March 1st – On a distinctly un-springlike day, I headed into Pelsall in the morning, and came back along the canal via Nest Common. The canal here is as stark and beautiful as it every is; a shimmering sky-coloured ribbon stretching off on three directions. However, the journey back – along muddy, churned towpath until I reached the better surfaced part at Ryders Hayes – was awful.
Walsall Council and the Canal & River Trust are said to be investing, like Birmingham, in canal routes that don’t need surfacing, while ignoring spots like this and the canal through Rushall. It doesn’t make sense to me.
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.
January 6th – An early, grey commute was brightened by something I’d never seen before, a heron in Jockey Meadows. A fair way from the canal or Ryders Mere, it must either have been resting or hunting in the water meadows here.
The photos are awful, and very long distance, but I’ve never seen a heron here before.
It set me up for the day.
November 23rd – A run out on errands late morning was shrouded in grey, overcast damp. I swung out to Pelsall, then back over to Coppice Side and up to Chasewater, Ogley and back to the supermarket. It was a thoroughly grey, uninspiring and lifeless day.
I cut up the cycleway from Apex Road, over the old cement works bridge up to Engine Lane. I was pleased to note the cycleway here has been opened back out and the paths cleared – all by a Community Payback team, who were working cutting the scrub back today.
That pleased me, and makes riding down here a whole bunch nicer. Thanks, folks. Looking good!
October 6th – It was a dreadful morning commute, and running late on the way home meant I didn’t have much time to stop. The heavy rains and wind of the morning sapped all my reserves of energy and patience; the riding was difficult and the driving poor.
Thankfully, by my somewhat late return, it was dry with an interesting dusk sky and what I suspect was a decent sunset, although I couldn’t get in a good place to see it.
From Walsall Station it looked impressive, if a little ominous. As I passed the Black Cock at Bullings Heath later on, it started to spot with rain again, even though the moon was large and clear.
A horrid day for commuting.
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