September 20th – It was so beautiful on the way home that I decided to take a spin around Stonnall and Shenstone, just to catch the golden hour.
Although Autumn’s feet are well under the table now, there’s still plenty of green with freshly planted crops in the fields and leaves not yet turning.
But oh, it gets dark so early now…
September 19th – Yet another abundance this year of bright orange-red cotoneasters, so beloved of blackbirds, who upon finding a bush, will fight off challengers, usually while another steals the sugary berries.
These bright fruits – another clear sign of autumn – line hedgerows, cycleways and towpaths, and seem a very popular bush to plant on industrial estate verges, which is good for birds and bees alike.
September 18th – Ah, the season of the conker.
Every year, I point out the same truism: that few men can pass a conker lying on the ground and not pop it into their pocket. It’s a primal instinct from childhood, when they were seemingly so rare, and highly prized.
Despite the leaf-miners and cankers, the horse chestnuts have had a fruitful year and the beautifully shiny, leathery nuts lie in their split spiky husks on the ground beneath many a rural tree. This one, spotted near Burntwood, ended up in my pocket too.
It’s be rude not to.
September 17th – A bad day in lots of ways, but a sunset ride to sort the head out worked wonders. Heading up the canal to Chasewater the scenery was beautiful and the light golden. My favourite tree at Home Farm, Sandhills is laden with conkers and just showing signs of autumn, and the view to Hammerwich was gorgeous.
On the canal at Newtown, the Newtown one minded her own business, unconcerned by the stalking black cat, who seemed a bit peeved at my appearance.
If autumn promises more of this, it can stay around…
September 14th – This last few weeks I’ve been travelling home late a lot, and commuting in the dark. During these tired, weary evenings the rides have occasionally been very solitary, but one thing keeping me company has been the moon. Watching it wax and wane over successive fine nights has been a genuine joy, as has being observing the position every night.
This evening, with low cloud and mist on the ground, when the moon occasionally emerged, it had a lovely orange red hue.
It’s an odd friendship, me and the moon…
September 12th – The Autumn fruits are starting to come with abundance now, and few are more welcome than the bright reds and oranges of the rosehips. Where there were beautiful wayside flowers a few months ago, there are now gorgeous, shiny berries providing a feast for wildlife and a splash of welcome colour in the hedgerow.
The diversity of shapes and colours of these little-appreciated fruits is interesting, too.
Always a nice compensation for the ending of summer.
September 11th – A better day for the weather, and a better day for riding, although I was tired and lacked energy. I rode out to Lichfield, then Fradley Junction for tea and a snack. From there to Alrewas on the canal, then back through Whitemore Haye and Sittles.
A relatively short ride by recent standards, but the scenery was great, as was the sunset. Maybe autumn isn’t upon us just yet…
September 9th – Found in Kings Hill Park in Darlaston, a sign of the oncoming autumn. Glistening ink caps, shooting up after a night’s rain; tiny spores waiting in the ground until exactly the right combination of light, temperature and moisture. Then – ping! – instant toadstool forest.
Isn’t fungus incredible?
September 6th – The breath of autumn on my shoulder, as the song says. Cycling along the canal in Place on a beautiful, sunny day, it’s hard not to notice the subtly changing colours, the slight chill in the air, and the first few fallen leaves.
Technically we’re still in summer, but Autumn is now limbering up. I find this time of year so hard.
Ah well, nothing to do but ride on…
September 3rd – Shooting through Weeford on my return, expecting the rain to start again, I noticed these mushrooms growing on a verge. They were huge, and their presence reminded me that now we’re coming on Autumn, watching out for the fungus could be productive.
Wondering in the rosy earthstars and orange peel fungus will be back on Clayhanger Common this year?
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