June 11th – I had to pop into work late afternoon, and as sun tried to break through the generally overcast day, I stopped to look for my mates the coos at Jockey Meadows.
At first, I thought they’d gone again, but I could smell them. The muddy field was freshly churned after the rain. I looked carefully.
The workforce was busy. Deep in the scrub or the water meadow, they were here and there, doing what they do best.
Grazing, steadily. Getting the job done.
June 2nd – Can the concept of ghost signs be applied to commercial vehicles, do you think?
For those that don’t know, ghost signs are the defunct, redundant or barely legible remains of signs on buildings advertising long gone places of companies, and spotting them is quite a thing in some circles. I’ve been passing this red box van in Shelfield for months and wondering.
The legend on it once said ‘Another bun run from: Riverside Bakery – Tel Middlesbro’ 247181 – Tel N’Castle0191 271 4874′ – but it’s since been removed, and only the non-faded shadow of the text remains.
Interestingly (or perhaps not) the bakery seemed to make the news for all the wrong reasons in 2006, but I think it still might exist.
The trivialities I notice when cycling really do trouble me sometimes…
May 31st – A bright spot in an atrocious, wet commute home was spotting that the coos have returned to Jockey Meadow in Walsall Wood – and by the look of the lush meadow there, they have their work cut out.
Not that it seems hard work, browsing the bog for the juiciest grasses and shoots, and generally looking handsome.
I love these guys. So nosey, so proud. Good to have my friends back.
May 19th – I had gone to work on a pleasantly sunny morning, but returned in light rain, through a glistening, green, dripping landscape, no more in evidence anywhere than Green Lane on the Walsall Wood/Shelfield border.
The wet tarmac glistened, the trees, bright in their new green jackets, dripped softly. There was the gentle hiss of rain and babble of water.
But it was warm, the wind was behind me and for once, I didn’t mind.
Sometimes the only thing to do is open your senses and let it all in.
April 19th – Spotted on the way home, a small group of red deer at the far side of a freshly planted field on the south side of Jockey Meadows, near High Heath.
Haven’t seen deer on this side of Green Lane for a while. They were right over by the brook, and I guess they’d been laying low in the marsh there for most of the day.
I still can’t really believe we live in a place where these large, wonderful and beautiful creatures roam freely.
After all these years, to see the deer is still a delight.
April 8th – Coming through Jockey Meadows in Walsall Wood after a long, hard day at work, I realised that things here were just starting to green up for the new season. Often, this is the last place locally to shake of the drab shades of winter, but this year it seems a little quicker.
This unusual site of special scientific interest that stops Walsall Wood, Pelsall and Shelfield forming one huge sprawl is an odd hinterland, but I do love it so.
Wonder if the coos will be back this year?
April 7th – And daffodils again, this time on a chilly ride home; these are on the site of the former railway bridge in Shelfield that’s now a public open space, and are an absolute riot. Again mixed, it’s a fantastic show this year, and a credit to those at the council who planted and tend them.
Gorgeous.
March 21st – Passing the fields at the Shelfield end of Green Lane, I smelt the delicious, dark smell of freshly turned earth, and noticed the field near the Mob Lane junction had been ploughed, harrowed and planted.
I noted a lot of fields locally have been ploughed in the last week or so. Perhaps farmers now feel they’re clear enough of winter to risk spring planting.
So beautiful to see the brown fields, full of promise for a new growing season.
February 15th – My deer magnet is currently working well.
I stopped in Shelfield to catch the sunset, and came upon a herd of red deer near Coppice Woods on Green Lane.
They were comfortably loafing, and showed slight interest in me, but weren’t overly bothered. I still can’t believe these wonderful creatures roam free in out countryside.
A wonderful, and unexpected sight. Shame the light wasn’t better!
March 14th – So pleasant to be coming home in the light at last. Not so pleasant, several motorists today seemed to want me dead, which was a shock. People, check when you turn or change lanes, please.
The wind was very sharp, against me and I was cold, but the dusk falling over jockey meadows was beautiful, and it looked like a low bit was forming.
It’ll be a while yet before the meadows green up for a new season, but right now, it’s enough that I can see them at all at gone six o’clock.
I note from sunrise and sunset times on the GPS that we’re approaching the equinox… it’ll be interesting to see when that occurs.
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