August 19th – Talking of the harvest, at Home Farm, Sandhills, the cornfield I’d captured the rainbow and remarkable sunset from a few weeks ago has now been harvested, and the stubble, still golden in the overcast day, is awaiting ploughing back in.
My favourite tree – my marker for the seasons, the horse Chestnut by the farmhouse – is clearly laden with conkers.
What a fantastic summer and season this has been. Just what I needed.
September 25th – I spotted this handsome cat loafing in a field of stubble at Hademore,near Whittington. He was some way away, and the camera brought him nearer. His antics were fascinating; one moment he was hunting, on point, then having a scratch, then dozing.
I watched him for ages – a lovely cat clearly enjoying his territory. `I think he was every bit a star and someone must love this puss very much.
August 5th – I was feeling OK, it was just after sunrise on a bright summer day and so I decided to head to work via Aldridge and the Chester Road at Stonnall, just to catch Grove Hill in the soft light. There seems to be a crop of potatoes growing around the iconic tree, but the lower field of wheat has been harvested.
In the early morning light the stubble looked golden and beautiful, and I was puzzled by the one remaining stack of square straw bales. You don’t see many square ones these days. Unusual.
I love this spot and haven’t photographed it for ages. But it changes little, and always retains it’s magic.
August 26th – Even on a grim, grey day, Wall still has a fascination. Riding in via the track that constitutes Back Lane was a challenge, as it’s very overgrown, but such a delight. The fields here have been fully harvested, and look barren dressed in their underwear of stubble.
The village itself is fascinating. The half-cream, half-barebrik place with the odd gables? That was once a pub called the Seven Stars, and is now a lovely looking home.
Once, it stood on the main A5 between Brownhills and Tamworth, but the road was diverted on to a new dual carriageway half a mile to the south, and peace is restored.
A lovely little village.
September 2nd – This was a pleasant surprise. Riding home along Green Lane in Shelfield, I glanced, as I always do, through the gate of the field opposite the Mob Lane junction. Loafing on the freshly-cut stubble on Jockey Meadows were two red deer. It appears to be a mother and child, and they seemed to be in fine condition. I’ve seen deer here before, but never at this time of year. There was no sign of a larger group, but they might have been in the scrub towards the stream.
A fine sight, and one I’m still shocked to see in Walsall Wood on a parcel of land surrounded by industry and housing.
August 14th – Once a crop is harvested – in this case, wheat – there’s no time to hang around. The straw has been baled, and the ground is prepared for the next cycle of planting.
As I passed this field at Stonnall, I noted that it’s been subject to some process – many harrowing or scarifying – that has broken the stubble, but without ploughing. I’ve not seen this before, and am intrigued. Sadly, I was running short of time and couldn’t hang around to see the machinery performing the operation come back over the hill.
Anyone any ideas?
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