June 10th – Passing Goblins Wood (or Coppice Woods, for the hip modern kids out there), I noted how beautiful they looked. This mostly deciduous, well managed woodland is very old and suspect the only local remnant of the traditional English oak and holly copses that once dotted the area.
These woods, and the trees therein have seen many seasons, and every summer they look superb. Long may they remain (and they are protected by law now, too.)
June 4th – A sunny day, warm with little wind and the first shirtsleeve commute of the year. I took the slow way back to Brownhills along the canals and enjoyed every minute. The meadows, towpaths and hedgerows look wonderful right now and summer is waiting in the wings.
Bring it on.
June 1st – It may have been the first day of the meteorological summer, but it was cold, wet and blustery. Again.
Cheering me up in the gloom, though: Clayhanger’s latest family: seven Canada goose goslings, clearly very recently hatched. When I spotted them, they were scrambling to hop out of the overflow they’d been paddling in.
Mum and dad were very attentive and impressive parents, it has to be said.
September 11th – In Darlaston Green, a sight to bring joy to the coldest, hardest heart – a single, 7 foot tall sunflower, growing right in front of a living room window. I imagine it to have been planted by a child under adult supervision – possibly a grandparent.
You can’t fail to adore this.
September 8th – I was in Droitwich for a meeting. I quite like the place, and it’s a nice train journey, especially on a sunny day like this. I noticed the canal as I rode up the Salwarpe Road. I believe it’s only been reopened in the last few years, and is probably worth exploring one of these days.
What a lovely view.
August 7th – A great day – sunny. warm, still – great Indian Summer stuff. After around 6 weeks of nursing a foot injury, it was time to push it again – a long ride and some strenuous climbing was in order.
For too long, I’v been doing only work rides, or short stuff; dropping gears to climb hills and generally riding like an old man.
I utterly punished myself on and off road; sharp climbs, speed, and plenty of honking (pedalling stood up). I was surprised at my energy. I seem to be losing weight at the moment, too, and was pleasantly surprised at my stamina considering.
Hopefully, this isn’t summer’s last yahoo and I can get some decent riding in at last before summer’s last breath.
Today, I fell back in love with it.
September 1st – It really is coming on autumn now, and it’s getting me down a little. Cycling to work down Scarborough Road in Walsall on a grey Monday, fallen leaves already scatted on the road, it’s hard not to feel sad for the passage of another summer.
I feel this one has been good; it hasn’t seemed very wet, and although August was a tad grim, the previous months had been great. Sadly I’ve not got out for longer rides this year much at all, with a combination of work and family pressures and a healing, but still troublesome foot injury – but commuting this summer was a real joy.
It’ll be a while until this season gets beautiful, and I’ll be low for a bit yet. Every year, as I get older, this transition seems to be the hardest of the year. I’m wearing a jacket again more and more, soon the scarf and full gloves will be back out of the drawer, and dark evenings will be upon us.
Oh well, down the hatch. It’s still quite green…
August 31st – ‘Why the long face, mate?’ ‘Because the summer’s over and passers by keep asking me stupid questions.’
Gorgeously nosey donkey, who brayed a hello at me as I cycled past at the bottom of Lazy Hill. I did the only reasonable thing – slammed the anchors on and went back to give him some fuss and take a few pictures.
August 28th – Although summer is drawing to a close, some peculiar reminders remain. I don’t think I’ve ever known the canal waterlilies last as long as they have this year – white and yellow are still widely in bloom. They’re usually over by now.
Like the herons I’m so fond of, they’re an indicator of a clean waterway, and something I find beautiful and special, as you’d never see anything like this when I was a kid.
Stay as long as you like…
17th August – At Home Farm, Sandhills, the harvest seems complete, and the wheat in the top field has been harvested. The day before, the straw lay in neat rows; today, it had been baled into neat, cylindrical rolls.
I love to see this, it appeals to my urge to grab order from chaos, and always looks dramatic.
And with this, the season’s mechanism advances another notch – it can’t be a coincidence that the weather is now colder and more changeable.
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