July 3rd – Summer ticks on and as I noted a few days ago, we’ve moved from flowing to fruiting.
Lots of berries are now developing on the branches, from haws to rowan berries and even plenty of ripening cherries.
These will bring with them reds, oranges and purples and a whole range of new colour as they and the season mature.
A wonderful time of year.
July 1st – Half the year gone already. Where on earth did that go?
I was unwell after eating something I shouldn’t (Life with IBS often means interrogating people who cook for you about what ingredients they use, but sometimes, you feel embarrassed and eat anyway). The pumpkin seeds in a casserole from a friend the night before were really causing me hell, and I didn’t get out until early evening.
I met family at a country pub in Longdon for a lazy, louche, sunny Sunday evening social, riding there and back. The countryside is showing well at the moment with ripening crops and the greens going dark and maturing.
I particularly liked the lithe, stripy puss I saw in Hammerwich. – he was definitely the neighbourhood watch!
June 28th – One thing that is absolutely beautiful this year and I haven’t mentioned to my shame is the vetch. This beautiful, delicate purple flower is absolutely everywhere and very beautiful.
It’s one of my favourite summer flowers and lasts for ages, whilst growing in some of the most inhospitable edge lands.
A real summer treasure.
June 27th – Since we’re in high, hot summer we’re now in a phase of darker flowers – purples, reds, dark blues. And that means the thistles are coming out.
Spotted flowering on industrial wasteland in Pleck, this gorgeous thistle was alive with tiny back bugs.
I immediately felt sorry for the plant. But who knows? They may have been doing it good…
Fascinating, all the same.
June 24th – A second Sunday ride on Cannock Chase, on a much better day than the previous Sunday,. It was warm and sunny and the day languid and beautiful. A bit of an odd one, though: The curious memorial found in the forest and the stunning sun pillar in the evening gave the day and unusual, other-worldly feel.
June 4th – The flower display is continuing. So much stuff is appearing now it’s very hard to keep track, but canalside and meadow orchids are looking beautiful, dog roses and x-eye daisies all caught my eye on my commute.
There really is no better time to be on a bike, right out here in the outdoors during great sunny weather.
I have waited so long for this.
May 30th – So many new wild flowers every day. On a day that was wet, but whose rain I missed whilst in work, I noticed the clover along the Goscote Valley cycleway was looking beautiful in the wet grass.
If you actually study clover flowers, they are amazingly delicate and complex, yet so often overlooked.
A true staple of summer.
May 21st – Passing through James Bridge, the feral rose by the canalside is blooming beautifully again. We’re accelerating into summer at a rate of knots now, nature has caught up in the good weather so quickly. Every single day there’s a new plant in bloom, a new discovery.
Such a wonderful time.
May 14th – A lovely lunchtime ride into Walsall from work, and I took the canal. The sun was warm, bright and welcoming, the canal alive with wildlife and growth, a green motorway for birds, insects and walkers.
The lilac at Pleck, Sallow at James Bridge and just the air of quiet summer growth was wonderful. A real joy to the heart.
And who did I spot on my return to work in the afternoon? Curled up into a comfy black furry circle, Sam the elderly Kings Hill puss, dozing contentedly in a sun dappled spot, no doubt dreaming of his younger days and soothing his bones in the summer warmth.
It doesn’t get much better than this.
May 13th – I was still feeling groggy but it was a lovely day and the outdoors beckoned, so I headed tentatively for a ride, not expecting to get far.
It was a lovely 52 mile ride, actually, fluid and enjoyable, but sadly dogged with mechanical issues. Time to break out the spanners and do a little maintenance I think.
I headed out to Hints through the backlanes of Stonnall and Shenstone, then on to Hopwas, Wigginton, No Mans Heath, Netherseal, Overseal, Coton in the Elms, Catton and back home through Huddlesford and Lichfield.
I haven’t visited the church at Wigginton for a very long time – it’s a remarkable place: Foursquare, built of very red, red brick. The main church dates from 1777 but the Spital Chapel dates from 1272. This is a very historic place.
The flowers are out, hedgerows are verdant and the landscape a patchwork of gold, white and green.
Hard to think that just a few weeks ago the Tame in the same spot was filling the flood channel.
David Oakley will be pleased to see Chilcote Pumping Station remains pretty much unchanged as viewed from Honey Hill. I adore that view.
A great ride that was much better than expected.
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