Tag: sunshine

July 1st – Has half the year gone already? Really? Wow.

I flew from Walsall with the wind behind me just after the rain passed, and with a call to make in Stonnall, I let the wind blow me on a lazy loop around Shenstone. The wet lanes glistened in the sunlight, and the sky was deep blue. With the wet June, everything is verdant ad green, except the barley, which is turning now to the gold of high summer.

As the year and seasons move inexorably on, although it’s been wet, it hasn’t felt like a bad year for the weather. Let’s hope we get a drier, sunnier July and August.

May 4th – Summer seems finally to be on it’s way in. A warm, sunny day during which I had to visit telford, where the tulips in the station flowerbed are divine. On the way back from Lichfield, the daffodils were still strong in the hedgerows, and the oilseed rape was burning yellow in the fields.

Sunshine, it’s so good to have you back… please stay awhile.

March 31st – Also greening up is the canal through Catshill to Chasewater; the traditional demarkation between urban and rural, this green line of water may be only feet wide but the difference from one side to the other are polar opposites.

But on a mellow, sunny spring evening, with low sun and long shadows, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.

I keep saying it; I shouldn’t have to – be we live in a surprisingly beautiful place. Treasure it.

December 20th – Oh man, am I unwell. Really grim cold, headaches and even my jaw hurts. Hopefully, it’ll blow itself out in a day or so.

I got out at lunchtime, again on Christmas errands – over to Weeford and Packington via Stonnall and Shenstone, then back through Whittington, Fradley and Lichfield. Setting off on a bright, cold day, it felt like winter at last. The scenery was good, the light excellent and only a headwind honed on Satan’s oilstone dampened my enthusiasm.

I do like the wind turbine at Curborough – considering how many people, including the local MP, were losing their minds over it at planning, I think it’s rather elegant.

Sadly, at Packington, the heavens opened in a series of short, sharp, heavy showers, which continued for the remainder of the afternoon. Battling home from Curborough into driving rain and a headwind was not fun.

Still, I have been asking for some proper winter weather, and that was definitely it…

Be careful what you wish for.

June 29th – Passing through New Street Station early on a sunny, bright morning. The skyline looked as busy as ever with clashing architectures, wires, antenna and other urban structures. And in the middle, the buddleia growing from the signalling cable raceway on the Hill Street Bridge was flourishing, seemingly unhindered and unnoticed.

April 9th – Lambs, lots of them. The lambing must be in full swing, and as I headed to Hoar Cross today through Hanch and Tuppenhirst, I spotted these wonderful offspring. Not a bad day to be born, really.

It was the same throughout Staffordshire: Up at Dunstable, the sheep in the avenue was a timeless view I reckon hasn’t changed in centuries.

March 10th – Today was a bright sunshine day, and the sun was warm on my back. I nipped out of work near lunchtime and spun through Victoria and Kings Hill Parks in Darlaston just to see how they were looking. In Victoria Park, one group of pattern-planted crocuses is in flower, and they seem to be in the form of a wheel – I have no idea why. The greens and shady corners there looked as beautiful and serene as ever.

In Kings Hill Park, a riot of colour with daffodils, primroses and crocuses all vying for attention.

If you live nearby, and can get to these parks soon, do so. They are a credit to Darlaston and those who maintain them. Utterly splendid.

February 25th – And then there’s Kings Hill Park, too. I couldn’t resist swinging past on this fine morning to check out the crocuses – and to my surprise, the snowdrops were also out in force; the ones here must be a later flowering variety.

Am I imagining it, or do yellow crocuses flower before other colours? Plenty of yellow ones about, but not so many violet.

After seeing these, you can’t fail to go to work with happiness in your heart: spring is coming, and nothing can stop it now. 

March 26th – I cycled to work in bright sunshine, but it felt bitterly cold, although I guess it wasn’t, really. Since it was so nice I took a quick loop of Kings Hill Park in Darlaston. It’s a credit to the people who work hard to maintain it. The spring flowers are gorgeous, the planters are shaping up well and the the place is clean and tidy.

It’s such a shame that Oak Park in Walsall Wood can’t get a fraction of this kind of dedication. A real shame indeed.