October 19th – A puzzle. I found this flower growing from the brickwork at the canal edge in Walsall. It’s clearly day-like, but not a daisy. But it’s delicate and very, very lovely.
My curiosity was piqued by the colour. In the soft autumnal sunlight it appeared to be a very, very light purple or pink. But I can’t actually tell for sure.
Any ideas?
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October 17th – One of the things that makes me happy in autumn is the parting of ways of that year’s cygnets and their parents. Gradually, as winter closes in, that year’s clutch are gradually pushed away by the parents who still keep a loose family group but won’t tolerate the young too close.
This gradual transition into adulthood is visible about now as you meet lone cygnets like this one, hustling for treats on the canal in walsall, a few hundred yards from its parents.
For once I had some corn and it ate like they always do, like tit had never had food before.
Soon, it’ll join the main local flocks and will spend a few years socialising before pairing off and the family cycle continuing.
Another successful year for the local swans.
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October 16th – I didn’t use Bloxwich station for years, as the Chase Line trains that shuttle this line between Birmingham and Rugeley tended to be horrendously crowded into city, and a similar nightmare in the evenings, but since the line has been electrified with longer trains, it’s been a lot more convenient.
The station itself is little more than a suburban halt, but welcoming enough and I love the lighting at night. Where it does win for me is it’s a nicer ride home than Walsall, Blake Street or Shenstone, and about the same distance.
The train times don’t often work for me and this service, so I’m unlikely to be a regular user but I’m growing to like it. The Chase Line upgrade has been good for me and once the service wrinkles are ironed out it could be very useful indeed.
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October 14th – A damp morning showed a remarkable range of fungi on the way to work. From what I thought was going to be a very disappointing season, there have been some remarkable displays of this remarkable kingdom.
These specimens were all in one short stretch of cycleway in Goscote and were absolutely fascinating.
One of the few redeeming features of autumn for me is definitely the fungi…
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October 10th – A long day and late night at work. The journey home was dreadful, and reminded me that I among enduring The Suck, that horrible period of night-time commuting in the dark, when driving seems worse, the weather is hostile and the journeys drain you physically and psychologically.
Still, to have the gorgeous sunny summer days you need to have the winter, and even Walsall Ring Road can be surprisingly attractive when the wet tarmac, vehicle and street lights combine.
Roll on Christmas…
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October 3rd – I drove to work and rode home – sadly I chose a really, really unpleasant evening to do so. Again, drizzle and a punishing headwind – but at least the town looked beautiful in the glistening, dripping night.
I decided to quickly try the camera and the phone for a comparison.
Top, the iPhone 11 Pro Max in night mode, which since a beta firmware upgrade on Wednesday evening seems a whole bunch better. It’s not as hyperreal, but is still very strange, but beautiful I think.
My preference is still to the warmth of the Canon G5X, below, which is altogether mellower without losing detail.
Further explorations to come, I think.
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September 30th – I’ve never been a fan of the dot matrix signs at the major road gateways to our towns and cities – Walsall’s in particular seem to be uniquely superfluous.
Riding home in dreadful wether – driving rain and a headwind – they were, at least, accurate.
For heaven’s sake…
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September 18th – Scarborough Road in Walsall is still a veritable catropolis, and I see plenty of fine pusses there. Sadly I can’t often photograph them without invading the privacy of the householders in whose gardens or upon whose window cills these fine felines hang out.
This proud puss – with more than a little of the Adolf-cat about him, have to say – was sat in a gateway watching me ride past.
He obliged me by posing for a picture. Clearly a lovely cat – someone loves this one very much.
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September 10th – Up in Pleck, Walsall I spited this brisk, urbane puss who was stalking ratty in the rubbish on the opposite canal bank by Scarborough Road Bridge. Nervous at first, I thought he was going to run away, but he found his courage and faced me while I caught him on camera.
This large black and white puss may be rooting through the rubbish but he was neat an tidy and very lithe.
Clearly one has to look one’s best, even in the most grim conditions…
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September 3rd – Hornbeam trees are fascinating. Often mistaken (particularly by me) for beech, the leaves are perfectly ridged and beautiful, but the seeds, in long drop chains a bit like sycamore, are fascinating.
They’re ripening now and will soon be dappling the cycleways, pavements and industrial estate backways with golden brown mast.
Autumn’s colours may be more muted, but they’re still gorgeous.
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