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.
August 18th – In spite of my earlier feeling that we were in for a thin harvest, the hedgerows and woodlands are laden with berries, nuts and fruit this year. I noted on Brownhills Common that the elderberries were now showing well and in abundance, which is good news for local winemakers, who will produce a dark red, strong and face-numbing drink from these shiny, dark berries.
And long may it continue!
August 17th – Well, we’ve had a little rain (but not nearly enough) and something becomes clear: Grass fires are dramatic and worrying and do lots of damage, but as can be seen here on Chasewater Dam heath where there was a fire a month ago, it’s recovering well. The fire has cleared the scubas and fresh plants are shooting anew, and the area, although still scarred, is taking on a green appearance.
The grass fires are awful and so unnecessary, but nature clearly heals, and remarkably quickly too.
August 16th – A dreadful morning commute in heavy rain to the railway station was a shock to the system, on slippery roads with a worrying amount of spray. Getting to the station, when the train arrived I found I was sharing the bike space with a hardy cyclist in shorts.
Looking at his bike, a respectable singe speed, I saw what can only be regarded as the worst bit of rear light positioning I’ve ever seen.
Almost lower than the rear wheel, on the seat post behind the seat stays.
I hope this guy doesn’t do anything engineering-based for a living.
August 15th – Also ripening in the hedgerows and waysides are a large variety of different rose hips in a range of shades and shapes. From cherry red and almost spherical to more oval and orange.
Again, these fruits will help sustain birds and other small animals into the winter and will be bright and beautiful in the late summer when traditionally the colour from flowers subsides.
August 15th – With all the sun we’ve had, the haws – fruit of the hawthorn – are reddening up well and in copious supply. These hard, bitter berries will last right into the winter, and although not a first choice of most birds, they will sustain many when preferable food sources dwindle.
They also provide a lovely splash of noble colour to the late summer and autumn hedgerows.
August 14th – A tiring, very long day, but despite my weekend gloom (sometimes the IBS gets you like that) the weather is still very dry and warm – although not the sun-drenched heatwave of a couple of weeks ago, it’s still warm enough to ride with just a tee shirt and hopefully catch a little warmth on the skin.
The weekend’s small amount of rain clearly hasn’t been wasted: things suddenly look green anew – the canal at Clayhanger Bridge was as limpid and peaceful as ever, but the surrounding vegetation is greening up again. It looks… Fresher. Grass is sprouting again, and optimistic, opportunistic weeds and wildflowers are shooting up on the edgelands.
Looks like summer isn’t over after all…
August 10th – Unsurprisingly, there was no sign of the King of Kings Hill when it was raining mid day.
However, when the sun was out, as I was coming home, normal ruling duties had been resumed, and the serious pursuit of nap time continued.
August 9th – Kings Hill Park is looking very weather- worn at the moment. At the beginning of the hot spell, the planters were cleared for new flowers, but it was clearly felt that planting out new bedding plants might be a waste in the heatwave, so since early summer we’ve had to be content with the noble greens and golds of a hot, dry season.
This little oasis is still beautiful however, and a welcome refuge from the hectic day at work, providing me with a nearby place where I can take five, rest and enjoy peace and quiet.
It’s a lovely little park, whatever the season or time of year.
August 7th – Also showing a good, plump and juicy crop this year are the blackberries, so profuse at the moment, everywhere I go they’re so ripe they’re falling off the brambles. I see plenty of folks picking them, but there are just so many.
If you’re a crumble fan, get out there. These wonderful fruits are fee and so sweet and tasty this year.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 