I picked some wild cherries today
I’m sorry I’ve been a bit absent recently, nothing exciting, just enjoying a hot summer.
Month: July 2018
Can you identify this one?
Outside of the building where I work stands this beautiful, large tree. For the last month it’s been blooming it’s little heart out, It has pointy leaves and bundles of tiny creamy yellow flowers.
Every morning as the sun warms and comes around to my side of the office, the pungent stench, fragrance wafts its way to my window. I can’t see it until I go outside and I don’t know what it is, but it’s driven me crazy, because it’s pollen hell and has really aggravated my asthma and hay fever, so I’d like to CHOP THE DAMN THING DOWN!
Anyone know what the monster is?
wordless wednesday
Sea nymphs splash around
‘Splash’ says Paula, for pick a word Thursday. Well a paddle would be quite nice and it’s 32 degrees according to my phone.
Then again it’s nice and cool right here at the kitchen table, so for now, I think that’s where I’ll stay.
Just a couple of you might recognise this photo, it was here 6 years ago.
Summer Fields
Summer fields
Mid-June knee high yellowed grass
Screaming for a cut, I sensed its thirst,
the struggle and failure to remain upright,
on a crisp hollow shell.
Mallow stands proud pink petals
boldly streaked with magenta, waiting
for a wise woman to brew a remedy
or make a cheese-weed cheese
Dandelion aggressive interlopers,
heads bowed to the soil, already shrivelled,
the seeds dispersed in the whispered breeze.
one o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock
I paused, listened to the chirrup
of grass hopper, cricket,
whatever’s the difference.
threatened by my stillness, they fell silent.
Dogs raced down from the top of a hill.
George jumped, leapt like a deer through the grass,
up down, up down, he dipped and dived
Revelling in the stench of bitch fox
Flora, fast as a bullet chased swallows
backwards, sideways covering three times
his distance in her futile efforts
to bring home her own lunch.
Wordless Wednesday
Lost in details
At first I thought that Paula had come up with a difficult challenge this week, but then I remembered how relaxed she is about how we interpret things. So, this is my entry for Lost in Details. She has a striking, bright image of . . . well you guess!
I think there are a few details to get lost in here, what do you think? Perhaps you’ll join in this week.
Street Pianos
They seem to be popping up everywhere, with the invitation to ‘please play me’. If only I could play I’d be sitting there, because this one is just about half a mile from home. I’ve always envied people who can play an instrument or sing, I have the flattest voice and can’t hold a note!
I woke up the other morning concerned about this particular piano, because it’s been out in a very heavy four hour rain storm. What happens if a piano gets wet? Will it be ruined?
Most of the ones I’ve seen have been sheltered in stations and shopping centres, but this one is outside a charity shop on a main road.
Are there street pianos near you, or have you seen them around?
Walking to the mill
One of my favourite short walks takes me along the mill leat in the Riverside Valley Park. There are three bodies of water in the Valley Park, the canal, the river itself and the mill leat running roughly parallel, for about a kilometre. My walk begins less than a kilometre from the quay, at Salmon Pool Lane, where I pause on the bridge over the leat, hoping to spot a kingfisher.
No such luck.
There’s some major flood prevention work taking place on the river, so I head over to check it out.
This is the view up river.
And this is down. I can’t make any sense of it, but the work’s been going on for several years already. Retracing my steps I pause to admire what I call the photo posts ( they make a great setting for family photos).
Then it’s back to the path.
Where I find this Hairy Dragonfly lady, quite happy to pose for me.
The flora and fauna get together, and give each other a helping hand.
Now, I hope that someone can tell me what this wildflower is, Jude perhaps? I only saw one.
Flora and George are keen to get going now, it’s such a hot day, they’re tempted by the water.
As it’s shallow they give it a try.
But not for long.
Someone’s been busy.
Next we cross the wooden footbridge.
This is the point where the North Brook joins the leat, just before it re-joins the river.
So we walk across the wooden footbridge.
The dogs know there’s rabbits around, but they have no hope of catching them.
The bright green plant intrigued me, it’s further away than it looks, could it be a Gunnera escaped from a garden?
We’re getting close to Mill Road now, the Mill was an overgrown ruin when I was a child. A grade 2 listed building, it belongs to the city council, and quite a lot of restoration has taken place. The first mill was built in 1284 by Countess Isabela. It was powered by the leat and was used to grind corn, but from the 1630’s paper making using rags began. Through the 18th and early 19th century, the quality of paper produced changed to good writing paper, notes for private banks and news print for the Times of India. In 1816 a fire destroyed the old mil and this replacement was built.
At it’s height, 200 people were employed, the Industrial revolution was here and it was one of the first to install machines.
Once rag paper was replaced with wood pulp, the mill went into decline, such a shame. I’ve always been interested in the building, it’s so striking.
I think it would make a fabulous hostel, for walkers on the long distance South West Coast Path, just a hop, skip and a jump down the road. With a café and interpretation centre wouldn’t it be nice? If only the council thought so too!
I’m sharing with Jo, for her Monday Walk, the first time for ages, Jo save me until another time, you’re probably all set for tomorrow already. 🙂
Lucid Gypsy 