It's true. There's a tension about the beginning of the season here - in my mind at any rate - that needs to be released.
Everything feels ready. There is a blossom, birds gathering nesting material and more and more flowering plants with every passing day. But there are no bumblebees or butterflies, and I'm yet to hear the song of a chiff chaff.
Spring is on the launch-pad, but the blue touchpaper has yet to be lit.
Today was a case in point. After two hours of failing to be Mitch Johnson in the indoor cricket nets, the gloriously bright day had me running immediately, and suicidally, afterwards. Yet even though the freezing wind of yesterday had dropped away, it was obviously still too cold for the season to really "burst forth."
I ran a 10km route along the Owl Road, and despite hoping for buzzers and flutterers, none were about. Indeed, at Cotham Flash, a group of kids on scrambling motorbikes would have frightened every living thing away for a mile around.
I don't feel old and grumpy, but the sight of bikes tearing it up where I'm running turns this most liberal of men into a right old "hang 'em and flog 'em" merchant. A veritable Colonel (Retired) Blashby-Dashby of Disgustville.
Still, it was a beautiful day to be out, and there were sights to be seen. Please enjoy. I plan some more adventurous adventures in the next off-shift.
Si
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| Cemetery daffs in full swing now |
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| Good job it's not a triffid |
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| Horses on the 64 |
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| Into the distance |
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| Cotham Flash wetlands today |
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| New - common speedwell |
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| Speedwell close up |
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| Cat-vain, Hawton village |
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| Yellow flowering shrub |
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| My favourite old submerged trunk in the River Devon. I remember this from 1983 |
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| Hiding robin at the Sconce |
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| White magnolia emerging |
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| Hidden clock tower on the old part of the new hospital |
I believe you may well be right that spring is yet to fully be sprung Si, although we did have our first brief visit from a Bumble Bee in the 'work in progress' wildlife garden yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe yellow flowering shrub might be Winter Jasmine I believe. Looks like you live in a lovely area and love the tree stump in the river, looks a great fishing spot to me. As for the bikes, perhaps a catapult?
John
I believe you may well be right that spring is yet to fully be sprung Si, although we did have our first brief visit from a Bumble Bee in the 'work in progress' wildlife garden yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe yellow flowering shrub might be Winter Jasmine I believe. Looks like you live in a lovely area and love the tree stump in the river, looks a great fishing spot to me. As for the bikes, perhaps a catapult?
John
Ha! Off road bikes and vans are something I've become radib about since I started cycling more.
ReplyDeleteIt's great running and cycling country. The town bores me at night, but I'd miss this if I lived in a city
Thanks for visiting my blog. I am intrigued by how far South of me you must live for things to be so much further on. This years nettles are just poking through the ground and only a very few daffodils are out yet. Nothing else is moving and definitely no chiff chaff sound. The earliest we have had returning swallows to our barn is April 11th - so we shall see.
ReplyDeleteThis is Nottinghamshire! Hardly tropical either! It's quirky, I've seen pics from Norrth of here with butterflies and bumblebees, but none here really
ReplyDeleteLove that Speedwell picture. Not a peep of anything here yet!
ReplyDeleteWe continue to wait for the first 15C day, give or take. That will light the gunpowder on the season.
ReplyDelete