Gentle Meanderings

 I'm still not doing a lot of walking; I am now doing rehabbing exercises for my ankle - including a lurid orange foam roller with medieval torture instrument vibes - and wearing an ice pack when I remember.

I therefore apologise for the lack of riveting content, it is very frustrating for me to be not outside and also the weather is too atrocious for bike riding. The rain seems unrelenting, but I'm guessing our reservoirs need it so I'm not complaining about that. 

I can at least do my best to get outside, and just enjoy the sights and sounds. The harsh honking of the geese at the marina is rendered almost melodic by distance, and there is usually a robin to be heard singing somewhere.

There's a new noise too, one I've only recently discovered. The little sculpture outside Rumbles cafe, which I thought was actually a pretty little piece of polished metal, is actually a sort of steel drum as I found when I heard kids tapping it in their mittened hands, a soft "bonging" rather less tinny than a steel drum in actual fact.

It's a sound oddly out of place under skies of battleship grey. 

Si

River Life

And again, up and down and around the river. Possibly more than once. I do enjoy it.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 19.08.19

Man Struggles with Big Fish

So, I've had three walks today totalling 16000 steps, and did 30 minutes on my exercise bike; still fat as a barrel though. Amongst all this I got my application in for my new flat, for which I found myself writing a cheque - according to my chequebook I haven't written one since 2002 and as it was the last one in the book I probably won't be writing any more.

It's been a warm old day, and I've seen swallows, screaming swifts, various species of butterfly and plenty of worker bees. I've also watched a pleasant angler struggle for 20 minutes to land a large common carp; everytime he got the thing near to shore, it flapped its big powerful tail and swam off again.

By the time he was able to land it with the help of a mate, a small crowd had gathered to watch him and we gave him a round of applause as he posed with his prize.

The fish was out of the water for barely 20 seconds before it was released unharmed, which I was impressed with. It was in beautiful condition.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.05.19

Running in Crocus Land

What a difference a day makes. With the sun out,this morning was utterly spring like, although it wasn't enough to wake up any buzzers or flutterers.

This convinced me that a run in the afternoon would be nice, to see what had been hidden for a week by the bad weather, and to try out some new bits and pieces I got from Decathlon. I ended up wearing a new gilet type thing, that was rather thinner than I thought it would be, but was warm enough on a day like today, a day where the birds have started singing full blast again. Apart from blackbirds, who are being rather cagey a the moment. 

There's a lot of crocuses about. Indeed we are at maximum crocus, peak crocus, although the show seems a bit down on previous years because of the weather. I'm sure the purple and white cemetery carpets have been thicker in previous years. 

No goosander today, only a couple of egrets. THis reminds me however of an appalling tweet by The Angling Times magazine suggesting that cormorants and goosander should be shot for having the temerity to eat anglers' apparently reserved fish stocks. Luckily the reposnse they got, even from fishermen themselves, was excoriating.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.03.18

A Bright Day's Fishing

As you may have picked up over the years in this blog, I am very ambivalent about fishing. I don't like the damage waste can cause to wildlife, nor do I like how angling clubs obtain waters and make them inaccessible to the public, and / or make them very sterile for nature.

However, it does fascinate me because it is an outdoor past-time and I enjoy watching videos on youtube of anglers behaving in a responsible manner while enjoying their hobby. I also love fish, I love the way that as I walk by the River Devon they are cruising unseen beneath the waters.

Today a couple of anglers were struggling to tempt any from the river on what was actually a really pleasant day outside, a day where the great tits were singing their two tone song like fire engines and long tailed tits flitted in the orchard, really quite close to me.

Why are the smallest birds so unafraid?

So I had a cup of tea outside in the sun, and wandered some more, and finished the day off at cricket practice, bowling at the first teamers and hoping they didn't smash the ball back into my face.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.02.18

Well there's a Giant Pole

Angler on the River Devon today, fishing with a pole so large it reached virtually across the river in a move I'd consider to be distinctly unsporting. But he wasn't catching anything; it was an older chap with a much smaller rod who was catching some little dace, I think it might have been.

Really cold today, but bright and very pleasant to sit out having a large cup of tea at Rumbles. A lot of great tits in the trees today, and the redwing were raiding the cotoneaster near my home from a high tree again. Always they wait until people are safely out of the way, before swooping down for these C-list berries.

I've just completed 45 minutes hard exercise bike and shortly, back and stomach exercises. 12000 steps also on account. Got to get fit again.

Regards,

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.01.18