A Sleepy Butterfly

 Well, even as a British person the events of the last 24 hours have been at times unbearable to watch, and I turned off all my social media to avoid it. I am feeling a very little better tonight.

Yesterday was the first anniversary of my mother's death, a difficult day for my family especially as our Tier 3 status meant we couldn't meet as a family and had to make do with a conference call. I spent the main part of the day having a nice long walk, and finally biting the bullet and buying a new bicycle.

I tested it out today with a quick ride to North Muskham Lake and back, I saw quick but I got stuck at a level crossing barrier for about 15 minutes.

My new bike is a hybrid with racing bike sized wheels so it goes rather faster than my old hack bike I will still use for work. However to make up for the swiftness, it has no suspension and a higher pressure tires so it's a much bumpier ride! 

I haven't owned a new bike in so long! 

I made a great little discovery in the passage way that leads to my flat today. On a dangling strand of thick cobweb, a small tortoiseshell butterfly is hibernating! 

Heaven knows if it will make it to spring!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.11.20

Stopped being Lazy!

 Having had a late night watching the frankly disturbing "Cats" movie, I was surprised to be up nice and early and in a position to get some stuff done - buying hair clippers, doing a proper food shop, and ultimately having a lovely long walk to Farndon to have a look at the second hand bike shop. 

It was closed. Pity. I was prepared to buy a bike if they had a decent one in stock. 

No matter, I was enjoying my nice late summer slash early autumn walk, and even found a few butterflies willing to be photographed on the puzzled people of Farndon's flowers; let me state I did not enter anyone's garden, I did do a lot of leaning over though.

Ivy is now beginning to flower so late season pollinators have something to feed off. Chiefly honey bees today, and lots of more mundane flies but they do their bit too. 

The smell of the ivy is so strong at the moment. 

I came back in along the river; all the house martins and swallows seems to have left this area although they are being reported elsewhere. What hasn't left the river are rowers, plenty of them out training today. I'm not quite fit to run yet and need some new running shoes. 

Fishing is also a popular past time, most of the pegs along the Farndon reach were occupied. Other participants were also taking part; plenty of cormorants flying about, and also my first kingfisher of the year, shimmering neon in the sun. 

And I got a picture of a common darter at last, although a bit of an oddly angled one.

Lockdown looms again, although I don't think it will affect me particularly. I haven't been going to pubs so a 10pm curfew will hardly affect me. 

But it going to be more stress though.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.09.20

Getting into Running Again

Now that the cricket season has finished for me, I'm going to be at a lot of loose ends on Saturdays and Sundays, which means I have to find ways of constructively filling the time that don't involve watching endless prog rock videos on youtube or lying on the sofa watching the likes of "Six Headed Killer Shark" on the horror channel.

Actually, today it took a long time for me to do anything, I was absolutely exhausted again and couldn't move until 1pm, at which point I wandered to the park for tea, just taking in the sights.

6pm, after another nap, I put on my too tight running shorts, and headed out towards Farndon for the longest run I've managed in a while, a very long while. This is how I intend to fill the empty days, as long as my body will stand up to it.

I need to regain that fitness and lose a little weight.

I didn't go right to the end of the village, but instead went past the old windmill and back along some unevent lanes and through fields. I even found Cottage Lane nature reserve, which I'd never visited before; even now I still find places I've never been to in my home town.

It was a beautiful sunset evening, and although my pace was very slow, I felt glad to be out there. Hopefully I can manage a bit more decent running in the autumn, before frosts make it a bit miserable.

Might even go back to Parkrun.

Si

All text and  images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 14.09.19

Walking Like John Wayne

All our cricket games were cancelled today which made me feel less bad about not being able to play and support our club's efforts. Although if the second team game had gone head I would have gone down to watch and support the team, and no doubt take loads of joshing about my current condition.

So today, if anything I'm rather more sore than I was when I left hospital, but I'm determined to stay active and so spent the morning going on a series of walks, cafe to cafe, open space to open space.

I spent time in Carriages, the steampunk victoriana cafe that occupies the old railway station building, sipping a tea with big brown sugar lumps - an odd thing I know to put brown sugar in tea - and then walked along the river to the Sconce for more tea.

Down by the River Devon I saw my first blackcap of the year, although I didn't hear it sing its song like someone blowing into a flute slightly wrongly. There were a few bees on the wing, but these were obviously the mad ones as the weather was so bad.

A swallow swooped by me at ankle height on the road alongside the park, and a swift nearly took my head off as it made its way to its nest under the eaves of a house. Other swifts did their flying sickle thing in the grey sky above.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.06.19

Back in the Long Game

Today started off with a glorious morning; I walked down to the park with my denim jacket on and by the time I got there I was absolutely melting and found myself sitting out at the cafe with just a T-Shirt on, which is kind of crazy for mid October.

There were even butterflies about; flushed a red admiral on my driveway and large whites were up too.

The afternoon did get rather dull, but perhaps I didn't want it to be hot if I was going running. And run I did, 12km, the furthest I've run in ages. Took me ages as well, but to run the Farndon river route after so long felt good, the power station glowering under menacing clouds.

So many geese about too, they've all come back from their holidays!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.10.18

Cycling in a World of Yellow

Well, I've done around 40km on the bike today. not by design either.

I did want to make the most of the weather and the day off, so in the afternoon I headed off into a ride along the cycle path to Cotham and Thorpe, a nice 20km plus ride in a world that has now turned yellow.

Yes indeed, the oilseed rape is in full flower, and on a sunny hot day like this it looks blazing! The familiar cloying smell is also back, it is almost choking if you are running past a field of the stuff.

Unable to get a lift to cricket nets at Collingham in the evening, I ended up riding out their as well. It was certainly a lovely enough evening for it.

I've been keeping an eye out for swifts, but I haven't seen our Newark birds return yet. They have arrived in other towns in the area, ours are perhaps having a break in the countryside or at the beach.

Si

All  text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.05.18

The Town Lock Gardens

Wanted to show you something new today, so on my morning walk I was trying hard to think of somewhere to photograph for you.

As I walked past the lock I noticed that the old sensory garden was open, and it's had some new additions put in. The old (not very) musical metal fence is there, but the fountain I used to enjoy cooling off in on hot runs is no longer in operation.

The whole thing feels a lot more cared for now, with nice flowers planted - alas not too pollinator friendly by the look of things - and various bird and insect boxes. Indeed a pair of great tits were flying about on some form of avian mission.

Lots of boats have been keeping the lock keeper busy during the hot weather.

I've been lucky enough to do some birdwatching out of my living room window - I had a chiff chaff in the sycamore yesterday, and today a blackcap. Both seemed to feeding off the leaf buds, or something that was  on the leaf buds.

It's all go here, but things will quieten down with the worse weather this week.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.04.18