Goddess Mario Kart

Out to Kelham this afternoon, for a look at the hall, and to see what flowers are growing there at this time of the year. It's famous for snowdrops in Winter, but I'd never really looked at a different time of the year before.

There weren't actually all that many flowers; however there was a Greek goddess wearing a Super Mario cap for reasons that aren't totally clear. I don't know if it is an important element of ensuring a fruitful harvest; if it is I hope it works.

Perhaps it helps her collect magic mushrooms and power ups when out an about in a chariot.

It was a good two hour walk, lots of life fluttering about the hawthorn hedgerows, mainly whites and orange tips. When I found my way onto a dusty farm track, small tortoiseshells and peacocks were out drinking up the sun. Most of these species by now are in a very tatty condition, but hopefully they have done their job and managed to breed for the July second flight.

I listened to music, no-where near anyone at time, still wondering how you can enjoy a walk in the middle of an apocalypse.

The fact is, you have to try.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.05.20

Sack the Kelham Hall Snowdrops!

With a couple of days off and crisp blue skies, I executed the first of my planned excursions and headed out on my bike to  Kelham Hall to have a look at the snowdrops there.

If any of you remember any of my previous posts about heading out there? White carpets of snowdrops would cover the area by the church at this time of year.

This year it is rather disappointing, although compared to most places there's still an awful lot of little white flowers out there. I was just hoping to give you more of a spectacle.

Anyway, I decided to extend my bike ride and made it a 90 minute affair, going through the villages to the north-west of town; Little Carlton, Bathley, the Muskhams. There was an awful lot of birds around the hedgerows and in the trees; best was a huge and evil looking buzzard I rode directly under although I didn't fear being predated upon.

Speaking of birds there is a farm between the two Muskhams I shall refer to as "Bird Farm". Guarded by a formidable row of haystacks upon which a buzzard is usually sentried, in winter there are thousands of birds flying round the place; pigeons, gulls, crows and starlings.

I'm guessing they are attracted to large amounts of animal feed lying around. I've never dared go up the drive to have a look though!

Maybe next time I should and see what birds there really are.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.02.19

The Snowdrops of Kelham Hall

Most of the time when you set off to see something, it isn't there.

Most typically, this is when I head up the cycle path to "The Owl Land" to see the short eared owls, which are never there and indeed no-one seems to have seen one there for years, but also occurs when I try to photograph the winter ducks at Langford, or fail to find the Eco-Park near Stapleford on my bike.

Today was different. I figured that with the early spring, the impressive snowdrop display at Kelham Hall would be early too, so made the 5km trip out there in running mode, and on a starbright day with a chill in the air, I set out.

Stupidly I took the trail route again which meant awkward running across farm fields, but I did flush out a sparrowhawk from a tree at the rugby club which then made a spectacular low level escape through a gap in the hedge.

There was a sort of "will it be a show or no show" as I reached Kelham Hall, and headed along the long driveway round to the church. To be fair, I wasn't treating it as a life or death matter, but if they weren't there would be no photographs and no blog post to put up. Unless I wanted to put up pictures of green grass with "Hey! No snowdrops" captions.

I hate doing that.

Luckily, there they were, carpeting an area about the size of two tennis courts near the church. They make such a pretty sight, and all were in good condition. Some of the cemetery snowdrops are past their best already. I was trying really hard to get good light for the shots, but the sun was blocked by trees, and not in a good, lens-flarey way either.

Also of interest was a tree stump covered in attractive turkey tail bracket fungus. This gave a nice fungal grittiness to contrast with the flowers, I feel. But overall, it was the beautiful pure white glade that shall be the memory I'll take from the visit, as I turned myself round and headed back across the fields to Newark.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.02.16

Adventure Run to Snowdrop Hall

I realised I've been very amiss the last few weeks i my attempts to run a few new routes, and visit a few new places, so despite the stiff legs planked into me by yesterday's reasonably decent 10km, I decided to head out of town.

My mother had told me of how Kelham Hall is carpeted with snowdrops at the moment, so I decided that was today's objective; to see the snowdrops of Kelham Hall.

This necessitated a run out along the farmer's fields on the cross country route to Kelham Village, and judging by the traffic I think I might have choked to death on diesel fumes. No such worries for the kestrel watching me from atop the rugby club goalposts, safely above all the bad air at ground level. The fields are bleak at the moment, brown soil and grabby scrub, but there was still a sizable number of fieldfare playing chicken with me, letting me see only their slate grey rumps as they flew off.

Plenty of starling too, I noted. The town has been short of murmurations this year, compared to the major displays we've had over the past couple of winters. . I was trying to use this run to contemplate issues such as this, but I was finding the going much too hard.

When I arrived at the hall itself, I was initially disappointed, as the promised snowdrops were being rather shy in the woodland, and not in any great numbers either. But as I carried on round, past the soon to be defunct council HQ and its rather gaudy helicopter, I caught glimpses of white in between the trees that hinted at better things.

There is a church on the Kelham Hall site, which was being used as a filming location by some college kids today, and either side of it was simply carpeted in white. I've never seen so many snowdrops in one place in my life, it was like a scene from Tolkien. I was half expecting to bump into Feanor and the rest of the elves from "The Silmarillion". And now, as I write this, I regret not having taken more photographs.

The inevitable hardy caravanners were around on the field, as they have been by law since leisure vehicle time began.

The way home was along the dirt track to the sugar factory, reinforcing as ever the fact that as my runs alternate beauty and bleakness, then life is pretty much the same.

Si

Snowdrops. I thought this was as good as it was going to get.

Close up. Still just about hanging on

There is a wonderful intricacy about moss

The Kelham Hall dome

Corner tower

Oh stop posing

This is beautiful

Like trees for fairies

The church

Hello to you too girls!