The Muddy Road to Kelham

After an aborted start in the morning, I set out on a walk to Kelham just to see what I might see. And frankly, to give you people something relatively new to see.

My poor cricket club is suffering a bit from the wet weather - there are standing water pools on the outfield - and the Trent is very high making me nervous about flooding. Our ground drowns in flood conditions as the water table is so high. My route took me past the club, then over some very very boggy meadows that left my new black walking boots rather brown in colour!

I would have taken in a game of rugby if there was one in progress, but there wasn't. They were all being forced to do boring training by the looks of things.

The walk to Kelham I think highlights one of the problems of the immediate area, and Nottinghamshire in general. It is rather boring, and isn't very pretty. The land is mainly flat and boringly agricultural, and usually very muddy. The footpaths are short cuts across mud between boring things. The main stand outs in the landscape are industrial ones.

Kelham at least is an attractive village, although today I wish that cafe that seemingly used to exist did so. I took photographs, wandered around, then made a mistake by heading for home along the muddiest path imaginable. It only led to the sugar factory as well.

Birds were hiding from the wind today, but I did encounter a lovely charm of goldfinches in a hedgerow, the hazy sun making their gold wing bars really glint as they skittered along as I flushed them.

Tomorrow, another walk awaits. But where?

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 30.12.17

Just a Gentle Trot Through Thick Mud

Cameras are a bugger. When you are a runner and cyclist, you like to have them with you, but sometimes having the case and the strap on you, jiggling around, bumping your thighs, is too much of a pain.

I took the camera to the park at lunchtime, and found absolutely nothing of interest whatsoever, despite the searing bright blue sky that lit up the world as has not been known for a while. However, as soon as I took off running with only my mobile phone at 345pm in the beginning of twilight, it all kicked off.

For on London Road Pond, across the other side, were a beautiful pair of goosander, glossing about the surface like the handsome birds they are.

BUT NO CAMERA!!! Especially I've been commenting on all your own blogs how I was hoping to get a shot soon.

Then I ran across to Beacon Hill Park, and  saton the builder's fence guarding the ugly new builds was a buzzard the size of a turkey. A magnificent raptor, enjoying the the last of the light as it looked over the farmland for prey. Not at all perturbed by my presence either.

BUT NO CAMERA!!!

What I have managed to get shots of, is all the thick, gloopy, mud I had to run through on the trails this evening. It was hard as hell to keep upright, and sometimes hard to maintain possession of one's running shoes. But it was lovely evening, cool yes, but peaceful and refreshing. 10km was no bother at all.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.01.16

Clay Lane mud

Beacon Hill mud

Hill mud

The sacred tree space

Sunset

Spot the buzzard if you can!

Night falls at the Barge pub

The Unseasonal Season

If you look at my blog entries from exactly 12 months ago, you will see photographs of glittering snowfields and closeups of ice crystals looking like jewels.

This winter has been characterised by howling winds, driving rain, and T-Shirt temperatures. Everything is fooled. Crocuses are now appearing to go with the snowdrops, and daffodils are spearing out of the sodden ground, yellow trumpets not yet ready to unfurl.

The ground has no winter crispness about it a frost brings. Everything is muddy, thank heaven for my excellent £12 Decathlon trail runners but even they don't prevent your feet getting soaked when you suddenly find yourself in an ankle deep puddle.

The main blessing of this winter has been the fact that might cycle commutes to work have not yet been made hazardous by ice and snow.

Si

All yext and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 31.12.15

Cemetery crocuses

Snowdrops too

Bracket fungi

Not sure what this is, but it's out!

Magnolia flowers budding

Also nettles flowering

River Devon just starting to flood

Trent nearly over at the lock

Muddy running

Even muddier running

Muddy owl land