Two Seasons in a Photo Set

There are still butterflies at work, but also now there are shaggy ink cap fungi by the cycle track, their lawyers wigs melting away into a black slurry of spores.

It is the season where the low sun makes for beautiful evenings and long shadows across the cricket ground; for turning the Trent into a river of rose and gold above which the pigeons fly in unruly circles before settling down to roost on the castle walls.

Yet the day has been marked by the horrid despondency of increased infection rates; the fact that the feeling that this may never end is increasing back as it did in me in April.

Can only keep on keeping on, the cliched day at a time.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 11.09.20

The Handsome Knave

As you all know, I enjoy taking in the weird and wonderful contraptions my fellow cyclists commute to work on, and almost certainly this is the most attractive.

It's a Triumph Jack of Clubs, probably from the mid 1950s, and is the proud steed of a colleague in the other building. The patina on it is absolutely beautiful, as are the badges and paintjob.

I hope he rides better than I do, I was a nervous wreck riding home today.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 09.09.20

A Surprising Amount of Colour

Did my lunchtime nature walk at work today, and I was surprised to see how much there was in the way of flowers out there.

There were scarlet pimpernel, a new crop of speedwell, a beautiful grass the Flora Incognita tells me is hoarey plantain, and a new crop of borage on the spoil heap that was never quite tidied away after we dug out the herb garden that mutated into the wild vervain patch it is now.

There's still a little bird's foot trefoil in the pictorial meadow, and above my head there were buzzards circling at a high level looking for dead rabbits to feast off.

I haven't seen the local kestrel since I came back to work, I'm sure that will re-appear.

While I write this, we head back towards increased lockdown restrictions. Well, I'm hardly surprised, ever since the pubs opened here social distancing flew out of the window before getting a fast car out of here. The nearest bar to me was having very unsocially distanced fights the first night it opened.

And who'd have thunk it? "Eat Out to (Help spread the virus) Out" had groups of 8 folk from blatantly different households sat in a local hip eatery cum bar, with crowded tables of other diners close by.

I doubt that helped.

Si

All texts and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.09.20

Out of Love with Cricket Again

After being not too hopeless in both my matches, I was optimistic for the play off semi final with Midland CC, especially having worked hard on my action and my run up in the nets to correct the fall away problem I've been having. It was going well.

There then followed 36 overs of standing where the ball never went, getting rather disillusioned with it all. I'd envisaged a strong game today, especially as I thought we were light on batting and bowling. But no, it was a fielding only required job today, as Midland racked up 171 for 8 off their 36 overs.

I was second in the club bowling stats before today, so I must be finding the stumps somewhere!

I wouldn't mind so much if co-ordinational difficulties make fielding rather difficult for me. I felt horribly uninvolved. There wasn't much in the way of amusement either, although the usual suspect from an in general nice bunch of Midland chaps was being a pain in the backside again, trying to claim he wasn't out when he was caught off a full toss.

I didn't even have to ask if I would be batting number 11, I just took as it as a given and so wandered around the outfield in circles, muttering touretically and darkly, cursing the game of cricket as a foolish pursuit.

It doesn't help that I tend to take everything personally and was a right grumpy sod. Although our players soon got grumpy when we batted as the Midland umpire had a shocker, giving LBWs with the speed of Zorro for balls that wouldn't have hit a barn door let alone the stumps.

This meant that only two of our batters got going, although the 72 scored by one of them before he was euthanised by the umpire was a high class innings.

I did get to bat, always feeling off balance and clumps before I missed a spinning ball that just clipped the leg stump for 2 so to be fair I probably deserved to be 11 today, although other days I certainly haven't.

We were bowled out for 120 or so, before an argument broke out with the mouthy chap again, with him saying their umpire was giving folk out because ours wouldn't, which was flagrant nonsense.

So that's that. A damp squib and I just feel like a crap cricketer again.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.09.20

Another Coddington Walk

Finally, after 4 fruitless days of waiting for a boiler to be fixed - apparently I'm getting a new one next week which I will believe when I see - I've got a bit more freedom during the day and was able to get outside and walk.

I needed a long one, as I feel a bit far this week - too many jaffa cakes I think which I've become addicted to in lockdown as they are cheap as anything. I've not been able to run this week either as I have a slight calf strain and need to preserve it for cricket tomorrow.

After a visit to my stepfather, where we discussed an all action police car chase that took place in the next street down this morning, I carried on towards Coddington, just for the sake of wanting to go a bit further out - serious walking is planned this winter, I hope.

It was cool but not cold, pleasant enough. There wasn't a lot to see as all insect life seemed to decide to keep out the way today, I was reduced to photographing a very colourful garden next to the cattery that looked rather cat unfriendly, filled as it was with scrap cars and farm machinery while a mad doberman barked next door.

It was really just one foot in front of the other stuff, nothing eciting, just the joy of being out there, bimbling along, listening to the radio.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.09.20

Now the Colours are Autumnal

After another fruitless day off work wondering if my boiler was going to be fixed. to go with Tuesday, Wednesday and probably tomorrow as well.

At least it meant I could get out for a walk on what has been a very pleasant day - I took myself off to the park for a stroll before heading off for a spot of cricket practice.

Yes, I lied, I have another game on Saturday as we qualified for the end of season play offs.

Summer is over, and nature knows it. The berries, seeds and conkers are out on the trees, and the leaves are just starting to turn. Only the odd butterfly about today, and no dragonflies. The drake mallards are all ashamed of their lack of colour and sit in huddles, waiting to get their green heads back.

The swans see you, and follow you for bread. Well I didn't have any, no matter how much the swan did his angry arched wings display.

House martins over my flat. Soon they will be gone too.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.09.20

Purple Loosetrife Rampant

After two cricket matches over the weekend, I was feeling rather stiff and sore, and so my run early this evening was only a very gentle one - just as well as my calf began to feel a bit of a strain as I trundled along to Cottage Lane nature reserve.

Things are no more or less the same as before the pandemic, apart from the masks you see in the shops. The rowing club were out training on the mirrored Trent, people are even flying hot air balloons which reminds me of when very early during lockdown I came across a couple assembling a powered parachute in Riverside Park.

Lots of people are living normally now, but I'm not.

Out at Cottage Lane, the vivid blue of the tufted vetch is gone, but a new colour is now dominating by the ponds. Lovely purple loosestrife, as id'd again by Flora Incognita, growing on the margins of the water. Joining it are marsh mallow, which probably isn't as tasty to eat as it sounds, and also yellow loosetrife which is totally different in form from its purple relative.

Hopefully this app will continue to help me get better at knowing my wildflowers.

Came back in along the river, past the local swan family, past small family flocks of wagtails and past the windmill. It was good to be out, but my running was rather laboured.

Which reminds me, I need a lot of new kit.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 31.08.20