Getting Faster Getting Fatter

After a weekend of eating healthily, feeling good and somehow feeling a stone lighter, a couple of days back at work and I feel like a beach ball again.

I wonder if the Teriyaki noodle type things I have for lunch are not helping! In addition, I am a bad eater anyway. I admit it.

But if my figure isn't good, then my running is going very well. Tonight, I did 7.0km in 35.12, which by my standards is really shifting. It was dark, slightly damp, and my radio wasn't working - new earphones barely lasted despite being so called "sport" ones. Despite that I was still able to give it a really good thrash.

I'm rather faster moving than these horses, as ever trundling around their empty field. At least they are well fed and watered, even if they don't have any proper shelter. More than can be said for a lot of horses round here.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.01.17

The Signs of the Prince Rupert

It's been a frustrating couple of days, with the local internets (provided by a hymenally unbroken company) having been completely down as if we were in the Faeroe Islands or somewhere. Ha, they probably had a better service there.

I've been keeping busy in the grey and wet weather, getting some good runs in and failing to photograph teasing redwings as they flew off everytime I went back to my flat to get my camera, returning only when I had put it away.

Wretched things.

The light and weather has been so awful that there hasn't been much to photograph other than acres of mud. So let me bring you a bit of old school colour, courtesy of the signs found in the Beer Garden of the Prince Rupert. I have always loved the slogan "Ovum for Poultry", a rallying call for sterile chickens everywhere.

I bet you don't get much "Black-a-Moor" on sale either these days.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.01.17

Flying High

The gry, mizzly but mild day has had a soporific effect on me; it has been difficult to muster much energy to do anything, yet again.

But still, I've run 11km which sounds perfectly acceptable to me, did a 10km within 1 hour as part of that which is pretty good going. It was real old school cross country mud on my usual route today, a real slog in places and in the flat light there wasn't much to see.

One fellow had taken the obvious solution the mud, and decided to fly above it. This green paraglider is a familiar sight over South Newark in warmer months, but I'm rather surprised to see it out today.

It must provide wonderful views of the town. I wonder where it launches from?

Si

All text and  images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 15.01.17

Failed Waxwing Hunt

So this afternoon, with reports of Waxwings all over the country, I decided to have a run out on a beautiful afternoon with the intention of finding some.

I ran round both lakes, along the cycle track, through Friary Gardens home of the Aconites, and all round Waitrose car park; indeed anywhere there were berries on trees. Of waxwing there was NO BLOODY SIGN!

No doubt they were all hiding somewhere, stifling their giggles with wings over their beaks.

Luckily on such a bright afternoon there were plenty of lovely sights, and I was rewarded on returning home to find that a pretty flock of about 20 redwing were visiting the small park near my flat; they really are very dainty little thrushes,

In addition, a few bulkier forms were among them; fieldfare.

First time either winter thrush has visited town this winter.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 14.01.17

Firey Sun

From my run the other day....the rain gave way to an incredible sunset over the Sconce earthwork.

There was a queue for the cannon photo opportunity!

Stay warm!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 12.01.17

Greedy Sluggies are at it Again

This time, they've been finding algae to graze off on the library windows.

Must be wonderful to find all that food and be able to just slither around slowly and eat; however I bet they have to worry about birds who might fancy a big fat slug.

These patterns are like expressions of chaos theory.

Si

Aconites at Last!

The light today, like the last three days, has been a uniform flat grey, like I've been living in dirty dishwater for the weekend. It may have cleared now at the time of writing, with Venus and the Moon blazing down, but earlier on it was raining and windy, and cold.

And I ran 10km in it, like the utter fool I am.

It was a twisty, winding run, trying to get the distance in without going too far in case the rain really pelted down. It didn't, not quite, and by the time I got to Friary Park to look for aconite around their favourite trees, it was really quite heavy.

At first I thought that as with two days ago, I'd draw a blank but no, as I trotted along I suddenly there was one right under my nose. And two more over there! And there, another 3!

Not many, but they are there, a first few little dots of yellow within the wet greenery.

I wonder how plants will do as the bad weather hits us this weekend.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 09.01.17