Thursday's Walk

Thursday morning was quite beautiful.  Very cold and yet bright and sunny.  We walked around Westport Lake not once but twice.  We stopped for a warming mug of coffee in the Visitor Centre between the two.  Second time around we walked along the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal and then back around the smaller ponds which lie between the large lake and the Fowlea Brook which is a tributary of the River Trent.

Westport Lake is the largest area of water in the city. The Canal and River Trust own the lake but it is managed jointly by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and the City Council.  It is an important site for wintering and  migrating birds.

We didn't see many unsusal birds.

Cormorants flying overhead and the usual Canada Geese, Coots and Mallards.

 

There were a few photographers out and about and a group of people with binoculars who looked as if they were on some sort of bird spotting course as they had an instructor with them.

Around the smaller ponds we saw mostly Robins, Dunnocks and Blue Tits.

Many of the water birds were walking on the still icy lake.

As we walked we felt as if we were being watched.

Some of the trees appeared to have acquired eyes.

I wonder if they had ears too?  If only they could tell us.

All for now.  Have a lovely weekend.

In the Garden

It has been so warm over the last week and more expected next week too.  We've stayed in and around  home with a couple of early morning outings for a short walk, well a very slow stroll in my case as the heat earlier in the week affected me quite badly.

In the garden some plants are struggling with the heat, bird baths and feeders need refilling every day and the pond is getting shallow and it will soon have to be topped up for the newts. The water butt is emptying fast. The lillies love the sun I like the way they open up during the day and fold up tight again in the evening.

Other flowers opening up this weeks are

Sunflowers

Heleniums

and Dahlias.

 

 The Sweet peas are still doing well 

 

so are the Cosmos flowers

 

A lone Hollyhock has appeared near the fence probably self seeded.

In the green house and raised beds vegetables seem to be doing well.

Broccoli

Cabbage

Courgettes

Tomatoes

We had an unusal moth settle on the window.  It stayed for ages warming itself in the sun.  Paul thinks it is a Box Tree moth which could be bad news for people nearby with any Box hedges or trees.  More - here -from the Butterfly Conservation site.

 

All for now.  I'll get around to reading your new posts over the weekend.

 

 

Water Everywhere

Well it's just like me to decide to write a 'watery' post on a day that rain is teeming down outside.  I struggled against the gusting wind and driving rain to get the wheelie bins out this morning.  Our blue bins are for plastics and they are so lightweight that most people's down the street are blowing all over the road.  I've managed to wedge ours with the paper bin the contents of which are more like papier mache now as the lid blew off overnight.

The garden looks rather forlorn - our two carved pumpkins still sit near the birdbath and the soggy lawn is covered with leaves, several rocket sticks from the weekend's fireworks and the remains of a Chinese lantern.  I watched several wafting in the air and travelling quite quickly towards us on Saturday night - one of them must have landed in the garden.

I took this first picture the weekend before last.  We drove out to Bakewell on the Saturday and the ducks, geese and gulls were as usual on the river crowded around the pedestrian bridges which go over to the car parks and cattle market.  It was very busy as there was a farmer's market too.

Yesterday we went for a walk around the lake at Trentham; in fact we walked around it twice!  We walked round one way, stopped for coffee and toasted tea-cakes and then walked back round the opposite way.  I took a few photos of the reflections on the lake.

The ducks were watching the swans dipping their heads into the water - and popping up with their beaks  covered in weed.

The reflection of the clouds looks like a smoky mist on the water.

Peering through the branches

What a difference a day makes!  I'm so glad we managed to get out into the fresh air and sunshine for a long walk as it looks as if the rest of the week is going to be very wet and windy.

Lunch at Ladybower

We arrived at the Heatherdene car park near the dam in brilliant sunshine. I think it may have been one of the warmest November days I have ever experienced. The autumnal colours in the trees and the bright blue of the water were stunning and my photos don't do justice to the clarity of the light or the still atmosphere of the day. We took the walk down towards the dam crossed the road and then walked across to the opposite side.



We took photos and watched the little fishing boats bobbing about on the still water then walked back and ate our packed lunch of cheese and watercress sandwiches and the last of the devil's cake. The final port of call on our way home was the David Mellor factory shop in Hathersage. They had some great craft pottery and desirable kitchen equipment as well as the wonderful cutlery made on the site but this time my purse stayed firmly in my pocket. The Round Building factory is on the same site. Two or three years ago we met up with friends and went on a factory tour, organised for the Heritage Open Days weekend; it really is very interesting and the round building is as impressive inside as out.



After a good look around we set off towards Bakewell, Monyash and Hartington getting home at about 4p.m. just in time to bring the cats in, close the cat flap and 'batten down the hatches' as the fireworks started as soon as it was dark - I think they are very pretty at a properly organised event but the random garden ones I don't like - especially the very loud ones, so I joined the cats in jumping at each loud bang - I didn't end up under the bed with my claws stuck in the carpet though!

Walking Again

This morning we returned to Greenway Bank Country Park this time parking our little car at the lower car park and walking the stretch of the path way which goes right around Kynpersley Reservoir. This reservoir holds water, not destined for our homes but as top up for the Cauldon and Trent and Mersey Canals. It was designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1827. Like the canals it feeds it has become an area of leisure pursuits rather than industrial ones.



Unlike the first walk we did where we only saw a couple of dog walkers the lower part of the walk was a hive of activity. There were joggers, weight lifters, bird watchers, anglers and families out for short walks with their children.



The views across the reservoir or pool as it is called were stunning, we walked round to the bridge in the picture above and back round to where we had started. A complete circle.



Under the trees someone had left crumbs and grain for the birds.



We diverted to look at the now abandoned Warder's Tower which looked beautiful in the dappled sunshine.



As squirrels scrambled up and down trunks and branches, ducks entertained with their almost 'guffaw' like call and a stately grebe was diving and disappearing we sat near the pool and drank coffee from our flask and ate my homemade date slices whilst watching the trees reflected in the bright, still water.

Two down, one to go!

There is a saying, isn't there that Everything comes in Threes. Yesterday we found out that the ball valve in the header tank, which is up in the roof, was leaking and the overflow outside was dripping onto the garage roof and leaving a damp patch just near the front door. We went to the local DIY shop this morning to buy replacements and when we got back the washing machine, which I'd left on whilst we popped out, had leaked all over the floor because a seal inside had come loose. So poor Paul, who still has marking and planning to do ready for starting back to college tomorrow, ended up mending the washing machine and then sorting out the tank in the roof. I'm extremely grateful that he is able to do a lot of these jobs because it would cost a lot to call out an engineer, but, ever the pessimist, I keep wondering what is going to be the next thing to break or stop working.