Before Bella – a boxing day stroll along Shirlett Lane. It’s windy, and there’s rain on the way.
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Hard as iron
Christmas morning – there’s been quite a frost. It’s not every day you can trip over the mud on the roads. The frost has added interest to the puddles and the dead leaves. It’s not a bleak midwinter though – the sunshine is warming and welcome.
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Christmas Eve in Ironbridge
A walk down to the river, partly to see how high the waters have risen, and partly to make the most of a cold but beautifully-sunny morning. Yes, it’s high – but not on the Wharfage yet. Yes, there are others about down there, but not too many – they’re easily avoided. The bridge has been a deep red since its recent renovation, but today it resembles silver filigree.
Nearing home, a hour or so later, the sunshine has gone – it’s a grey day. Tomorrow it’s – Merry Christmas everyone!
More of the same?
More rain? It looks like being wet at 3pm – we’ll get out straight after lunch, following familiar ways. It may be grey, but it’s dry and still. Much of the interest now lies in the detail – the tips of bracken fronds, some lichen in the hedge, moss on old wood – and the inevitable puddles.
We’re home well before the rain – it’s almost 4pm now, and it’s still dry. We needn’t have hurried.
December hedgerows
It’s a familiar route – out past Lower Pool, down Britons Lane, up Bould Lane and back along the short avenue. Other than a couple walking a dog, there’s no-one about. Perhaps the forecast deterred them – 40% chance of a shower at 2pm? We’ll chance it. I don’t think we’re going to have any significant rain – just enough for a brief rainbow… When the sun shines, it’s pleasantly warm, and there’s barely a breeze – most enjoyable!
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A Kenley cakewalk
We’re on a mission today – there’s a wayside shop (cakes and other goodies) in the middle of nowhere, which coincidentally is near the end of this walk. We won’t hang about, partly because the daylight hours are very short now, and partly because the weather forecast says there’s an 80% (or was it 90%?) chance of rain at 4pm. It was pleasantly sunny earlier, but by the time we’re back at the car (mission accomplished) the weather is looking distinctly threatening. Within a minute or two of driving away, the first fat drops hit the windscreen. How’s that for timing!
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A shot in the dark
Several shots, in fact… Late afternoon, and after a wet day it’s more-or-less stopped raining. Let’s walk up and see the Christmas lights, before it gets completely dark.
Cardington and Rushbury
Clockwise: we’re following a route we walked a couple of months ago, but this time going around the other way. The views are subtly different – more so because of the season. And we have to be wise to the clock – the days are very short now. Any later starting and we’d have been completing this walk after sunset.
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Rained off!
There’s a 10% probability of rain at noon, and <5% at 1pm, according to the forecast. Let’s try and get a leg stretch (we didn’t get one yesterday – far too wet):
First attempt: the rain began as we got out of the car. Let’s go back to the greengrocer’s and try again after that.
Second attempt: same again. Moments before, we’d commented on the sunlight (against a dark sky, ominously) on two trees in the field across the road. We’ll drive a couple of miles away from the rain.
Third attempt: sunshine turns to rain moments after leaving the car. We’ll turn back at the Christmas trees in the woods. I know we’re not there yet, but now seems an appropriate time: Merry Christmas everyone!
Winter sun at Cound
The car park at Cound Guildhall (honesty box) is ideal for a number of walks in this area. Today we’re heading out past the gateposts at Golding, over Coundmoor ford and back down through Harnage (using the bypass…). As the sun gets low, things start to glow.
After the walk, we’ll have a look in the Guildhall charity bookshop (honesty box), and on the way home, we’ll call at a wayside ‘shop’ (yes, another honesty box) for cakes to take home for tea. It’s good around here – honest!
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