Nature reserve walk

I’ve never been to this nature reserve, and yet it’s only about a mile away behind the local University. My friend showed it me today. It takes in some hills, a lake and the River Trent. We walked quickly so I feel really tired out. Its somewhere to visit as the spring progresses. We might even have a picnic. X

Views include the river Trent, near Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent,

I’ve noticed winter..

Walking every day for a couple of weeks seems to have put me back in touch with the seasons. I’ve been frozen for the last few days, the sun has been shining brightly but the wind has been blowing from the East. It actually made it good to wear a mask, it helped keep my face warm. Seeing the sun setting slightly later each day, when it gets past 5pm I really feel like we are heading back to Spring. Seeing a few snowdrops and crocuses about now. Soon it will be the turn of Daffodils. Hooray!

New lockdown!

Locked in, hidden, hiding under the duvet. Fearful, lost, caught in this world. But I will follow the rules. I don’t see any reason not to. We are trapped in history, waiting for the moments to pass. Waiting for clean air, waiting for a meagre spring, when life, at least in nature, might come back to renew the world again.

We have been too hasty to drop our guard. Ill led by men with hidden agendas. Some leaders shone, others discarded life in exchange for monetary power. But maybe the earth will win in the end. The environment protected as never before. We must live to our means, not to our greed.

Seasons greetings

Seasons come and seasons go

Sometimes wind and gales blow

Winter comes the cold is sharp

Spring time and the singing lark.

Fills the world with sweet delight

But the spring soon takes its flight

Summer time comes round again

Sometimes hot, sometimes with rain.

Flowers bloom and butterflies flit

Through the world all brightly lit

Later days get old again

Leaves they fall in autumn rain

Waiting till the end of year

Darkness comes but no fear

Always after winter comes

spring arrived with glorious blooms.

Cold chills

Something cold

Something blue

Strong winds

Cold showers

Gale force time

Leaves off the trees

Strewn on the ground

Kicking them round.

Run through the mounds

Of yellow and gold

Reds and russets

Spiralling down.

Crisp and clear

Frost on the way,

Sparkling blue skies

Or raining all day.

Overcast with clouds

Grey and misty

Fungi are found

Surrounded by mystery.

Soon will be winter

End of bright colour

Till spring

Comes again

In showers and bluster.

Roses

The roses have faded and are gone. Only memories stay with you. Perfume, thorns.

The autumn and fungi are here, rosehips are swelling, elderberries feed the birds. Clouds are gathering, nights are earlier, mornings later. Time for spooky evenings, pumpkins and spiders. Black cats and rats. Mists descend, people try and raise their spirits with bonfires and fireworks, lighting up the sky with flashes and whizzes. Now few entertainments will be allowed. Life continues, but a grey boredom faces us. Keep away, keep away, keep away, the bird Sings. Out of the darkness people laugh, hide, drink, get up to high jinks. Fools for a day or the season. As the year creeps on festivals are cancelled, subscriptions to TV channels you never watched before increase. Firms named after rain forests cash in. Work continues but strangely. And snacks to comfort us are eaten. Winter arrives in cold airs and frosts, the seasons turn. Will spring and rose buds ever return or will black spot spoil the days?