This is the last workday before the bird nesting season starts, the last of the really cold days where snow sits on the craggy peaks of the Warwickshire Mountains, as seen here in the distance, looking westward from our little bench that we put in last year. The days get longer and warmer, the buds on the trees are ready to burst into beautiful blossoms of pinks and whites. It’s a glorious time to walk the trail and see mother nature uncurling from her deep slumber. Take a flask of hot coffee, sit and enjoy the view, unwind and be full of gratitude that winter is all but over.
I think I snaffled the “bench with the best view” accolade…
Obviously the picture is made up. It’s a little joke that I was having with someone from Denver last week, and also a little tease with our friend Andrew, who claims that his bench has the best view on the trail, which I grudgingly (joke) have to agree with.
In other, more important news, our last “chopping-back” workday started at the Potford Dam picnic bench and we continued to make scallops that will hopefully green up with a wildflower-rich grass mix.
There is this belief that some people have in their heads that the path is going to stay as wide as it is now. They come up to me with a look of fear in their eyes and ask me about it. Rest assured, this is the blank canvas. When everything starts to grow we want to cut a snaking path through it that is full of chicanes, narrower bits and wider bits. I’m struggling to find an example of what is in my mind’s eye. Something like this but the path being slightly wider and, of course, more trees, maybe…
I would say, keep the faith. There is a plan and as soon as the layout works, we will use branches from thinned trees to edge the path so it becomes obvious where to walk or cycle. We really want to get away from the narrow track where people have to walk in single-file and are constantly brushing past nettles and getting stung.
We also seeded the bank of the bird feeder clearing and strimmed around the bench.
The seeds are all local and collected at the end of summer last year. Don’t ask me what they are because I have long since forgotten. It’ll be a nice surprise to see what comes up.
We also litter picked a massive bag of grot. A small bit of where we were working today, and I gave the Berrybanks section a good going over. Someone had dumped a bin-liner full of rubbish down there for some odd reason.
Whilst I was poking about I couldn’t help but notice Lesser Celandine and what looks like Lady’s Bedstraw literally everywhere.
I really must get the rest of our wildflowers onto the tab thing in the menu above.
Here is our YouTube for this week.
And lastly, the long-term weather forecast looks like there is little rain for the next two weeks or so, I’m hopeful that we get a chance to dry out a bit!!
The land owners are looking into the problems with the flooding so hopefully it will be resolved in the not too distant future.
This is the hole that is causing us so many problems!!
Jobs for the next six months:
Stain the benches
Bench maintenance including picnic bench strengthening and replacing rotten wood.
Split snowdrops from our secret supply to thicken up the new snowdrop clearing.
Stencil names on benches (Pikes Peak View, Ed, Mick, Charlie, George, Max, Max Two, Fab Four, (Bethel) etc, etc..). A great idea gleaned from Andrew with Bethel bench. The names are a mixture of fellow team members who have passed, youngsters who have done DofE volunteering with us, and a few others.
April is when it goes absolutely mad and we need to maintain a roughly two to three metre wide path (see above) but also try to get some gradual curves kinda working with path, wildflower-rich margins, shrubbery, and trees on the edges. Hopefully all we will need is electric strimmers and loppers for bramble.
Sow wildflower seeds that we collected last autumn.
Tree species survey.
Identify and mark trees for thinning in the autumn to maximise sunlight into scallops.
Maintain the bird-feeder set-up.
Monitor the bird nesting boxes.
Set up a pop-up coffee shop and let passers-by enjoy a beverage and a bit of conversation… Sounds mad but we all crave a bit of friendly human contact…
OK, the last one will probably never happen but if you catch us just before 11am there will always be a coffee going spare.
Until next time!
Paul
Cawston Greenway 
“Snaffled” is a great word.
Yes, I love it. Also “sniggle” (snigger and giggle put together) 😀
I hope that your area does get a break from so much rain this winter. I follow other UK blogs, they say the rain is relentless! You may be getting the same storms that leave our east coast way over here.
Hey, yeah probably. One day I will find a weather map on google that shows the progress of storms around the globe 🙂
Then you can yell at us Yanks for sending you our crappy weather. 😂🇬🇧❤️
Should have used the view shot on April 1st, there are going to be people who think that’s real !
🤣🤣🤣
I have added clarification 😉
Well done for getting through the worst of the winter. Is that new ski resort off the M42?
The best we can do here is Tamworth artificial ski slope 😀 the highest bit in Warwickshire is 856 feet. I think Pikes Peak is something like 14,115 feet 🙂
Your view stopped me in my tracks. It looks just like my view here in Colorado Springs. I didn’t know that the craggy peaks of the Warwickshire Mountains closely resembled Pikes Peak. 😊
It’s a joke that I am having with another blogger who lives in Denver and this is also their view. I realise now that the previous joking was on their blog comments, not mine. I have added clarification so people are not confused 🤣🤣🤣
I thought it was amusing, but probably only people who have seen Pikes Peak would recognize it.
nice article…. gave your blog a like !
Stay Blessed – Mel
Keto Recipes – https://ketodietrecipes.co.uk/
Thanks 🙂
greetings ! great post .
stay awesome and keep blogging
http://www.pomeranianpuppies.uk
Thanks 🙂
Lovely. And yet back in Denver, we ‘enjoyed’ a quick moving snow squall one day and 70ºF the next. Springtime in the Rockies is always an adventure. But the early bulbs are beginning to emerge and I found some blooming baby blue grape hyacinths yesterday (my goodness they are naturalizing all over the garden!). So adorably cute and no worse for wear after the snow. Enjoy a cuppa for me with your biscuits in between all your chores. ☕️ 🍪
Haha!! I hope you like the effort that I have gone to, to bring a bit of Colorado to the UK 😀 Next week I might do the pyramids of Egypt 😀
I gotta see that!
The World is quite literally, my oyster 😀
Luckily we can share the digital world. 😉
Based on what you’ve written about the weather, I would not want to book our America vacation to the UK before April. I like the way your photos integrate well with what you are explaining about maintenance of your area in your text.
Yeah, after April is better. Thank you for your nice comments 🙂
Loved reading your blog post.. suddenly, I hear spring fluttering – a lovely feeling!!
Oh, thanks. I never really know how my blog posts will come across because for the one who writes the thing, it becomes so subjective… After proof reading the thing 10 or so times, I lose all objectivity… 😀
It is beautiful work you are doing. Yes, nature is tough on those who want to restrain it but what you have succeeded to free up so far looks magnificient.
Thank you. We hope that we are on the right track with what we do 🙂
great post – thanks !!
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Happened upon your post on the WordPress feed and just wanted to drop by and say hello ! Your content caught my attention, and I’m eager to dive into more of your captivating posts. Although I couldn’t locate the follow button (funny enough!), I’ll definitely bookmark your blog ! Rest assured, I’ll be on the lookout for your future posts.
Wishing you continued inspiration and success in your blogging journey!
Warm regards,
Thanks – TheDogGod – http://www.pomeranianpuppies.uk
Cute doggies 😁
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nice ! good read .
stay awesome and keep blogging
http://www.pomeranianpuppies.uk
Thank you 🙂
Came across your post on the WordPress feed and just wanted to extend a warm greeting ! Your content caught my attention, and I’m eager to delve into more of your captivating posts. Although I couldn’t locate the follow button (haha!) , I’ll definitely keep it in my reading list! Rest assured, I’ll stay vigilant for your future posts.
Here’s to many more enjoyable moments in the blogosphere!
Warm regards,
Thanks – TheDogGod – Puppies & Adult Dog Guides & Tips http://www.pomeranianpuppies.uk
Ah, thank you. I just found your comment in my spam folder so took it out. Sorry there is such a gap in me responding 😀