SHROPSHIRE

Interesting things found along the way in the notes: Snowdrops Catkins Canal map Car parts

To the right of the photo it's possible to see the 200ft high chimney of the Hoffman Kiln. It is l a landmark which can be seen from many miles away. The smelt flue chimney, now disused, was built in 1899, using red brick (English Garden wall bond), held together by iron ties. It has a square section, slightly tapering at the top.

The rose bedeguar gall, Robin's pincushion gall, or moss gall develops as a chemically induced distortion of an unopened leaf axillary or terminal buds, mostly on field rose (Rosa arvensis) or dog rose (Rosa canina) shrubs, caused by the parthenogenetic hymenopteran gall wasp. The wasp lays eggs on the stem of a wild rose, in this case a dog rose, Rosa canina. This structure gives the appearance of a ball of moss, and its filaments are often brightly coloured, being at their best around September; starting off green and then passing through pink and crimson to reddish brown. A large specimen can be up to 10 cm in width. The larvae develop and then over winter as pupae in the now brown and dry-looking structure, emerging in May. I have never opened up a Robin's pin cushion but it sounds interesting so to do. The unilarval chambers are set in a woody core which persists after the filaments have worn off. As the larva feeds and grows within this gall, it probably undergoes five larval instar stages, the growth stages between moults. The final instar stage is reached by late October.

Sheep May Safely Graze- JS Bach

Saturday self challenge: The idea is to create an abstract design by deliberately photographing the subject out of focus. This wasn't as easy as it sounds, so there was lots of trials and errors. The easiest way seemed to be focusing on a distant subject and then moving quickly to a close subject. I tried the other way round, and focused closely on the edge of a litter container and then quickly turned to a group of sixth formers selling poppies. The colour was removed and I used Silver Effex to bring out a more 'blocky' result. The original photo is in the PiP. It's even stranger when the image is inverted. Dean Martin - Standing On The Corner Watching all the Girls go by

Vivaldi - Four Seasons (Winter)

Crab apples which will soon be taken by the hungry birds.

2017: Still some ice on the canal despite a huge upward change in temperature this week. Christmas Day is forecast to be wet and windy. This year, 2020, it is much milder, and at least the sun is shining, so it's time to go for a walk. We did the same walk today. The PiP was taken when I was about 5 1/2 years old in 1947.

Saturday Self Challenge: Take a photo of something that represents New Year's Eve to you or of something you're looking forward to in the new year. A garden can sometimes bring disappointment or frustration, but there is always anticipation and pleasure throughout the whole year. Today it's a bit bedraggled, but the promise for 2018 is already there. The PiPs show Helleborus orientalis taken today, and also some the seasonal changes throughout the year.

This fence prevents entry to the covered reservoir on The Cliffe. The water serves the surrounding villages of the area. The whole area is part of the Nesscliffe Hills and the Cliffe Countryside Heritage Site, and is 70 hectares including wooded hills and a heather covered ridge, and gives expansive views over the Shropshire countryside and Welsh hills.

This is the rail bridge over the River Severn in Shrewsbury, The river was just overflowing its banks, and although we managed to get down onto the riverside, much of the footpath was underwater.