The harsh winter of 2017-18 showed no signs of letting up. On the last Sunday of February, the cold persisted despite the sun, but I was desperate to get out of the house having been ill in bed the previous week.
We set off on a short stroll along the canal. It felt arctic on the aqueduct with the Siberian blast hitting us straight on. Phil said it was officially the coldest part of town which made sense, being surrounded by all that water. At Blackpit lock, as he searched in vain for rooks in the rookery, I noticed the moon was up – a silver semi-circle in a clear blue sky.
In the park, we found little of interest. Bare branches dominated, and there seemed to be even less to look at than in mid- winter.
Exiting through the gate onto the towpath, we watched ripples on the surface created by the easterly wind, changing the reflections of small colourful barges as a lone duck swum past.
Still walking easterly, my eye caught a collection of canal paraphernalia adorning the stone wall opposite.
Re-entering via the other gate, we skirted the park and spotted a few signs of life in the shape of tiny yellow blossoms. Over the concrete bridge into the memorial gardens, Phil looked again for rooks.
I thought I spotted some but they turned out to be jackdaws – a very cute couple in a tree. After admiring an interesting evergreen adorned with interesting bark and moss, we retreated into town. We made a short circuit of charity shops before returning home. I felt exhausted and cold, despite trying to warm ourselves with coffee and cake. I retired back to bed.
More photos at: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AjkK19zVvfQtiu5DaNxSqzbicjQvmQ
Cool Places - Our Back Yard 