Martin's Mag.

A daily challenge is to find slightly different variations on our standard walks from home. We are very lucky in that we are close to the coast, three nature reserves, woodlands and a popular lake as well as the, mostly closed, High Street.

This is the old railway line which was scheduled to be re-opened soon. For now, though, we have it to ourselves. You can just see the sleepers, the metal rails are covered by the undergrowth.

And this is some farmland below the Black Horse pub in Clapton-in-Gordano:

The greenhouse is fantastic in many ways, but occasionally you wonder if its worth it. This beautiful little goldfinch flew in and, presumably, knocked himself out trying to find the way out.

The Panama-registered vessel, Positive Leader, carrying more cars for the UK market (good luck with that!) arrives in Portbury Dock to add to the thousands already there.

Prior’s Wood, between Portbury and Wraxall, is normally thick with bluebell tourists at this time of year. This is no normal year, though. We passed no-one going through the wood so social distancing was not required.

I make the vegetable planter (that’s the easy bit), Sally sows the courgette seeds in the greenhouse, nurses them along, pots them up, fills the planter with last-year’s compost, plants the seedlings, waters them in, and then, blow me down, paints their picture!

Another fabulous day in lockdown! The weather continues to taunt us. The campervan waits, eagerly, for its chance to whisk us off to distant holiday destinations.

The dexter cattle, the luckiest, happiest cattle on earth, who put in stirling work controlling the grass on Walton Common, have been escaping. They have been losing their electronic collars, which administer a mild electric “reminder” when they stray over a buried cable around the perimiter of the reserve. As, under the present emergency, we won’t be able to obtain replacement units they have had to be moved to other Somerset locations, rather than risk an accident. They’ll be missed, but I’m assured they will return as soon as possible.

UPDATE 30th April: All the cattle have passed their TB tests, the electric “fence” repaired and new collars ordered, so they should be back soon.

Dexter cattle awaiting transportation to pastures new.

People in apartments near us have a trainer who stands on a pontoon on the marina and, with the aid of a microphone, brings everyone onto their balconies at 11:00am for a workout. Some, those with no shame, are still in their dressing gowns! Crisis…?

Otherwise, it’s fairly quiet:

Jubilee Park – empty.

The Leisure Centre – closed.

The Marina – deserted.

The sailing club – run aground.

East Wood, behind our house – only wood anemones.

In the Severn Estuary – only mud!

The Lido – swimmerless!

But plenty of work for Zoom,

…and Thursday clapping for carers.

Overnight winds and high tide left a bit of a mess, mostly seaweed and washed-up tree branches, along Portishead beach, aka Woodhill Bay.

Part of Bristol’s Victorian history. This building is now a café and visitor centre, but previously provided the power for various hydraulically-controlled items like lock gates and swing bridges around the floating harbour. Black and white with a very strong red filter, hence the dark sky and light brick.