Waiting for Mumu

It's a New Year, the first time in over 10 years that we've welcomed the new year without one or more mumu. It's strange. This year, 2013, is when we will decide if and when and how many cats we will adopt (hopefully some will be mumu). The big decision will be later in the year, after summer. There's quite a few rescue centers near here where we will look, one the decisions have been made.

Until then I will continue petting any cats I come across on our walks and, of course, keep an eye open on the Critter Room for any new fosters at John's on the Livestream feed. We took a walk out today, around Stroud. Only a bit of a leg stretch, but we enjoyed the fine weather and local cats. No pics of cats, they didn't stay still long enough!

We walked through the underpass at Wallbridge, it's been painted brightly and there's no graffiti over it, which is pretty cool.

 It was some sort of countryside scene I think. There were references to the countryside and organic living.

The underpass was painted in 2008, and looks just as good today. Stroud News & Journal wrote about it at the time.

There's various sites around Stroud that have been painted by graffiti artists, to depict numerous images. Specifically to stop the cruder graffiti that blighted many spots.

That said the organic sausage (or whatever it is) is a bit odd, we couldn't work out what it was or the meaning of it. 

Still, it made us stop and look and have a chat about it plus the paintings were colourful and good to look at, so it was all good.

Recently, another underpass was transformed by pupils at a local school.

The part of the canal we walked was interesting, in that parts of it have been restored and renovated. Cotswolds Canal Trust have done lots of work in the area of Wallbridge, I hope they continue to restore the canal.

I was amused to come across this gate, no fence either side (though there was a wire fence along the length of the canal). This gate was padlocked and led to what looked like a boggy wilderness. Clearly an access point once upon a time!

We were met by some swans, swimming quite hard upriver. 

The river Frome and the canal run very close. I think the swan were after some food (we had none, maybe next time). They were pecking at the water making scoffing noises. 

Here's a question, how is it that the body of the swans was lovely brilliant white, yet the neck and head of the swans looked grubby and in need of a good wash?  

We strolled round through Lodgemore Mill, there's lots of small offices and industries there. At WSP textiles, on the road leading onto the A46 Bath Rd, we could see how high the water was. The Mill (WSP) used to use the river to power the factories and the river still runs very quickly through the sluice gates. In some places only a couple of inches will start to cause flooding. 

Lots of the little Lodgemore cottages had sandbags at the ready. 

Lastly, I saw this pretty little flower growing at the side of one of the bridges. Any ideas what it might be?

Hopefully I'll get some cat pics next walk out, wherever that is.