30 days Wild Day 8 - Downy Birch

An eventful day.  We were travelling down to Sheffield with Kanyl to visit ArcaneSpark and family.  A few last minute jobs and we were off.  An uneventful run across to Scotch Corner with a break and a "cuppa" at the services.

Soon after we had joined the motorway heading south there was a bang and a rear tyre had blown.  Fortunately there was a nice wide place at the foot of one of the "authorised vehicles only" ramps so I stopped there.  Volvo has the wonderful idea of storing the spare wheel under the luggage compartment, so unpack everything.  Their second bright idea is don't supply a "proper" spare wheel just one of those "don't drive at more than 50mph and not very far" silly things.

Fortunately we were only a mile and a half from a junction.  Google suggested our nearest possible repair was in Thirsk.  When we arrived the gentleman said oh yes he could fit a new tyre, what were our plans as it would be at least an hour.  Our plan was simple, sit in reception until the job was done!  It took nowhere near an hour but being fair it was lunch time and not all staff were there.

We had intended to be in Sheffield in time to pick up our Grandson from school, sadly we were just a few minutes late.

To stick with our 30 days challenge we had a short wander round the area following the ethos of the 30 days wild - look carefully and enjoy wild things.  This Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) was showing catkins, something I often don't notice.  So I decided that could be my blip for the day.