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Walking in the Wood
Been here nearly two weeks already. Places I lingered over I now pass by as I expand the boundaries of my known world.
At the far NE corner the Wood opens out into a wide grassy ride full of yellow Ragwort which makes a bright dye. The tiger striped caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth have stripped some stems bare. Its going to seed already since I first went there a week ago. I am drawn to this place. On one side the slope is steep and I can see the tops of dark Yew trees amongst the brighter greens, and on the other it slopes away gently and is mainly stands of Silver Birch, trunks shining and leaves flickering in the wind. You can almost hear them shimmer.
Red Admiral on Ragwort
I saw a wonderful thing in this valley. My eye was caught by a ladder going up into a tree away in the birches, I moved into the bramble and long grass beside the ride to investigate and soon chose to follow a handy deer path as it was rather thick. The path led me to a small circle of crushed grass which radiated paths in all directions like a star. The Roe Deer give birth in July, I must have come upon a place where a faun had been hidden until it was strong enough follow its mother. A sweet place, hidden from the ride by ferns and protected all around by brambles.
And the ladder ? It led to a small platform in the tree just big enough for one and very sturdily built. A sign on the third rung read, rather ludicrously in that spot; ” No unauthorised entry” I guess it was a shooting hide which would be used in the culling season in November. (Too many deer, too little forest.)
Life and death in one place.
Rabbit, that was
And to leave you with other things to think about :
Moss ring on Beech
Stinkhorn- impossibly lusty !
Next time – finding the artworks in the wood.
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