woodland walk

Good evening everyone hope you had a lovely weekend.  A very busy one here. Yesterday late on in the afternoon we had an invite to dinner with relatives in London.  We got there in time and finally got home at 2 am this morning.

This afternoon we decided on a leisurely stroll to our local outwoods.  It was lovely. Still in summer mode...but subtle glimpses of autumn were there if you looked closely. I could almost smell autumn in the air.  So tantalising close, but not too close yet.  The fields are all ready to be harvested.  I am in the garden writing this and I can hear farming equipment in the distance.

Well back to work tomorrow for a week before the second part of my holiday.

Night night, Helenxx

Into the Winter Woods

Hello everyone - what a chilly weekend it was, and this cold snap has certainly continued today.

Yesterday, after running all the usual errands, DH, DD and I went for a brisk walk in our local Outwoods.  As always there was plenty to see and enjoy.

Walking into the woods it was lovely to see the old trees...

Bare branches against a pale blue sky...

I wondered who had carved this star into the trunk of this tree, and why...

Looking across the empty fields...

A sprinkling of snow on the dead leaves...

Loving this pale, washed out landscape, so familiar yet ever-changing...

The rangers have been busy clearing some of the trees...

Looking wintry...

The air was full of the scent of wood smoke from the charcoal burner, such an ancient tradition alive and well...

I loved how this venerable old tree frames the landscape...

and was amazed to see how this cross section of a felled birch tree forms a heart shape!

Then back home again to work another few, soothing rows of this Winter Woods lap blanket, I am so pleased with how the colours seem to closely match those in the photos I took on my walk, exactly the look I was after!

Another few rows should see me ready to add the border. 

Hope you are keeping warm and cozy!

Helenxx

Fungi Foray

Since being a young child I have been fascinated by fungi.  We used to go walking in the local woods, looking at all the extraordinary examples of fungi and then have a go at identifying them with a Collins Little Gem book. 

These days I love to take photos of the fleeting beauty of fungi - many species are here today - gone tomorrow.  So, with long-suffering DH in tow I visited our local Outwoods and started snapping away, often crawling on the floor to get the best shots.  Love that macro setting :)

So, here are some of the shots I managed to get - sit back and enjoy!

Love the green of the moss in this photo...

peeking from amongst the fallen leaves...

Parasol mushroom, can almost imagine fairies sheltering beneath it...

bracket fungi on a fallen birch log...

Small cluster of toadstools, these really were quite tiny...

Beefsteak fungi, this was blood red in reality...

I love the way that fungi makes the most of dead wood, true recycling at its best...

spotted these just at the edge of the path amongst a cluster of hazel trees...

Underside of bracket fungi, I love the patterning.  I can just imagine how Marimekko use natural inspiration for their designs when I see this picture. 

A fun afternoon, even DH got into the act in the end, pointing out examples I had missed.  However, I will need to go back to the woods soon as I did not, on this occasion, see any examples of the red and white spotted Fly Agaric.  Any excuse really to visit the woods, especially in the Autumn, is fine by me!

Helenxx

Slip sliding away...

...towards my favourite season of all, Autumn. 

Over the past week or so, the evenings are starting to draw in. Lamps and candles are lit at around 8pm, I am loving the scented candles particularly.  I have a real thing for Yankee Candles, they are the best I have tried (and trust me, I have tried many!!)  Mornings are chilly and misty, with the sun low over the horizon until about 7am.

I am now back to work, although the students won't be back for another couple of weeks, so have had the chance to get a little ahead of the game so to speak.  But driving to and from work, I have started to notice little, tiny signs of autumn being just around the corner, not quite in view as yet - but the summer is slowly but surely "Slip Sliding Away".

Yesterday, DH and DD decided to go for a stroll in our local Outwoods, nothing too strenuous as I am still recovering from illness that started back in May (and that took a bit of a grim turn last week when I was sent for some urgent tests at hospital which to my great relief and gratitude, came back clear.  Still more tests to come, but these are for things that wouldn't have such a bad outcome).

And of course, a gentle stroll means lots of opportunities to stop, look around, reflect on the beauty evident all around us.  At first, the woods looked still pretty much in summer mode, but on closer investigation, there really are clear signs of autumn.

Fungi popping up after the recent rains...

leaf-strewn pathways...

autumnal colour starting to peep through...

mellow fruitfulness...

the berries of Lords and Ladies...

promise of things to come soon on one of the forest information signs...

beautiful birch bark...

so much beauty, if only we stop for a minute and look around us.

Have a lovely Sunday, Helenxx