Tree weirdness!!

No, I am not talking about anything that Tree has done but rather about a very unusual Beech tree we found on a walk in Monkwood on Sunday. The tree has, at some time, been coppiced and where it should have several trunks shooting out of the base it has two that are in fact one. At first I couldn't believe that I was seeing what I thought I saw. According to all of my reference books this is not possible for a Beech to do. There is no evidence of two branches grafting together and the lower section is definitely two trunks and not just a large hole, that has expanded over time, in one trunk. I am sending photos off to the Woodland Trust's research centre to see if they have come across this before! I shall post the results here as and when I get them.

The walk was part of our upcoming Imbolc celebration and on that note we wish everyone a Happy Imbolc!!!!!

Feel me now as Maiden.

I am the initiator.

I am the twinkle of an idea.

I am the spark that activates and inspires.

I am the light that illuminates manifestation.

I bring the energy that encourages the sleeping Winter world to begin to stir.

Feel my presence.

I am the spark of life in all things.

No walk today!

I had intended to write about how the Lime trees, lining the walkway on Pitchcroft racecourse, were so beautiful this time of year and how the heady scent of their flowers attracted all the bees, from near and far, until all you could hear was a constant buzzing in the background as you walked under them. I also wanted to mention a tree with a perfect heart shape in it. This I hoped to convey following a nice long walk. However, on arriving there, I was met with the aftermath of all this rain and Pitchcroft was flooded. Not unusual that it floods, but this time of year!

Even as I write, Tree and I have just managed to get to the shop in Ledbury after driving for over an hour, trying to find a road that wasn't closed or blocked by floodwater. Anyway, the pics of the flood and the Lime tree blossom look quite nice and I shall settle for that.

Taking time out.

Now that Tiddesley Wood is behind us, Tree and I have taken time to reflect on the little things that have been neglected of late. I have started walking every day to try and lose a bit of the weight I've gained, since I no longer cycle to work, by walking at least once round Pitchcroft every day. I thought I would meet a lot of other like minded people but, judging by the grass on the bench, it looks as though not many walk this way.I particularly had a good walk the other day and rounded it off with a spectacular sunset, after the sun had cast dappled shade through the Lime trees surrounding Pitchcroft.Everything seems so much brighter, when you're feeling fitter, as you can see from the lilies that bloomed only today!

Walking back to happiness.

The clue is in the title I think. Tree and I went over to Symonds Yat yesterday and clambered up to Yat Rock to see the view. Apart from the heat haze obscuring the far distance, you could almost see to the Malvern Hills . The wind was strong and quite refreshing as well. You don’t realise how high up you are until you see that the trees in the photo are 50 foot Oaks!! Tree and I then went on to Ledbury, in search of some wood, and walked the pathway that was once the old steam railway line. You get a different view of the town from up there, as the line used to run on a steep embankment right across the middle of Ledbury. We came back via the Malvern Hills and I stopped to catch a photo of a beech tree that is just to the right of the road as you ascend to British Camp. The root system is fantastic and you would almost believe this tree could get up and walk.
After all this walking, you can imagine, we were fit to drop and too tired to do anything when we got back. Fair play!!

It's a hard life!

Unless your a cat!

Well, not much to report, apart from news about the shop and that can get a bit dull, as an observer. Tree and I are back on the healthy regime and aim to get in lots of walks and fresh air. I have managed to put on a stone in weight since leaving the bank! This is down to the fact I am not cycling to work every day. We hope to get along to one of the Critical mass meetings on a Friday. The only problem is that by the time we get home it's too late. Hopefully in the summer they will start later. Failing that, Tree and I will just go out for a ride anyway.

The old ones are good ones !

I should start by saying that the title does not refer to San's age in any way, but rather, it refers to old jokes and gags. A gags hilarity is increased the longer the person doesn't realise they are the focus and a good ten minutes went by before San did. Takes you straight back to being seven years old again. Bizarrely, on the same walk we encountered long horn cattle and Lamas and finished up being chased across a field by a huge wild pig !!

Old age relics

In the same way that we hold ancient buildings and monuments in great reverence, one day I can imagine we shall do the same with everyday objects that, at present, are considered blots on the landscape. Take the pylon for example. Thousands of them around us all the time, and yet how often does anyone really look at one. Engineering wise they are a brilliant piece of design, I mean, how often do you see one fall over. Not very often ! Like windmills, one day we shall marvel at pylons that have been moved to museum sites, like Avoncroft, and explain to children, " Yes Son, we used to transport electricity with those before solar panels ! "

Ockeridge wood

A gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon ! I'm still full of my cold and have even started to cough, to add good measure to feeling unwell. Tree and I decided to go on a bit of an expedition, to seek out potential sources of wood, and chose to go to Ockeridge. Quite fortunately, we met the conservators, while we were there, who were more than helpful in telling us how we can get coppiced Hazel, and the like. We spent about an hour and a half trying to find the warden in the wood somewhere, so we killed two birds ( not literally) by getting our weekly walk in as well. Hoorah !!
Talking of birds, we saw three Kestrels hovering, weightlessly, over a spread of old Oak trees in the centre of the wood. It's amazing how graceful they are.
Oh well, I'm back home now and nursing a cup of honey and lemon, feeling better at least for the walk !!

Big erect phallic symbols

Another week has gone by, relatively free of any remarkable events. As per the fitness regime, Tree, San and I decided to venture out on the weekly walk. A little tired of the Hills, I suggested we walk to the other end and marvel at the wonder of the human phallus, epitomised in the form of the Obelisk by Gullet quarry.They don't make 'em like that any more !!! The light was fading fast and the weather decidedly grey in colour, yet the hills were surrounded by an air of quiet and solemnity rarely found elsewhere. We stayed a short while until San's whining about the cold finally drove us back down to the car, safe in the knowledge that we had accomplished another walk.

Bit of a walk !

Following on from the decision, at new years, to get fitter and go for more walks, Tree & I decided to walk to the park and feed the ducks. We arrived to find the park relatively empty and the ducks soon flocked round at the prospect of food. Smaller white gulls, in packs, soon descended and were quite aggressive, so we made sure they didn't get all the food from the ducks. We noticed that they didn't mess with the swans ! Anyway, after our brief sojourn to the ducks, Tree suggested we walk into town and feed the swans by the bridge. Feeling quite refreshed from our initial walk, I agreed. We arrived by the rowing steps to find they were in use by the club, so they wouldn't appreciate us throwing bread around them. Tree then suggested, "Why don't we walk on to Sangipans". Well, long story short, four miles later,we got there, not knowing if she would be in, absolutely knacked. We stopped for a while and following, a cup of char and a sarnie, got a lift home from Sange. Sod the walk home !!

Them hills, them hills, them Malvern hills. (THE CRAZY BEASTY has been spotted)

Is there more to life than climbing hills !! This time the call of New Year resolutions dragged us, by our guilt, up the hills to get fit, along with half the populance of Malvern.
But wait....could it be ? !!
Was it a trick of the light ?!!
Could it be that we had caught THE CRAZY BEASTY !!! on camera ?!!
(see post, Malvern Hills Yuletide walk).
We all felt better for the walk and resolutely justified. Just enough time to get home and eat a huge dinner.

P.S. On the way to British Camp, Tree spotted a Belfast sink on the side of the road. We turned the car araound and headed back. Tree asked the owner, a fascinating older man who told amazing tales of sailing round Cape Horn in a tall ship, if we could have it and he was more than happy for us to take it away. Top find !!!

Malvern Hills Yuletide Walk

Just a quick entry to share what a wonderful day it has been. After three days trapped indoors with all its over-indulgences, Tree and I chose a walk on the Malverns as suitable therapeutic recovery. Inappropriately dressed for the cold and feeling tiredness overtaking us, we set off from the Malvern Hills hotel car park on a steep ascent to British camp. Although you might feel steep is a slight exaggeration, trust me, it felt as it sounds. It was bitterly cold in the wind but so worth the struggle to reach the top.The sun broke through and hit the hills in blazing shards of radiant light. Quite magical !! We also found some weird indents in the ground that looked like footprints created by some long legged beasty !!!

British camp

Dying rays

View towards Worcester Beacon

Your hats on fire !!

Halo !!

The crazy beasty footprints II

The crazy beasty footprints

View towards Ledbury