Into The Woods

Imbolc - First Stirrings in the Dark Time

The long-awaited first signs of the stirring of nature - snowdrops thrusting through the verge grass beneath the hedgerow

Already, a longer gap between posts than I had meant...life intervenes. But this is also intended to be a place where I will come only when I have something to say and show  that I hope may be of interest -so you may find a gap of one or two weeks, and then two or three posts in quick succession. I hope you have the patience to follow me in that intention.

These photographs are of a walk once again through Great Pen Wood on Sunday, just before the Pagan festival of Imbolc, which marks and honours the first stirrings of growth and renewal of the natural world in the Northern hemisphere.

Something else has also been stirring in Pen Wood - the harvesting of the conifers - (Much of the wood is a managed mixed plantation by the Forestry Commission) which was delayed by the heavy snows has obviously been taking place apace since the snow cleared. Notices inform walkers that the plantation will then be prepared for re-planting in the winter of 2010. 

Watch this space for progression towards that - in the photographs the impact of clearing is evident. But, as I will show you over and over again on these walks, Mother Nature quickly restores and reclaims her own in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, if she is given just the smallest chance. Treated with reverence and respect, the natural world - and therefore ourselves, who live within and as part of it, can flourish.

Though the snow has gone, the cold and ice remained - but even the ice has been beautiful, forming crustings and patterns as it freezes, melts and reforms. Seeing and photographing all these natural forms reminded me of the portfolio of images and ideas I was required to develop some 27 years ago, when I was studying enthusiastically for a City & Guilds qualification in Embroidery, taught by the visionary Valerie Campbell-Harding (now sadly deceased). 

Val was responsible for teaching me to deeply look, and intensively see what was all around me wherever I was - but I looked especially closely in the natural world. My looking and seeing has never been the same since she opened my eyes - what a wonderful legacy to leave to the world. You can see the list of books that she produced here (are any of them familiar to you?) and here is a downloadable .pdf file of a workshop created by Val which shows images of just a few of her delicious works on the last few pages, and the processes she used to create them.

So - here is a brief record of Great Pen Wood at the start of February 2010. I hope you enjoy walking with me once again...

The road through the woods - now sans all signs of snow

The wonderful textures of the gnarled bark of an old birch tree

The quilted lines of water beneath ice

Loaded up and ready to go...

More logs stacked and waiting for collection - the progress of the plantation clearing visible behind the stacks

A gracefully fallen birch, left and allowed to rot down amongst small sapling conifers from an earlier replanting

An avenue through the trees with other logpiles left to rot down - all part of the careful management plan.

The still-sharp edges of Winter - ice like broken glass in one of the exposed ruts and furrows

This way has passed the tractor

The softer edge... melting ice and running water in one of the streams which criss-cross the woodland. Are even fractionally warmer days arriving?

A Walk Through the Woods with Adiemus

My hope for this blog site 'Into the Woods' is that it will become a place where many ways of seeing and thinking about Woodland and  Forest will come together...so today, I offer you a rendition of Adiemus singing Karl Jenkin's 'Song of Tears'  on YouTube, which has a very attractive video montage of many woodland scenes, accompanied by some beautiful music. Take a few minutes to soothe your Spirit with pictures and sound.

What a Difference - Down Under!

For a complete contrast to the chilly views of my own woodland scenery over the last few days, you might care to take a look at ChelBelle's site. Chel is from Muswellbrook in New South Wales, Australia, where they are experiencing temperatures up into the 40's right now - phew! Chel took a photography course recently, and her blog post of 7th January shows  some of her resultant images, shot in a nearby bushland area. Thanks for showing me these, Chel - beautiful.

What a Difference a Day Makes...

The second walk in two days in snowy Great Pen Wood yesterday - but this time the sun was shining. The atmosphere was quite different - almost festive, as I met other people walking and playing in the powdery snow. Everyone laughing, remembering 'when we were young', 'how long it has been since we had snow like this' - 'still don't believe in global warming' - but speaking to each other. Four mad cyclists biking through the woods, assuring me that they were doing it just for fun! This Big Freeze has brought so many unexpected but good things with it.

Just a few images for you to enjoy. Grey today, so no walks in the snow,  back to the mundane chores of life - but with these tranquil memories to savour...

Leaves from the rhododendron avenue,  hanging their leaves to lessen the area to which snow can cling - a product of their Himalayan origins

Could be mistaken for a blossom laden tree from a distance...but not yet!

Snow frosted birches & beech trees

All hidden beneath the blue

Walking in Narnia

White-out walking (taken on auto-exposure - camera on fence post - hence white-out!)

I watched the film of the first episode of The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - on the television last night. Today we have been enveloped in what is said to be the worst snow conditions for 30 years  - but to me it has been a wonderful segment of time-out-of-time.

I tried to use the confined-to-indoors time sensibly to begin with - paying bills, getting down to some academic work, creating new writing course plans for 2010 - but the flakes of snow past the window wove a spell and sang a siren song to me to come out to walk and play. In the end, I gave in, pulled on thick socks, walking shoes, a heavy jacket and hat, and set off with my camera to walk through Great Pen Wood. I was alone there - except for one other solitary walker, who I met on my way back. (A woman with a Polish accent and a wistful tone to her voice as she walked in the opposite direction and exchanged pleasantries with me. Is it fanciful of me to think she was reminded of the landscape of her own homeland?)

The woods seemed to belong to me, enveloped by the continually falling  snow, surrounded by birch trees, conifers and silence. All the accoutrements of daily life fell away, and for a couple of hours it was just me, alone in Nature. Quite beautiful, totally magical.  One of the special times of my life - another raft of memories, tucked away on film and in my mind. More treasures that cannot be stolen away.

Come walk through this afternoon's Narnia in North Hampshire with me now - can you hear the silence...can you feel the snowflakes on your skin?

(Click on any image to see a larger version)

Snowflakes falling in front of the Pink House

Not many gardeners buying plants today

Oh, my - those power cables look risky - PLEASE don't let us down!

Down into the woods - transformed into enchanted space and time...

Birch trees shoulder to shoulder

A log-pile, offering haven from the chill to many small creatures

A clearing in the trees and a brief lull in the snow

Under the great conifers - a few blackbirds sheltering here...I wished I had brought some crumbs of food...

Normally deep green rhododendrons, laden with snow

Three elegant trunks

The other solitary stroller

'The Fox-run' - a pathway which I have spotted a fox crossing on several occasions

More snow starting

Home again...and time for a cup of hot chocolate by the stove!

I Wonder as I Wander

Do you love to wander through the woods? Do you let your mind wander as you do so? A walk in the woods is a walking meditation for me, giving me time to let my own thoughts wander, allowing my 'logical' brain to operate in background mode, while images, memories, stories and imaginings float through from the past and the present.

Welcome to the first post in this new blog, where I look forward to sharing with you some of the thoughts and images that I encounter and experience as I take my walks through the woods. Living in an area of England which has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, I am very fortunate to have both Forestry Commission and National Trust woodland within walking distance of my front door. But I also seek out woodland whenever I travel - and whenever I do, I hope to share the experience with you here.

I will also venture to share thoughts of what 'The Woodland' and 'The Forest' has meant in the realms of storytelling, both through traditional fairy-tales and in our own imaginations. So both in reality and in fantasy, I invite you to join me in this new exploration!

And now...to begin at the beginning... here are just a few images from the New Year walk that I took today in Great Pen Wood. Walk along with me, and if you feel inclined, share your thoughts with me as we walk.

Here we go... down into the woods, with the remnants of last night's hail storm still adding a fine frosted covering to the road.

 

Here are the footsteps of a deer, frozen in the mud

A logpile on Forestry land, in the afternoon sunlight

And somewhere for bats to roost, boxes attached to an old stump on cleared land

Down at my Secret Lake, a magical scene - the surface frozen, covered with millions of tiny glittering hail-pearls

 

And at 2 pm, already the shadows are rapidly lengthening...

I hope these images have given you a taste for walking in the woods with me..I hope to return on at least a weekly basis. I hope you will choose to join me!