What a Difference Three Weeks Makes
Late autumn colours in the sunshine
It’s been a seemingly endless three weeks since I visited Dormouse Wood. Leon, one of my Labrdaors picked up a pretty bad paw injury so we have all stayed very close to home as he couldn’t go out to walk. Instead, I took the other dogs to a local field, minimising the time Leon was left alone. Today, earlier than hoped - because Leon has been the perfect patient - we all headed off to Dormouse Wood.
Sadly Leon had to be denied his ball because he is still recovering. You can hear him whining towards the end of this clip in the hope I will relent. However he plays too enthusiastically to risk it just yet ... sorry Leon!
Update: it is now 1st December and the vet says another week without playing ball. Leon is not pleased
When we last visited it felt more like the end of summer - chilly but with lots of green leaves on the trees. Now the wood is in its full late autumn regalia. Most leaves have become a rich golden brown carpet on the ground, with those left, having a yellow tint, showing they are soon to join their fellows. We were lucky to have a day of sunshine and the leaves, both underfoot and overhead, glowed. It was a blissful visit, we were all so happy to to be back.
My state of the art timber moving device
The dogs snuffled and explored, whilst I indulged one of my favourite activities: finding lovely things. I used to do it just for myself but now I have the perfect excuse for wandering around collecting pieces that I like - stocking the Dormouse Wood website. So I ‘worked’ really hard to make up for those three lost weeks.
I will say that it is actually quite a muddy, soggy and occasionally slimy activity. However a special find is well worth those less enjoyable moments of wondering what exactly you have just put your hand into.
This is a great time of year for collecting. In particular I can find that a lot of things that are usually high up in the trees have been dislodged, either by the wind or simply the changing season. This means they are in easy reach on the ground, or at lower levels in the tree canopy.
In the end my haul was so good that I ran out of space in the car. Although I did manage to jam in a couple of nice smaller tree stump sections that have been drying under cover and were ready to come home.
I also found that a lovely big old tree stump, that I’ve had my eye on for at least six months was loose on the ground, ready for collection. It was soaked through and heavy but I heaved into into my ancient wheelbarrow and trundled it off to start the drying process. Later it will sit in the garage for a couple of months and then finish drying in warmth of the house. It doesn’t look much in the wheelbarrow but when you stand it up it has a wonderful cupped shape.
Ash cut into firewood. You can see the stump in front of the bag
A new source of items for the website, which I explored on our visit, are four trees that were recently felled. I regularly go round Dormouse Wood with Rob, the Forester, who helps look after the wood and undertakes all the skilled and heavy work. About a month ago we spotted a cluster of trees, which had partially fallen. It looked as if one had initially hit the others, leaving them all badly damaged. The group was only standing because they were leaning on each other. A heavy of gust wind and they would come tumbling down. We therefore agreed that Rob would fell them urgently. Much of the ash has been turned into firewood but Rob has saved some nice sections from it, plus some bigger logs from the other trees. I will get him to cut out the best parts and in due course I should have some very nice decorative timber rounds for sale.
The last thing I did before we headed home was cut more hazel stems for weaving. While doing that I found a particularly gorgeous piece of wild honeysuckle vine. I am in the process of photographing it for the website and below is a picture to show why I fell in love with it … the amazing ‘tiger stripe’ pattern, combined with a twisted stem. It’s rather big and quite delicate, so packaging will be tricky but it will be worth the effort if someone agrees with me how special it is.
A detailed image of a long piece of ‘tiger striped’ wild honeysuckle
We were at Dormouse Wood for less than two hours today as I didn't want to risk further damage to Leon’s foot. Yet I came away feeling relaxed and refreshed.
I have discovered that one of the secrets to fully enjoying the wood is to slow down. To simply meander gently, taking in everything around you, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the textures …
It is only since buying Dormouse Wood that I have truly understood what getting back to nature means. For me, visits to Dormouse Wood are a form of meditation. The rest of the world fades away, as I focus on the beauty of my surroundings and the tiniest of details. Even the dogs rushing around adds to the experience, as I share their joy at having the freedom to play and explore.
When I pass through the woodland’s gate to re-enter daily life, some of the peace gained within its bounds always stays with me.