Let's Get Ready To Ramble!
For as much as I adore our beloved canines, it is rather chancy to indulge in any photography or utilise a plant identification app when we are all off a'wandering. After all, the safety of yourself and your pooches is of primary importance. Having enjoyed some satisfying walks this past week, today's ramble was going to be just pour moi, or so I thought.
Oh pour flâner librement..
Dogs were fed and snoozing, Mr WH properly sated, whilst I set about preparing my backpack and planning a strategy for leaving the house, all kitted up, without the dogs sussing me out. They always seem to have a nose for these things…
As I prepared my cheese, chutney and mustard toastie, I asked Mr WH if he was definitely sure that he didn't want to come with me, it was such a lovely morning for October, chores could wait surely?
He changed his mind. "You'll be wanting a toastie too then?" He insisted that he didn't.
Je ne partagerai pas…
On route, eggs were located, all different colours and sizes. My husband, our resident chef, will use four for a delicious omelette and we will have a soft-boiled egg each during the week, maybe with a jacket potato and Greek salad or simply as part of a ploughman's platter. We replaced the empty egg box from our last visit, paid our one hundred and fifty pennies and set off in search of a forest. I could feel the heat from the toastie penetrating through my backpack, reminding me that it was still there, just waiting to be munched on. I silently salivated in anticipation.
Ça va avoir tellement bon goût…
This particular wood is rather uplifting, even moreso as the coursing water not only complements its immediate surroundings but must surely effortlessly captivate a majority of minds, though the stream is not always visible due to certain areas being rather precarious. Previous rights of access have been closed off to the public. It is also shaded and extremely damp, very mossy with uprooted trees and scattered logs, as if someone had partied hard, leaving behind some beautiful mayhem. The stumps were far too wet and green to sit upon, idyllic for an amphibian but not for us, so we continued on our way, leaving the wood behind us in order to mount a stile for our exit.
A lone man could be spotted through the trees on the far side of the river, casting his line at the local fisheries. His pale blue shirt, royal blue trousers and cream hat contrasted with the surrounding shades of emerald and russet, as we sat ourselves down to take in the sights whilst listening to the sounds around us, not least the rushing splash from the wild river's flow. We finished our savoury snack (bien sûr, il a été partagé, pour quoi me prenez-vous?) and made for home, walking a chestnut strewn path whilst sharing our plans for the rest of the day.
Off the cuff, we opted for an alternative route back, which led us through an old stone passageway, into fields of sheep and trees. The view was awesome and filled us with joy. Heading for the wondrously gnarly oak, posing proudly, such a willing gateman, we climbed over another stile and were delivered safely onto the road that guided us homewards. The berries from the black bryony stole my eye, looking perfectly plastic-like (pardonnez l’oxymore) against the backdrop of the hedgerow, almost as if a strong breeze had cheekily claimed an autumnal decoration off a front porch, it's juicy but toxic berries ripening further in the much relished October sunshine.
Keep smiling and have a delightful day or an exciting evening; maybe a peaceful night's sleep, depending upon when you are reading this.
Blessings, Mrs WH