Thursday 17 May 2018

Into the Woods


I feel as though I've hardly stopped lately. Not that my life is  fabulously busy doing wonderfully exciting things, far from it. It's just regular family life, those day to day mundane chores and the general business of trying to keep on top of them all. It is so good (and necessary), therefore, to take the opportunity for some time out now and again, and what better way to feel more grounded  and to engage with nature than to take a walk in the woods, especially at this time of the year.

Last weekend was wonderful, and relaxing though it was,  it still required a certain amount of organisation and planning. With already having made plans for the following day, last Saturday we decided to stay close to home and enjoy one of our favourite walks through the woods.
We followed the track alongside a shallow stream on the edge of some farm land, before trecking across the fields to reach the sheltering canopy of the trees.

The trees are really coming back to life now, with the fresh new leaves  such a stunning and vibrant shade of green. The  still, warm air with it's damp, earthy woodland fragrance  occasionally gave way to the pungent aroma of wild garlic and then, as we turned a corner the woodland floor suddenly became the most gorgeous shade of blue. There were swathes of Bluebells as far as the eye could see, woven amongst the trees, although sadly, no matter how hard I tried to take a decent photograph, I  couldn't quite manage to capture the intensity of their colour.









After a game of Pooh Sticks we  enjoyed our usual snack break, the sunlight still managing to make it's way through the light covering of the tree tops. Our walk nearly complete it was lovely just to stop for a while and take it all in.
I expect you're wondering about the balloon. When we started out on our walk, we discovered it gently tangled in the hedge alongside the stream. With Lily's birthday being this week, it was as if it had been left there just for her. So as well as not wanting it to cause harm to any wildlife, we brought it home with us.
J. X

38 comments:

  1. It's such a busy time of year when you've got school age children. It seems they always pack so much in between Easter and the end of the school year and everyone ends up frazzled. It's always nice to get out and away from it all for a while and the woodland is definitely the place to be at this time of year. It's a treat for the senses with the vibrant bluebells, the pungent wild garlic and the sound of birdsong. Wishing Lily a very happy birthday, I hope she has a lovely day.

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    1. You've hit the nail on the head there Jo. I feel like I'm at the highest point of a rollercoaster, just before the big drop. I can't believe how fast this school year has gone and it will be the Summer break before we know it. It's a beautiful time of year in the woods and we were back there again yesterday on a school visit. X

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  2. You captured spring at its best. The photos are lovely.

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  3. Looks like a lovely walk, woodlands are wonderful at this time of year - and that balloon was meant for Lily :)

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    1. It was lovely walk Eunice and the balloon made it feel extra special for Lily. X

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  4. Looks like you had a lovely time and what a gorgeous wood. I did wonder what the balloon was for and nice that you were able to take it home with you.

    Mitzi

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    1. It was a surprise to see a balloon caught up in the middle of all that greenery. X

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  5. Beautiful woodland. I’m glad to say you’ve reappeared on my blog role! Happy birthday Lily xx

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  6. Lovely walk, and as far as 'litter' goes, a star balloon just prior to a birthday is a rather lovely find x

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    1. It was a surprise to see the balloon in the hedge, it looked very out of place. X

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  7. That balloon must be a good luck sign.

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    1. It was like it had been left there specially. X

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  8. I’m so glad the balloon was found. Obviously meant for Lily. The bluebells look lovely. A sign the warmer weather is coming.

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    1. Lily definitely thought so and the bluebells were beautiful. X

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  9. It was serendipity finding the balloon for Lily and I'm wishing her a very Happy Birthday on her special day.

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  10. I think bringing the balloon home was absolutely the right thing to do. I love the woods in May, that vivid green of new leaves and new life and Oh! The Bluebells! No better way to spend a couple of hours. x

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    1. The woods are treat for the senses at this time of year. There's so much going on. X

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  11. What a joy to find the balloon for the Birthday girl. You took us on a great tour, seeing the stunning bluebells was a delight.

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    1. Lily was very happy with it. It made her walk that bit more special. X

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  12. Your life may well be busy Jules, but your posts are always so relaxing to read. I feel I've gone for that walk with you. Bluebells are beautiful little flowers aren't they. Did you pick any wild garlic for pesto?

    Happy Birthday to Lily, I'd have loved to see her face when she found the balloon. xx

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    1. Thank you Suzanne, that's good to hear. It's one of our favourite walks and the one Lily first managed all by herself without being in the back carrier, although that seems such a long time ago now, and the distance feels quite short. It's a lovely, gentle walk though.
      No, I didn't pick any of the wild garlic. I sadly missed the opportunity to make pesto this year. It's best made using the fresh young leaves and it's way past that now.
      It was quite unexpected to find the balloon so Lily looked a bit puzzled intitially. She loved it though. :-) X

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  13. Your photos are just so beautiful. You obviously have a talent. The balloon was an early birthday present from the woodland faries! 🎈🎈🎈

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    1. Thank you Tania, and I like the idea of the woodland fairies. X

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  14. I am eternally fascinated by the English woods. They look so beautiful and calming. Lovely photos

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    1. Thank you. We are very fortunate with our beautiful woodlands. X

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  15. happy birthday Lily :) Does her school make a big thing of turning 5? Evies does, she got a pack of colouring pencils and a personalised bookmark :)

    The bluebells look lovely :)

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    1. Thank you. That's a really lovely thing for the school to do. There's nothing like that here, although I think they get to blow out the candles in assembly. X

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  16. What a lovely walk! Your woods are so beautiful and I really enjoyed reading your description. You take great pictures, too! How nice to find a balloon, too! Happy birthday to Lily.

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    1. Thank you Bless. At the moment the woods seem to change every week with new growth. If we are lucky we get to see deer too. X

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  17. What a beautiful walk through the woods Jules the bluebells are amazing.
    Hugs-x-

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    1. Thank you Sheila. I hope you're feeling a little better today. X

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  18. I was there with you every step of the way!
    Such lovely photographs you've shared.

    How wonderful to find that balloon, it does look a nice one too!

    Enjoy your week ... the grandchildren have their school sports days soon, so hoping the weather stays dry.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you Jan. That's a lovely thing to say and you would be more than welcome to join us.
      The balloon was a nice one and it was such a surprise to see it there in the hedgerow. I wondered if it may have been carried on the breeze from a nearby wedding venue.
      The weather looks fine for us this week and next, which is great as it's Lily's school sports day tomorrow. I hope it stays dry and warm for you too. X

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