Thursday, 6 June 2024

A short stagger in the woods

 

A short stagger in the woods

It has taken a very long time for my leg to recover from the wrench it had in 2023. Ligaments, tendons, whatever, need time to heal. Sometimes, it gives a terrific crack, which is a little alarming, mostly to the onlooker – onlistener?

Anyway, I was delighted to get out into the woods last week. The scents from the deep leaf mould and the green canopy to delight the eyes, the air so fresh I could drink it and the wonderful feeling of release all led to a sense of freedom and renewal.




I like trees. I like the way they embrace each other and the roots hold tightly to the earth, spreading to communicate with one another.

I like the old tree stumps, covered in moss, sustaining life as they rot and become one with the soil.

I like the odd excrescences on the tree trunks.

I like the squirrels scampering along the pathways, high overhead, or racing across the ground from one tree to the next, tails flicking.

I like the birds, singing in competition in a wonderful chorus and flying or hopping from one branch to another.

I like being out in the woods, come rain or shine, and I didn’t really stagger 😉


40 comments:

  1. Isn't it lovely when you can finally begin to use a limb again? I have a healing shoulder that still needs some babying so I can no longer pick up the twins for cuddles. I really like that triple trunk tree :)

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    1. Doesn't it take a while? It's sad not being able to pick up little ones, but they can come to you, now, for a cuddle.

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  2. What a lovely walk you had. So glad you felt up to it. I like walking in the woods best of all.

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    1. It's wonderful, isn't it? The air is so fresh.

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  3. I never wanted to live near the centre of the City, nor was I ever prepared to live in a block of flats. My house didn't have to be big or flashy, but it HAD to have a sliding door right across the back, allowing the air from the trees, lawns and flower bushes to flood in.

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  4. So pleased you were able to get out and about to enjoy the beauties of the woodland.
    Cheers, Gail (who enjoyed several lengthy hike in the forest while in lovely Slovenia).

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    1. Crystal clear air, I imagine - how lovely.

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  5. Lovely woodland photos, we have very few bits of woodland in Mid Suffolk and they are usually privately owned - sadly

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    1. We're surrounded by trees. It's lovely, except when there are gales.

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  6. Hi Janice - I immediately thought of 'If I go Down to the Woods Today' - not really appropriate ... but glad you just enjoyed yourself and didn't have any surprises.

    Copied from Wiki - this interested me: "The 1932 Henry Hall recording was of especially good quality with a large tonal range. It was used for more than 30 years by BBC audio engineers (up until the early 1960s) to aurally assess the frequency response of audio equipment." I'd have never have known that ... and thought you'd be 'engaged' to learn about it ...cheers and here's to more walks - Hilary

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    1. Yes, I wrote about the Teddy Bears' Picnic and Henry Hall a while ago. It's amazing that the recording was so pure that it was used for so long.

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  7. The crack you are hearing sounds like the crack my car tailgate was making before a part was replaced.
    Aged trees are wonderful, so comforting to see and they generally just keep ageing.

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    1. Oh, dear, I don't fancy a replacement part!

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  8. It looks like an absolutely wonderful place to walk. That multi-true tree was impressive. I love trees. We have about 30 in our yard. Have to pay when it's time to break but it's worth it. Hope your leg keeps improving.

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    1. There are some very old trees round here. The stories they could tell . . .

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  9. You speak out of my heart ! I feel the same in the woods and I try to see figures in the tree trunk ! I love the smell after the rain, but one smell I will never forget that was in the Arizona the Yosemite park, it had such a delicious smell, I had never smelled before or after ! That's strange that I kept this in my mind, it was in 1984 ! The father of my DIL is a well known sculptor in the Netherlands and he told me that he goes in the woods and looks at trees which inspire him to sculptor a woman. I saw some pictures, they are beautiful !

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    1. What a gift to have, to be able to sculpt.

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  10. Trees are so magical. How lovely that you got amongst them again.
    Alison in Wales x

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  11. I do love being in the shade of a big tree on a sunny day. It feels fresh and cool and even moist. I mostly enjoy watching the squirrels run across branches, leaping from one tree to the next.

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    1. The air under trees on a hot day is just so refreshing.

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  12. I too love being around trees ...
    Love the photographs you've shared here.

    All the best Jan

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    1. I never get tired of looking at trees.

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  13. There's nothing like a walk - or stagger! - in the woods! Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos, which absolutely delight a tree lover like me! xxx

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  14. We are part of nature, and have to be in it, at least as much as we can be, to refresh and recharge. It's a long process to recover from an injury, but hurray for being outdoors in nature!

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  15. I'm glad you healed up and can get back into the woods. I creak and pop when I move too, but that's because my body is more musical as it ages.

    Nature is amazing!

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  16. You paint a delightful picture.

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  17. So beautiful. There is just something so mentally healing about being out in the woods. I really like it. Unfortunately, I've just about managed staggers to sit and watch the beavers and back home this week. Even that has been an effort. I can't wait to feel better so I can actually take a good walk!
    Sorry to hear about the leg. I did my ankle in a few years back and it took forever to feel better!

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    1. I hope you feel better soon. It doesn't make you feel good if walking is an effort.

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  18. Trees are special. Being amongst them is always good. Glad you've made it.

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    1. They are the lungs of the earth, indeed.

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  19. As a tree lover, you might enjoy the book The Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of our Future by Daniel Lewis. I would not have chosen to read it if my book club had not decided it was THIS month's read. But I really gained a lot of information from it and actually found many of the chapters (each about a different tree) very enjoyable. It is a VERY new book here in the U.S. If it exists in the UK, you might enjoy it!

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  20. Thank you for the recommendation. I'll add it to my ever-growing pile!

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  21. Glad to hear that you have been enjoying being out doors and seeing and hearing nature all around you.

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