Walking in the woods
Many of the pleasures of walking in the forest or the woods are the sounds. There are the birds. The raucous cranking of the crows accompanies many a dog walker, who follow in the expectation of receiving a treat. Wood larks spiral into the air, their song diminishing as they rise higher. Great tits and blue tits tseep at each other from branch to branch.
Maybe a red kite will be spotted, its high eery whistle echoing across the sky.
The wind soughs through the tall trees, and rattles the dry grasses at the water’s edge.
Years ago, we would occasionally come across the tin whistle man. We would hear his music before we saw him. He would stride along the rough paths, playing his tunes. We wondered why he came outdoors to play. Had his wife banished him from the house? Was he summoning up nymphs and sylvans? Did he simply enjoy playing his tin whistle in the open air, the notes free to escape into the wild?
We have not seen him for a few years now and suspect his spirit has moved on. We thought it always a privilege to see and hear him.
Many people have no idea of the pleasure of being in the woods.
ReplyDeleteWe are constantly amazed at how few people use the woods here. It's a busy day if we see more than two or three and often we don't see any.
DeleteI love talking a walk in the woods. It can be so peaceful and restorative.
ReplyDeleteIt's refreshing and invigorating.
DeleteLooks like a lovely walk with lost to see, and hear,.
ReplyDeleteThe woods round here are not huge, but are varied.
DeleteThere are no woods where I live, a suburb close to the city, but I can imagine the sounds. I wonder if the tin Whistle Man was playing for the birds, to let them know he appreciated them.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the birds responded? I don't remember, or maybe I wasn't listening carefully enough.
DeleteI like the idea of an accomplished tin whistle player just privately blending in wirh natures sounds
ReplyDeleteIt was a treat to hear him and not at all invasive.
DeleteLovely post and beautiful pictures. I'm intrigued by the tin whistle man.
ReplyDeleteWe never spoke to him - his bearing seemed not to invite contact. I would have loved to hear his story.
DeleteI love nature walks. Nature heals. Some people enjoy little moments of life, may be that is why the whistle. He must have been happy in the woods. Good to see your photographs. Thank you for sharing. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteYou're right - Nature does heal, often in ways we cannot understand.
DeleteYou enraptured the joys of walking through woodland or any countryside with your descriptions. You are so right about the sounds.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much to hear and see.
DeleteThe Tin Whistle Man seems to have slipped out from between the pages of an epic fantasy quest novel...
ReplyDeleteI may enquire of the local Facebook group if anyone knows of him.
DeleteWalking in the woods is such a pleasure, especially if there are no crowds. A tin whistle man would be the icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteOur woods are rarely busy. Occasionally there is a bike meet or a race, but very infrequently.
DeleteYour memories of the tin whistle man feel like a gentle tribute to a fleeting woodland melody that now lives only in the heart
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew more about him.
DeleteI don't know well birds, but crows and ravens "en masse" they are so noisy and so many here in our park, they are even friends with the castle cats !
ReplyDeleteThey are noisy, but I love hearing them.
DeleteI love the picture you paint of the tin whistle man. His way of communicating with mother nature perhaps. I thought straight away of the rose beetle man in My Family and Other Animals. Happy in his own world
ReplyDeleteI think he was contented.
DeleteI so love the sounds of outside. At the moment it's pretty much pitch dark with a full moon starting to set and the birds outside the window we're singing like crazy. What really disappoints me when I ride my bicycle as I see all these people with their ear buds in whether they're walking or riding a bike.
ReplyDeleteI agree - they don't appreciate what they're missing.
DeleteThe Tin Whistle Man sounds fascinating. How lovely to hear him playing,
ReplyDeleteIt was and we could never guarantee to hear him. It was always pure chance, even though we were there at some point every day.
DeleteI can still remember a walk through the woods with my dad on his parents farm.
ReplyDeleteSpecial memories.
DeleteSometimes there is nothing to say but, just nice.
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteI haven't walked in the woods in almost a year. I would love walking in your woods because I might run across birds we don't have here in the United States. I've only seen some of the birds you name in pictures.
ReplyDelete. . . but the birds you have are so much brighter.
DeleteLovely photos and memory of the tin whistle man
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteHow evocative this is - and I loved reading about the tin whistle man
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
It's a special memory.
ReplyDeletethanks
ReplyDelete😊
Deletethanks! https://sintrabloguecintia.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI started to make an effort with the tin whistle, but at that point in life, my fingers were not sufficiently dextrous.
ReplyDeleteNimble fingers are required! 😟
DeleteGreat post thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI would come across people on Hampstead Heath playing instruments every now and then. I think, as you said, it's both pleasant to be outside and it helps them avoid noise complaints from housemates and neighbors. You have captured the peaceful experience of a woodsy walk very well!
ReplyDeleteI may make local enquiries.
ReplyDeleteLovely story about the Tin Whistle Man. Gorgeous blog background
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI absolutely love the sensory delights of walking in the woods. I'm intrigued by the tin whistle man ... xxx
ReplyDeleteThere is so much to experience in the woods - all senses are exercised.
DeleteThe Tin Man would have been a delight to listen to. Makes you wonder what happened to him. Beautiful photos of the birds.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite magical, in its way.
DeleteYou have described a lovely walk, with the added mystic of the tin whistle man ... wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
I wish we had been able to talk to him, but he didn't look as though he would appreciate interruption.
DeleteReally evocative pictures - especially the Tin Whistle Man.
ReplyDeleteHe always had his knapsack on his back.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful story about the tin whistle man! Makes my heart sing.
ReplyDeleteHe marched along, in his own little world, bless him.
ReplyDeleteTin Whistle man sounds fascinating!
ReplyDeleteIn times gone by, places always seemed to have certain characters!
I wonder if you remember Camberley Kate? She looked after goodness knows how many stray dogs. Down here in Devon, we had an old chap who was nicknamed, ‘Smokey Joe’; he was an old tramp, living close to the A380 on Telegraph Hill, in some kind of hut. Living off the land, he was a living landmark for motorists, who would often donate things to him. Characters eh?!
Camberley Kate received a lot of abuse, poor soul.
ReplyDeleteSmokey Joe sounds quite a character.
There was one old chap I used to see as I drove to work. He lived in a shack in some decrepitude, but was looked after by kindly neighbours. He would emerge onto the road to clear up horse dung, but that was infrequent.