Clematis vitalba also known as Traveller’s Joy and Gabhrán (meaning traveller) in Irish
Category Archives: general
last year’s galls
In summer 2020 I made some ink from the fallen galls of the large oak on ‘the ridge’ and since then I’ve been watching and waiting to see the arrival of new ones, hoping to catch a glimpse of their formation – there is no evidence of galls on the branches there yet, but onContinue reading “last year’s galls”
new growth
… the foxglove is already sending out tongues in the leaf litter. Foxgloves are biennial so this plant has grown from this year’s dropped seed, and it is growing leaves now to make it strong in 2021 and prepare for flowering in 2022….
fruiting bodies
Now the undergrowth is clear we can see more fungus forms too these hold the light in their glory and seem to me like creatures and a little like offal…I am intrigued by their form, not veiny and branching out as vegetation does, they appear more homogenous, almost like sorbet, or organ-like even perhaps thickContinue reading “fruiting bodies”
Ivy
Ivy is everywhere all year and stands out more in winter, on clambering the paths I notice the ground scattered with ivy stars, these little tumblers settle into the leaf litter – I wish I could upload smells – I look around and see the ivy vines make musical shapes from trees, like woodland harps,Continue reading “Ivy”
Monday 28 December
The flood water abates and, as new paths reveal themselves in the Glen ….so do new views (with a little help from “M”, resident path keeper, I saw him on the grassy knoll before Christmas, clearing the way up through briars, prickling gorse and twining, snaring undergrowth, a path maker’s winter job to be trampedContinue reading “Monday 28 December”
Christmas Eve
A walk with friends, on a blue skied day with cool Northerly winds, we saw that in the Council’s dumping ground a giant cyprus tree had been cut down, today – it looked healthy and my heart lurched and felt heavy, where from? …we strolled around and saw more tractors zooming in at the entranceContinue reading “Christmas Eve”
23rd Dusk in the Glen
I took a walk home from Blackpool through the Glen at Dusk and the cool clear air after a grey day and plenty of rain brought out the magic beauty in the sky and flood waters
the next day is a little longer
Today my mission was to go and seek out the flowers I’ve noticed lately just coming into bloom. They grow in swathes of ground I normally overlook, as the plants grow everywhere they can find a patch, and are considered by many to be a nuisance, at best unwelcome, and though the leaf is prettyContinue reading “the next day is a little longer”
Solstice 21 12 2020
An overcast and drizzlingly disappointing day for the grand “kiss” of Jupiter and Saturn today…clear weather predicted for the 25th may allow us to catch a glimpse of them parting….