Apsey Shade

 

Ober Water at Apsey Shade.  A lovely spot to stop awhile.

Clumber

Early morning sun floods the coniferous stands of Clumber enclosure. One of the smaller of the forests' enclosures at 48 acres Clumber was enclosed in 1843. The conifers here are a later crop, the eastern end of the enclosure, for the most part, retains it's original oak planting. The coniferous stands enjoy a grandness to them, you get both the feeling of openness and that of being contained within a natural cathedral.

Weedy

For the most part, my childhood memories of the forests' streams are of sheer sided bare gravel bedded waterways, faster flowing than today, the straightened drains of the Victorian forestry age. The streams of today are different. Increasingly over the years since the program to restore the forests' streams and stream-lets to their original meandering courses, the flow has slowed and river weeds have slowly begun to colonize their beds, their banks now a feast of flourishing flora. They've regained their natural ambience. As a consequence the streams appear alive with life, far better stocked fish, which in turn has seen Herons and Egrets regularly fishing their waters. And it the scheme of things these restoration projects are relatively new, I imagine things will only get better.

Hold on

 

Country Joe sang 'hold on it's coming, hold on it's almost here'. Now he wasn't talking about the forests' Heather and Ling, but they are. All over the Forests' expansive heathland heather (Calluna vulgaris) and ling (Erica cinerea) flowers are tentatively emerging; soon our walks, if taken in the open, will be through an ocean of mauve and magenta hues.  It's easy to become complacent and overlook this ubiquitous rough shrub, you need to take a moment to absorb the majesty of the landscape around you though. It can be quite the sight.

Peacock

Always a treat to see a Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io). There's certainly been a noticeable decline of butterflies in our garden this year, both in number and diversity. To be honest, there's been a noticeable, nay drastic decline in insects in our garden altogether. Still, in these darkening times we've got to take moments beauty where we find it. And isn't it beautiful, mesmerizing.

Great Huntley Bank

Great Huntley Bank, a route we used to take far more regularly than we do today, after the New Forest National Park Authority closed off the closest access which was a lay-by on the A35. I can maybe see the argument for doing it, though can't help but feel that the erasure of roadside parking spots, warning notices in other traditional spots and the apparent permanent closure of a number of car parks is shepherding us towards a pay to play future. I'm sure I recall something along those lines being mooted some years back. Anyway. Great Huntley Bank and the length of Highland Water that runs through it are beautiful. Deciduous woodland filled with veteran and ancient trees casting wonderful dappled shade over a verdant floor teeming with life and a favoured haunt of deer, especially during the rut. 

James's Hill

 

James's Hill

 

The way

This is the way. From Studley Head down into Island Thorns that is. I'm really digging walking Island Thorns and Amderwood enclosures, revisiting fallow routes and magical spots of my walking yore, and discovering new routes and magical spots as we do.

Found

 

I've found the Summer, look, down there in Holmhill Bog.

Young Bucks

 

A bachelor party of velvet antlered young bucks chill on the edge of Backley Holmes. Fallow Deer have been a common sight in the forest since their reintroduction in the 11th century, although they're originally thought to have been brought here by the Romans. These boys are enjoying their lazy days of summer, it wont be long before September's here and with it the beginning of the rut.

In the summertime

 

'In the summertime, when the weather is high', quite, you'd have to be high to think this constitutes summertime. Blimey. I beleive a mistake of the climate change narrative is focusing so heavily on record tempratures and extremes, it gives the wrong impression. That might be the lot of others, though I see this as our climate change, at least in the meantime. Yeah, we'll experience some high temperatures, some extremes, though mostly a climate which lacks ryhme or reason, a barely seasonal smorgasboard of random unpredictable weather, slowly degrading as everything slides out of sync. This morning we had overcast, muggy and damp. Have you noticed there's been a noticable decline in the accurracy of the weather wizeads too, and a long term forecast has become a think of yore. Still, the forest is always lovely whatever; and it wasn't raining.

Uber Water

 

The environs of Uber Water below Markway Bridge.

Island Thorns

A wonderful aspect to the forests' woodlands is that although composing of a relatively homogeneous matrix of species they all manifest with noticeably different characters. We were back in Island Thorns this morning, and a beautiful morning it was too. The character of these stands is open and airy, a mosaic of predominantly oak of various ages and densities. Hidden in a shallow valley it's a quiet enclosure away from most sounds of modernity, with endless green paths to wander.   

Woodwork

 

Cleanly and meticulously removed from a long fallen tree, I wonder what'll become of the missing piece. Something cool I imagine.

The edge of Rhinefield Sandy's

Our roam this morning was perfect. Our route along the edge of Rhinefield Sandy's, following the ridge of the Uber valley gave us splendid views of the snaking course of Uber Water and it's environs. You can always find something of beauty in the forest, though on some days the entire forest is simply beauty writ large. My photo doesn't do the scene justice, the light and shadow, the depth of greens, the textures of the flora, let alone smells and sounds of early doors. Nobody about either, the forest was ours, an ideal opportunity for connecting to the forest and a meditative walk. An opportunity I took full advantage of.

Red Rise Shade

 

Shade in the Shade.

Light and shade play in Red Rise Shade

Rock Hills

 

Although we're regular visitors amongst the stands of Red Rise and Burleys Old and New beyond, it's a while since we've approached via Rock Hills from Spy Holmes. The 'hills' offer pleasing vistas over the Furze Brake, Stag Brake and the canopy of the stands beyond, it's a lovely route. I find there's a natural seasonality to roaming, dictated either by necessity or opportunity.

Dugout

 

We came across a partially constructed, sometime abandoned dugout on our walk this morning. We pass this way regularly, and haven't previously noticed the site, even though it looks as if it's been there for some time. It would've been fairly well camouflaged mind. There's a wall of sticks once clearly daubed with clay, grass and moss build on a platform of excavated clay, evidence suggests it once had a roof; it's not very big though, 1.5m by 2m say. I can think of better locations and conditions, it's very wet abouts, even in the dry season. Still, bravo for having a go I say, and better luck next time. I have to admit to having considered building something out myself.

Why can't we have nice things?

 

Why can't we have nice things? The answer is simple, we're arsehats. Over half a mile from parking, in a lovely section of Rhinefield Sandys, a carrier bag worth of mixed shite scattered amongst the stands; bottles, cans, various packaging, sites of two unsuccessful attempts at fires, even quite a substantial lounger. We can agree, arsehats. I reckoned the lounger was half inched from the swanky Rhinefield House about 500 meters east; a cursory scan of their page confirmed, yes, it is indeed one of their loungers! It crossed my mind this could be the work of privileged arsehats, an insidious cohort of arsehat, too often overlooked by the media class in favour of their sustained assault on the disadvantaged. Of course, an arsehat is an arsehat. I believe though that connecting younglings to nature from an early age would go a long way to helping, you're less likely to shit on something you've developed an emotional bond with. Anyway, behaviour like this is why we can't have nice things.

Take a seat

 

Don't ask me. I've no idea as to the hows or whys.

Something new

 

New species of chicken identified in the New Forest. Looks chewy to me.

Carr wood

A lush sea of greens, the carr woodland running along side the restored length of Avon Water above Wootton Bridge is something to behold. They exert an allure over you, the call of the primeval maybe. We know from environmental archaeology that this type of environment would've been well known to our prehistoric ancestors, a favoured landscape as rich source of resource opportunities. We also know that these wet places were sacred to our ancestors through the numerous ritually deposited artefacts and burials associated with them. I think I'm going to have to go for an explore.

Happy days

This years foals are growing fast, and loving every moment of it. 

Happy days.

Custard Flux - Einsteinium Delirium

My initial reaction on hearing Custard Fluxs' - Einsteinium Delirium was 'f*ck me, he's done it again'; granted a crude initial review, but accurate as he has. Chicagos' musical sorcerer supreme and all round renaissance man Gregory Curvey returns with 'Einsteinium Delirium' his fifth serving of Custard Flux, and as you'd expect it's aurally delicious. An artist not content to sit on his laurels, Curvey's dialling the whole Custard Flux project up another notch, 10 having long disappeared in the rear view mirror. There's definitely a different energy to 'Einsteinium Delirium', as Curvey says 'it's no holds barred electric', and isn't it, man. Ten stand out, original and distinct, beautifully composed and crafted, and perfectly performed prog/psyche/pop tracks delivered with meticulous attention to detail by musicians of high standing, all round as tight as a gnats chuff. Instantly engaging short punchy numbers that really reach out and grab you from an album that flows with ease and is an absolute joy to listen to. There's no time wasters here, Einsteinium Delirium starts strong with 'Peace and Love' and continues in that vein right up to the fading notes of 'Fat Man'. Mediocrity isn't in Curveys' vocabulary, this is the good shit. Curvey's a unique talent, a lover of complex melodies with a distinct composing, guitar and vocal style which lend themselves to an instantly recognizable sound; a sound here augmented, complimented and enhanced by the addition of Vito Greco on guitar and Portuguese guitar; Timothy Prettyman on bass guitar; Nick Pruett on drums and percussion; and Andy Thompson on mellotron. An ensemble of pure class and distinction. Custard Flux albums are always lyrically interesting as well as musically so, and on Einsteinium Delirium Curvey explores the theme of the atomic bomb, apposite for our times with the renewed threat of nuclear oblivion being mooted. It's not a heavy listen though, far from it. Richly embellished with solid rhythms, glorious riffs, soaring guitars and some marvellous mellotron, it's an absolutely smashing album. Only one complaint, instrumental track 'Transmutation', a sumptuous soaring cinematic soundscape just wasn't long enough, beyond that I salute you sirs. Another resounding Custard Flux success. Check it out here. 

 

Custard Flux are doing a handful of UK gigs July 28th, Kozfest, Devon; August 1st, Half Moon, London; August 2nd, Visual Radio Arts, (not sure if that's a gig or a studio performance) and August 3rd, 20th Dream Fest, Cardigan. If you can go and you don't you'll regret it, this is a rare opportunity indeed.