Be better

 

Like the myriad forest springs, isn't hope supposed to spring eternal. My hope is to be better, that's my intention for this turn of the wheel. Simple, eternal and all encompassing. Be better.

Nibblers

 

If we can reach it we'll eat it. That's the ponies motto, they're nibblers see. Never more so than through the thin part of the year, when any opportunity for a feed is taken. Ivy (Hedera helix) is always a particular favourite with them, as is Holly (Ilex aquifolium), some are so nibbled it's a wonder they endure, but they do. The winter months can be hard on the ponies with food becoming scarce, sometimes critically so. In those years the ponies nibbling can become an issue, stripping some Ivy from a fallen tree isn't a problem, though I've seen them strip veteran beeches to the point of killing them, completely ringing the trunk. Not cool.

Red Deer

 

As we approached Highland Water through Brinken Wood this morning we disturbed a large herd of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) grazing on the other side of the stream in Camel Green, maybe 30 plus of them, including at least 2 stags. They looked healthy and content, and although we'd disturbed their grazing they didn't appear that bothered by our presence, they obviously felt safe enough across the stream from us not to bolt. It was an amiable meeting, we moved on and they returned to grazing. It's nice seeing the forests' deer community, especially a herd of majestic Red Deer, though increasingly I can't ignore the damage they're causing to the forests' longevity; deer numbers in the UK are at a 1,000 year high. This is another mess of our own making, what's to be done though?

Old ladies of the forest

When you see huge Beech in the forest with multiple smaller (though still substantial) trunks emerging from the main trunk a couple of meters from the ground you can be pretty sure you're looking at an ancient tree, one which easily pre-dates the end of the 17th century. You can know that as in 1698 it was forbidden by government act, the  ‘Act for the Increase and Preservation of Timber in the New Forest’ to coppice or pollard the forests' Oak or Beech, so a pollarded tree would've already been mature and pollarded by then. Making these trees, what, 400 or more years old. Those who've survived thus far are reaching the limits of their lifespans; interestingly a pollarded Beech will live considerably longer than one left untouched, this is common of various managed trees. The usual course of decline is for them to lose trunk after trunk over a number of years, although even then with all the crown trunks fallen I've seen them endure by throwing out growth from what remains. This old lady's lost three crown trunks so far, though still stands firm. Remember when you're with them you're stood with a life which broke earth long before even the dawn of the industrial revolution, let alone the modern age.

Gravel travels

 

For the most part the forest streams appear gentle, slow flowing babbling brooks, though engorged they become different animals. Whilst overfed by the heavy rains we saw through December Red Rise Brook at times became a torrent, the force of the flow lifting gravels up off the stream bed and dragging them up and over the bank. You wouldn't have thought it possible for such a small body of water.

Mother of the forest

It's very easy when in the presence of the forests veteran giants the venerable Oak and Beech to overlook the smaller trees of the forest. Take the Silver Birch (Betula pendula) here, a very common tree, often not that tall and short lived by tree terms, only lasting three score years and ten, or thereabouts. That's a mistake. For the Silver Birch is the mother of the forest and the bushcrafters' friend. The forest mother as it would've probably been the first tree to colonize this land when the ice sheet retreated, creating a beach head and nurturing environment for other trees to prosper; it's still common to see samplings of oak and beech planted amongst sampling birch, the former coming into their own as the later fades. The bushcrafters' friend as it and what grows on it offer a wide range of valuable bushcraft resources. It's a beautiful and understated tree.    

Winter Solstice sunset

 

The clouds that did their best to hide sunrise this morning, did their damnedest to hide sunset tonight, again they teased glory before again crowding the horizon with thick grey clouds. (shakes fist at the clouds) Though the just born Sun was having none of it and when the clouds thought they'd won he shone through illuminating the the very last moments of the day in salmon hues before disappearing below the horizon. The days get longer and lighter from here on in my friends. May this turn of the wheel see y'all well served in the fields of flags, flax, fodder and frig and all else that you'd need or desire. Solstice Blessings y'all /|\

Winter solstice sunrise

The pre-dawn sky offered the potential of a glorious Winter Solstice sunrise, though the clouds had other plans. At the appointed moment curtains of grey cloud drew closed. Still I marked the notional sunrise by taking a moment and reciting some words, then resolved to make our a walk a solstice mediation. About 10 minutes later as we made our way down from Holm Hill towards Rhinefield Sandy's the sun did make a bright though fleeting appearance before retiring behind the wall of cloud again. Still, it's always nice being out in the forest early doors.

Mistletoe

There's a place I know where the mistletoe (Viscum album) grows in wondrous abundance. There the main mistletoe bearing tree was again festooned with large clumps of heavily white berried mistletoe. A wonderful sight. What has also been good is to have seen new satellite mistletoe clumps appearing on adjacent trees over the years; again this year I've noticed a lots of small developing clumps about this particular stretch of woodland. I worry for the main host tree being so crowded as it is, I wonder how long it can endure. So it's reassuring to see new colonies forming.

Oak King, Beech Queen

 

You'll see this pairing all over the forest, an Oak and Beech planted together. What the purpose if any is, or what the significance is I don't know. Though it's frequency suggests it's not accidental. Whatever it is to me they represent the pairing of the king and the queen of the forest.  

Foamy

 

You ever wondered why the trees start foaming in the rain? Well. In warm weather a trees' bark produces oils, at the same time a range of natural salts and alkaloids which are free floating in the air can also land on aforementioned oily bark. Add water in the form of rain and you've all the ingredients for a crude soap. As these ingredients move down the trunk they're agitated by the rough bark creating soap molecules which in turn lead to the bubbly foam. It's very crude, and may not be super effective, but it is soap. A useful nugget of bushcraft knowledge that...maybe.

Coniferous invasion

 

You wouldn't believe how quickly the forests' open heathland would disappear if it weren't constantly manicured and curated by man. Only a handful of years ago this valley was nought but heather and grasses, just look at the number of conifers that have sprouted up. Imagine in another 5 years or so left unchecked. I shouldn't imagine these will go unchecked for long though; but you never know. I remember the forest back in the 70's having swathes of these colonizing conifers woods. I've said it before, the forest we see as natural for the most part couldn't be more contrived. I'd love to see some areas of the forest left to re-wild themselves naturally, I imagine it would be wonderful top watch. And walk.    

Lichen and moss

The canopy's gone revealing an easily overlooked, or at least ignored, aspect of the forest, and remnant of its' ancient past. You'll notice now the woods are naked, especially when it's wet, that many of the forests' trunks, boughs and branches, down to its' smallest, are either covered in myriad variety of vibrant green mosses or appear to have a grey green hue to them, the consequence of a wide range of lichens. Both moss and lichen are members of the forests' non-vascular plant community, their presence hereabouts a reminder of the temperate rainforest which was once common around Britains' Atlantic coast. Temperate rainforest isn't just rare, it takes rare to the limit with only 1% of it remaining worldwide. Strongholds of temperate rainforest in England are in the south west and north west; in the south west places like Cornwall, Dartmoor and Exmoor, and in the north west, places like the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. So we're lucky to have elements of it here.

Plain Heath

 

The rain drains from the old Holmsley airfield on Plain Heath down through collects, feeding rivulets themselves feeding streams. It's wet again today, rain punctuated by heavy showers sort of wet. Not conditions of choice, though still with plenty to offer. Dressed up for it you're okay, you need the hatches battened down mind. I find walking dressed against the weather odd, your field of vision is restricted, and your hearing muffled, it's like you're looking out of a spacesuit or some such. 

Shoosh

 

We were blessed with a glorious winter morning. The stands are all but naked now, only the occasional stubborn bough holds on; views last seen at the dawn of Spring return. The stands are quite too, the whole forest is, little stirs. On mornings like this it's as if you're walking through a landscape asleep. Shoosh.

 

Rinse and repeat

 

The volume and force of the water coming off the plains at times is evident in the erosion it's causing as it races to join the forests' rivers. I've seen dozens of incidences like the damage above, where rushing water has scoured away sections of the gravel forestry track. Whilst many of the forests' green tracks are hardly navigable having become so sodden, easily churned. The forest makes for interesting walking.

Vinney Ridge

 

Vinney Ridge

Water meadow

 

The Stour Valley is inundated, the course of the River Stour uncertain; water can be seen as far as the eye can see, much of it moving. I remember once colouring in the floodplains of the Rivers Stour and Avon on an OS map to get an idea of what the prehistoric landscape might have looked like, both are extensive. A couple of thousands of years back, before human management, the floodplains of these river valleys would've been wonderfully rich and diverse wetland environments, places greatly favoured by our forebears; the occurrence of Phragmites or Norfolk reed (Phragmites australis) in the damp corners of fields and the drainage ditches which feed these rivers are a reminders of that world.

Wet

 

That water's about knee deep I reckon; we wont be taking the Holmsley line route this morning. Walking the forest continues to be a very wet affair, where no route can be guaranteed.

Rucking

 

Sunday walks have become my weekly ruck. I regularly carry a pack on our longer walks, though it's often near empty, however recently I've begun slowly upping the loads I'm carrying. I quite liked the idea of rucking, it looked to have health and fitness benefits, and I saw it had another application too. Through rucking my aim is that by spring I'll be used to carrying a full pack equipped for a couple a days wild camp. Many rucking videos advocate weighting your rucksack, I don't like that idea. I'd always rather be carrying actual gear. There are different schools of packing too, weight at the top or bottom, I'm currently packing heaviest items at the top. And then there's do you use the chest straps and waist belt, either, neither or both. Depends. You can over think anything. I'm using my Karrimor SF Predator 45ltr patrol pack. Every couple of weeks I'll add things, and once I've filled the main pack I've got two side pouches to add too, until I'm camping pack ready. I'd like to get out wild camping again next year, even if it's simply overnighters out in the woods. I've missed not camping. Camping is an activity I've engaged in and enjoyed since childhood. I remember my first under canvas camp was with the Cubs at Wilverely in the Forest, followed by innumerable camps with the cadets and friends throughout my teens, and it's a love that's continued through adulthood.

Frozen

 

Amongst the veteran oak and beech stands of Burley Old all was quiet and still on this mornings' roam, many of the woods' inhabitants have shut up shop completely until spring, others conserving their energy for the essentials only. The fall is all but done, there some stubborn trees are determined to hang on to their leaves, but it wont be long before they litter the forest floor too. We've stepped through the door into winter. Our roam threaded the wood on paths well trodden, to us anyway, and  took us passed the 14 pebbles, it was so cold that the pebbles were frozen to their trunk, a crust of ice visible between them. I wonder if winter's starting as it mean to go.

Brrrr....

Coldest day of the season so far, with temperatures registering -2c on your roam this morning. Brrrrr.....

Legion Son of X: Prodigal (X Men Legacy)

What a fabulous graphic, Legion Son of X Prodigal (X Men Legacy) by Simon Spurrier, Tan Eng Huat and Jorge Molina. Legion (David Charles Haller) is the omega level mutant son of X Men mentor Charles Xavier, and he's quite the character, and quite quite unstable too, which has led to incidents in the past. Wonderfully written by Spurrier and beautifully illustrated by Huat and Molina we find Legion hidden away in the Himalayas, where under the tutelage of a mystic he's created a prison in his mind to house his multiple personalities, can he control them and their various individual powers though? Legion wants to be better, and he's being called for help, this may be an opportunity to start on that new path; but something’s not right, and who's that in the shadows of his mind? And then there's the X Men. It's a real page turner.