Indian summer?

 

We're enjoying a lovely autumn out here in the forest, it's glorious, the light, the colours and all, maybe an Indian Summer in the making. Though I find myself conflicted. I know these conditions aren't right, it shouldn't be like this, too dry, too warm, but I also remember what being cold and wet feels like, and I'm in no hurry to be reacquainted with them.

Studand

 

May through September dogs are required to remain on their leads throughout the Studland and Godlingston national nature reserve. So this morning was our first walk here since April, and it was lovely to be back. So much change. The beach and dunes are quite a fluid environment always in flux and some cliff collapse at Redend Point were natures contribution to change, though it was the hand of man which was most noticeable. Middle Beach has been transformed, the stone filled gabbions are gone, as is the slipway, and all signs of the former parking area and café, the road down now truncated just hangs there. The only reminder that there was ever anything here are the line of slighted World War Two anti-tank obstacles in the intertidal. One thing that hasn't changed is the Type 25 pillbox on the beach below Redend Point, testament to 1940's engineering maybe, even though undertaken in a hurry and under duress. I remember the pillbox being half way up the cliff in the late 1970's, and I imagine it was once stood on the top of the head close to the nearby Fort Henry.  

Sweet Chestnuts

 

We're entering peak chestnut harvesting period and the Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) casings I'm seeing about the forest are still a bit on the small side, which doesn’t bode well for the chestnut harvest this year.

Mill Lawn morning

A proper autumnal morning greets October at Mill Lawn.