Return of the light.

[saxonaxe]

The time of Imbolc, so I spent a couple of days wandering in the wood just to see and feel the change, and in spite of all the rain and gales over the past weeks there is as always, the promise of better days to come..:)

Deep in the wood out of the breeze it was warm, T shirt and light smock warm..:D

http://i.imgur.com/WVJ9wSKl.jpg (http://imgur.com/WVJ9wSK)

In the silence of the wood the mini waterfalls sound quite impressive and the strong flow has shifted most of the debris that collects in the stream during drier times.

http://i.imgur.com/FI60XELl.jpg (http://imgur.com/FI60XEL)

http://i.imgur.com/bUHvfsdl.jpg

The evidence of some fairly dramatic miniature flash floods is obvious on the woodland floor.

http://i.imgur.com/48A8uubl.jpg (http://imgur.com/48A8uub)

http://i.imgur.com/vzCu1kkl.jpg (http://imgur.com/vzCu1kk)

There's always a bonus though..my well is full of crystal clear sweet water..:)

http://i.imgur.com/l383Z9Yl.jpg

The fungi have made the most of the damp, warm weather.

http://i.imgur.com/4tm0ebul.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VcDNRGJl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EfdO7xTl.jpg

The Deer leave their trails in the damp leaves

http://i.imgur.com/zueDSR2l.jpg

Mother Earth keeps her promise.

http://i.imgur.com/gDUIcTbl.jpg

In a few weeks the woodland floor will be blue and gold with the Bluebells and wild Daffodils which are showing everywhere in the wood.

http://i.imgur.com/LxiRQWEl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1ajkQRFl.jpg

The lightning riven remains of a great tree, slowly returning to the earth.

http://i.imgur.com/A5Xyh7xl.jpg

And I visited my old friend who fell in the storm just after Yule..

http://i.imgur.com/EIJVo3Dl.jpg

The shapes of Nature always intrigue me, a long time ago someone said to me " Why are you always going to the woods, there's only trees there"...

Ah! ok :D :D

http://i.imgur.com/p1e4NCHl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0WdNZEel.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Mm5x6Gnl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/uiui2h9l.jpg

Hello to folk who signed up to the forum while I was away..:)

[JonnyP]

Don't you just love woodland shapes..!
Thanks for the encouraging post chap :0)

[Sylvanbilly]

Don't you just love woodland shapes..!
Thanks for the encouraging post chap :0)

+1 nice

[ian c]

Some nice pictures there it must be very nice there.

[Rasputin]

Youve been a busy chap John, great pics again.Is that a gypsy well John or natural ? atb Ken

[midas]

Thanks for sharing your "WANDER",Super photos,made me feel I was there!"You've got a good eye"!

[saxonaxe]

Thanks for sharing your "WANDER",Super photos,made me feel I was there!"You've got a good eye"!

Thank you.. but any credit belongs to the camera, I just point and squeeze the trigger...If I had to fiddle with exposures and settings the results would be a disaster..:D

Ken, the well. It's very roughly lined with blocks of local sandstone not modern brick with mortared joints. The surrounding woods were once Hornbeam coppice from as far back as early Tudor times. The Hornbeam burns hot and slow and was used as charcoal to fuel the great iron furnaces in this part of Sussex. The Sussex Iron Masters smelted local ore for artillery pieces, ship's guns and weapons for King Henry and later for his Daughter Good Queen Bess, so the well could possibly..possibly.. be quite old.
Commercial work virtually ceased here prior to 1914, but I'm guessing the well which supplied the timber cutters was dug long before that date and then lost in the undergrowth until I uncovered it a few years ago.

[palerider]

Cracking woodland tale as always!

[LoneWalker]

Really enjoyed reading that. Some good pictures in the report. Looking forward to seeing my local wood carpeted with Bluebells in the near future.

[-Tim-]

Is it me who is just a little green with envy at having access to a well such as this


http://i.imgur.com/l383Z9Yl.jpg

Thanks for posting these pictures and the accompanying words...

Cheers
Tim

[headshot]

enjoyed your post,thanks for sharing...atb kev

[alvino78]

T^ great stuff

[Jock719]

Grand post! I managed a fire, in a fire pit, in the middle of one of our standing stone circles. Fantastic. Feeling a bit rough for staying out all night, but hopefully soon. Fine woodland pictures, the Dryads smiled upon you!

[OakAshandThorn]

T^ Egad! Is that GREEN foliage I see? :)
We're still sitting in a little over 35 cm of snow...winter has been good to us this season :D.