Return to the wood.

[saxonaxe]

Just about a month ago I managed to collect a stress fracture in my left foot while backpacking home to Sussex from Hampshire. Thanks to the good folk of the NHS it seems to be repaired and after a couple of trial runs in the gym, today I decided that a day in the wood was long overdue.
All the signs of summer have appeared since I was last able to get to the wood. The track is lined with wild flowers.
One of my top ten..Foxgloves in the meadow bordering the wood.

http://i.imgur.com/58p4o3kl.jpg

The hedgerows are bursting with colour too...Honeysuckle in amongst the white Umbellifers. I recognised CowParsley, Alexanders and I think Fools Parsley but needed a reference book for the others..:confused:

http://i.imgur.com/5L7Mac6l.jpg

And where the moisture lays by the trackside..Wild yellow Iris, not that common and nice to see thriving.

http://i.imgur.com/w451MCUl.jpg

The woodland floor is covered with the pale dead stalks of the Bluebells which have now finished...

http://i.imgur.com/loVJD33l.jpg

Wait!! Found a lone survivor...:D

http://i.imgur.com/vg4Ja20l.jpg

Now of course is the time for the Ferns to take over and areas of the wood are carpeted by them.

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

The stream is low because of the long dry spell we've had locally, although thankfully my ancient well which supplies my water is still full of cool clean water.

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

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

Ha! They found a damp patch to leave their sign..:D

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

Thank you..more free tinder bark..I'll take that home and dry it completely..

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

Brew time..I like the little cheap spirit burner and Stanley mug/pot combo to use on these type of trips to the wood. It's simple, quiet and allows me to listen and watch the life around me.

http://i.imgur.com/FaR4f3kl.jpg

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

Today it was hide and seek with this Deer while the water boiled..

http://i.imgur.com/vHt0jB2l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OHqs1i8l.jpg

I know it's invasive and the enemy of Foresters but the Rhododendrons make splashes of colour in the wood.

http://i.imgur.com/99RSGJll.jpg

Brew finished and the Deer tired of playing Peek-a-Boo, I took my machete and sorted out a few more Ivy stranglers which given the chance will kill every tree in the wood. I cut this one about 4 years ago and now he's gonna be kindling ha! ha!:evilgrin:

http://i.imgur.com/CUyMQO7l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dUB2liul.jpg

My little folding stool pack is ideal for these single days in the wood, here with my Birch bark haul.

http://i.imgur.com/Ao39iH2l.jpg

The sun was still strong when I left the wood just before 5pm.

http://i.imgur.com/VICZ80Tl.jpg

Contents of the little pack.

http://i.imgur.com/0BIpT18l.jpg

Water bottles x 2
Brew kit in a Web Tex Utility pouch
Small plastic box f.a.k
Large white 'Ambulance Dressing' ( in case I do something silly with the machete)..:D
Poncho with paracord for emergency shelter if required.
Green pouch containing fire kit.
Head torch and spare batteries.
Wad of kitchen paper.

And that's it from me for a while. Last winter at a re-union an old oppo offered me the use of his newly acquired cottage up on the Northumberland Moors. I declined on the cottage but have permission to camp on his land, so mucho walkies up around Hadrians Wall and Otterburn now my foot is better.

http://i.imgur.com/9oypBn6l.jpg

And it's surroundings..

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

Back in a few weeks..Hasta La Vista...Sax.......http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Respect/respect-048.gif

[Woody]

Cool post!
Lovely location there in the snow, lucky you!
All the best

[emoji106]

[David_JAFO]

hello saxonaxe,
Thanks for sharing. The weathers absolutely scorching here too & a great opportunity to get into the woods. Ahh.. Otterburn Army Training Estate (ATE) memories. :wink:
Regards
David
T^

[Ehecatl]

T^

[shepherd]

great pics and update! keep them coming! T^

[LoneWalker]

Great write up. Thanks for taking the time to share this.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[OakAshandThorn]

T^ Good to see you're on the mend, John :D. I'm very tempted to get a machete myself, only I fear that I would turn into Jason Voorhees and slash at every Poison Ivy and Asiatic Bittersweet vine I come across! LOLOLOL
Looks like a wonderful cottage in the north :).