Just Lost
Talking on my phone I was following paths running along the sides of some fields, I knew where I was ..ish. When I finished talking I realised the ‘ish’ was woefully inadequate. I walked in the direction I thought was good but I did not recognise anywhere, guessed it might be this way …..wrong and I am totally disorientated and lost. One field of wheat looks like the next and the next, lines of trees on the horizons all the same.
If I were from an uncontacted tribe in Brazil or an Eskimo then this storey is probably one I would never tell as it would probably make me a laughing stock in my community. ‘Got lost taking the dog for a walk’. loser.
What happened was after walking for a considerable while I recognised a view with a pylon. I had walked in the opposite direction for along time. It was along way back to the car and agonay as I could not confirm that I was definatley right and I had to walk through the woods as well to get back to the car park.
I have never been so overjoyed to see a rusted through wheelbarrow with a flat tyre. This confirmed another five minutes continuing along this woodland path will get me back.
When I got home my wife said ‘you were along time’. I replied ‘The woods …they operate on a different time scale to us’.
Yellow and Mauve
July: finished now and Aug already, During July my impression of the woods was well……er, GREEN. I kind of addressed that with the animal photos. That green was when you were actually in the woods.
There was a ‘pre green’ experience. This was was on the wide gravel paths or the grass verges before you actually enter the woods.
It does depend on what part of the woods you are in but Rose Bay Willowherb or fireweed was extensive. (There were lots of fires in the woods while they were clearing it, but it did not grow there at all. It grows by the paths).
So the pre green experience was a mauve introduction with yellow highlights.
I think it was William Holman Hunt who I noticed used mauve and yellow in his paintings to great effect. Something I had not seen done by others.
Konic Ponies
They have also put some Konic ponies in the Blean as well, and the man who counts butterflies told me their teeth arrangement is similar to ours and the ponies can tear short grass from the ground (unlike the cows) and have adapted well to their new home.
I was just watching these ponies for a while and I was transported to the plains of North America where wild horses run and Ogala-la Siioux medicine men sit watching under the pine trees.
Today we have this patronising attitude to the way things used be done and connection to the natural world indicates a lack of sophistication. Our modern way of life leaves no time for the natural world and we are unable tp see our selves as part of it.
Konic Ponies
The Man Who Counts Butterflies
All through the winter massive changes were happening in the woods, as a change of owner bought in new woodland management policies. The Midland Bank Pension fund had sold it on. Now, the Kent Wildlife Trust have cleared large areas of pine trees to allow livestock to graze in large fenced off areas of land.
Highland cattle were bought in during the spring but suddenly dissapeared a month or two ago.
I wondered if they had been ‘Rustled’?
But yesterday I met a man counting butterflies who told me the recent hard winter had lowered the population of certain butterfly spieces. He also told me that Highland Cattle eat by wrapping their tongue around long grass and pulling it out of the ground. Now as their grazing area used to be thick pine trees and has only existed since the spring it has not established long grass yet, they ate the long grass and are unable to eat the short grass and have been moved to another woodland in Kent.
What was astonishing, was just how orange these cows actually are. May be the green of the woodland (which is really really green) exagerated it. But a great colour combination.
Introduction
The Blean is the name given to a series of woods which all join together to form a very large concentration of woodlands near Canterbury.
My interest in the Blean has grown over several years, I may go there 3-4 days in every week. I ride my mountain bike and walk Cosmo (a Golden Doodle) through there regularly.
I have watched my children play and Cosmo grow up there. I watch their behaviour in the living room of our house and compare it with what they do in the woods, the dog included.
It has become more than a tranquil place to think and reflect on things, it has become an interesting place with an influence on my life.
