Photo diary

Tomorrow it's back to work.  So I went walking today.

Not a good walk because I've been watching my entire DVD collection of Grimm, a fantasy/horror with lots of grizzly murders in the woods and these woods reminded me of it !!!

First I was following something called the EBOR way?

Then the dales way link.

It's all decisions decisions.  Which path to take. 

Next time I will try one of the other ones.

Now the scary woods.

You again...!   :-)

http://www.walkingontheweb.co.uk/index.php/walking-in-the-uk/walkingengland/walkingnorthyorkshire/eborway

Have a go at that, Good Sir. Or just type EBOR WAY into any WebBrowser...

As to "Scary Woods"... Not at all scary for myself. A relief from crowds and Tarmacadam, for me. If uncertain, then stop and listen: Use Hearing and Smell as much as Eyesight. That is reassurance to know where is safe to go or not (what is "scary"/"unknown".) No matter how long it takes, stop and listen, and take in the air. Step off the path if safe to do so. Humans (here) always make noise and are clumsy and smash things and twigs and drop litter...

Also, wear Jeans, not trousers, since Thorns and Stinging Nettles are less able to go through Denim...

A little "moaning" from me (although this begs a Wildlife Thread again.): WoodPigeons are THE noisest birds in existence. They think that no-one hears or sees them, but they are wrong! If you hear a faint "crashing" sound in a Wood, it may be a Blackbird, but WoodPigeons stomp around and stare and then fly away with a massive clapping noise! I always calm myself by thinking of just how TASTEY the thing might have been, had I caught it...

Good Fortune to You, as always (!)...

I have the same attraction to the woods.  I do appreciate all kinds of landscapes, but being amongst the trees is definitely the most calming and fascinating of nature experiences.  As you say, it isn't just the visual beauty of the flora and fauna, but also the way that each type of tree sounds different when the wind blows through it, the chatter of the birds, etc. (though I also share your dislike of the loud, repetitive and monotonous call of wood pigeons - almost as bad as peacocks!) And the petrichor odour of the damp-woodland floor is the most marvellous smell on earth to me.

And like you, I hate that humans come along and spoil the silence and degrade the landscape with their litter. This enrages me sometimes - to see food packaging thrown everywhere and empty drink containers floating in the plunge pools etc. It is the height of laziness and lack of consideration to carry all of those items out to the countryside when they are full of their contents, yet not bother to carry home a few scraps of plastic and card which weigh almost nothing.  If an empty packet falls from my hand and is caught by the wind, I will take chase and retrieve it if at all possible rather than leave it to spoil the experience for others and possibly harm the wildlife.

I have the same attraction to the woods.  I do appreciate all kinds of landscapes, but being amongst the trees is definitely the most calming and fascinating of nature experiences.  As you say, it isn't just the visual beauty of the flora and fauna, but also the way that each type of tree sounds different when the wind blows through it, the chatter of the birds, etc. (though I also share your dislike of the loud, repetitive and monotonous call of wood pigeons - almost as bad as peacocks!) And the petrichor odour of the damp-woodland floor is the most marvellous smell on earth to me.

And like you, I hate that humans come along and spoil the silence and degrade the landscape with their litter. This enrages me sometimes - to see food packaging thrown everywhere and empty drink containers floating in the plunge pools etc. It is the height of laziness and lack of consideration to carry all of those items out to the countryside when they are full of their contents, yet not bother to carry home a few scraps of plastic and card which weigh almost nothing.  If an empty packet falls from my hand and is caught by the wind, I will take chase and retrieve it if at all possible rather than leave it to spoil the experience for others and possibly harm the wildlife.