An Enchanted Place

On day 125 of 365 Days Wild I was determined to get out for a walk, even if the rain showed no sign of stopping. I actually took well over 50 photos while I was out and about. Unfortunately, it was so dull that my phone was barely able to take a clear shot of anything. It does not handle low light well!

Despite the weather and the lack of quality in my photos, I didn’t regret getting out of the house for even a minute. Staying inside where it’s warm and dry might seem like a good idea at the time but I always find that my mood is lifted after time spent outdoors. With everything going on in the world at the moment I think we all need to take care of our mental health as much as our physical, and being out in the fresh air where things are growing and creatures are going about their existences in networks of interconnected ecosystems allows me to do both. Nature is the best medicine I know and I’m very fortunate to have such wonderful access to it.

There were lots of snails enjoying the damp in the growth of the lane-side verge. They seemed to be particularly fond of the Dock  (probably Broad-leaved Dock – Rumex obtusifolius), which is the dark reddish brown growth in the picture above. Most of the pictures that I took had to be discarded but I managed to get one moderately decent shot.

I stopped for a while by the entrance to a field where a small flock of sheep have recently made an appearance.

The red marks that can be seen on some of the sheep shows those which have been attended to, or ‘tupped’, by a ram. The ram, also known as the tup, has paint daubed on his belly and this is transferred to the ewe when he mounts her for ‘tupping’.

This is the view from the gate in the opposite direction, looking back towards the lane.

For my final picture, I spotted some Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) growing on the verge. I spotted a tiny sprig of this earlier in the year, but this lovely little pyramidal plant is a much better example of it. (And here’s a little hint for day 125 – I’ve already been out to take some better photos of it, and many other things, in this morning’s unexpectedly pleasant weather.)

That’s all for today. Have you been out for a walk in the rain recently?