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all things pass in beauty
Another shot from the recent misty morning. At this time of the year the woods undergo a slow deflation until we are left with stripped perennial trees, shrunken shrubs and the hardy evergreens. It can be sad to watch this transition, but there is consolation. There is always beauty if you look for it, even in death. I often take photographs of dead leaves and withered flowers because I think they possess a different kind of allure. The above photograph is of a dead perennial sowthistle, caught with cold drops glistening on its white hair. In every moment, even towards the end, joy is possible. I didn’t walk the woods…
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seasons of mists
In ‘To Autumn‘ Keats referred to this time of the year as the ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’. The chilly days of autumn have descended. I’m wrapping up in a scarf and gloves for my daily morning walk with the dog. Yesterday, a mist invaded the woods, muting birdsong and muffling the weakening sun. The cobwebs on every shrub and branch were made visible by tiny jewels of dew. It’s no wonder this time of the year brings with it a reputation for mystery and strange events. Anything could push through the fine sparkling mist and demand parley.
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two nobles
There are a lot of Holly trees my local woods. Not that you’d notice during the summer, when the other trees flounce about in their finery. Lately, I’ve noticed Holly’s re-emergence as one of the dominant personalities of the woodlands as we spin further into autumn. The above photograph is of a Holly tree growing under an Oak which I took yesterday. In Irish lore there were four classifications of trees, the highest being Airig Fedo, or Nobles of the Wood. There were seven trees in that caste, including Oak and Holly. As I considered the mythology of trees, as well as this image of the two nobles standing beside…
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capturing the spirit
The weather in the West of Ireland could best be described as mercurial today. As I type the wind whips the trees in my back garden and stampedes piebald clouds. A sudden, violent deluge of rain has just ended. Looking out a window at the front of my house I see sunlight streaming through an aquamarine scrap of sky. It’s a day of squalls and sun linked by rainbows. Earlier, I found one of those favourable, magical periods in between the cloudbursts to walk my dog in the woods. As usual I was taking photographs. As much as I love woodlands they are one of the most difficult landscapes to…
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beautiful fungus
Today I noticed a small track in the woods I’d never seen before. There are a number of old earthen paths criss-crossing the heavily wooded sections which connect to the main trail I tramp along most days. Many of them are little more than a memory of a passageway through the trees, and often fade away or end abruptly. Over the years I’ve explored most of these tracks in an attempt to give my dog – and myself – a bit of novelty. So I was surprised at this revelation because I should have spotted it ages ago. Still, it was fun following it, ducking under branches and weaving between the…
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autumn wood light
This morning during my walk in the woods with my dog Minnie I heard a weird bellowing honk – obviously made by a large bird – followed by the sound of large wings beating as it soared away. I never saw the creature, despite spinning around to catch a glimpse of it. In my imagination it was some variety of moose goose, with a big, fuzzy head, horns, a yellow beak and huge brown wings. No wonder our ancestors used to warn of strange happenings when one ventures into forests. There are always odd noises and curious rustlings made by animals – or things – just out of sight. It…
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frog hide
Today, I noticed this chap leaping through the undergrowth in the woods. He was shy, and I was towering above pointing my mobile phone at him, so it’s not a bad snap considering the circumstances, and the greyish light. It’s the equinox today – an unusually late one – and it’s also a full moon. Perhaps the craziness that is supposed to afflict people at this time of the month will be offset by the day being in balance. Or, you know, it might just be another bead on the year’s necklace. It was chilly this morning, a real harbinger of the deepening of autumn. Yesterday evening the daylight departed…