#beech nuts

Feeling wobbly at the start of September, I rallied late afternoon for an afternoon walk to Eaves Wood. I all but climbed the Cuckoo Steps in one go while Phil, footsore from working, trailed behind. We paused frequently on the ridge to take in views over Mytholm and Stubbing Holme. The distant haze turned verdant trees a misty blue and almost obliterated the mill chimney opposite. Along the top…

A fair mid-August Wednesday, we considered a longer outing to make use of Phil’s day off. But as he recovered from a series of late shifts and sorted tech issues, it was late afternoon by the time we left the house. Although we’d already been to Heptonstall several times that year, it was mainly for social events and I wished to further explore details discovered during my research and suggested…

Mentioned in a foraging book acquired at Christmasi, we bought an inexpensive berry picker for the 2023 harvest.  On the cusp of a heatwave the previous year, this time we had to wait for respite from incessant rain.  Towards Crow Nest, bees flitted between large marguerites and pesky round beech nuts hampered the climb through the west end of the wood.  To avoid muddy fields, we kept to New…

Early May 2022, we headed straight for the middle of Crow Nest Wood.  On the way up, wayside poppies, dandelions and bluebells gave a hint of what was in store.  On the steep woodland path, our boots sank in deep layers of crunchy leaves.  Seeing a small family clamber down over felled trees, we detoured onto hillocks where the stench of sulphur from rotting stumps and acrid fungi filled our…