A fortnight has passed since my last blog post, and a lot has changed in the landscape I love. Autumn has well and truly come. The weather has shifted; now every time I venture to the common I have to wear a coat and walking boots. But I still find the place just as magical and enrapturing.
For starters, the whole space has begun to change colour. Even the long grasses and heather are becoming darker and a more burnt orange colour. The one thing I love about autumn is the deep colours that engulf nature. Nature is in a constant state of change throughout the year, and autumn will always be associated with death and decay. But we forget that this season is also the time of year when plants release their fruits. This is a fact I will not forget this year, as a particularly large acorn struck my temple on a recent walk. The crunch of acorns under my feet, and the bottom of horse chestnut trees strewn with conkers reminds me that this is the season of sewing for nature, as well as a time to shed what is no longer necessary and preparation for spring.
When I walk on through the common, I am again reminded of this juxtaposition. Yellow leaves adorn the bushes like confetti stuck in a brides hair, and paths are transformed to a burnt orange. Each year the trees give us a vibrant colour show, and we would be remiss not to enjoy it to some capacity.
But there are other sources of colour. The green of evergreen trees still dominates vast portions of the woodland. The red of the holly berries and deep purple of blackberries act as barriers between the forest floor beyond and the winding well-trodden footpaths. Nearly every time I come here I often get lost, or discover a new path I did not know existed. Sometimes a path I have come to us regularly becomes overgrown and therefore unusable. It is labyrinthine in nature, except there is no minotaur for me to defeat, and my name is definitely not Theseus.
What I absolutely love about this place is the unexpected. You never know what you are going to see when you walk through the reserve. Last week I rounded a corner and watched a deer skuttle off into the trees. The last couple of times I have seen a kestrel hovering over the middle of the heathland. Last time I watched it soar into a nearby tree. As long as this place keeps offering up new
Fay Dragon 