Most people would say it's a grey day, but my walk was bursting with colour! The woodland was so still in the letting go of autumn, apart from my kicking of leaves into the air.
The woodland smelt of damp moss and wood fires with the sweet aroma of pine regularly catching my throat and lungs from the freshly cut and stacked trees.
I couldn't do this walk without detouring to see my old friend, the Undersley Oak. He is so grand and as with all these ancient trees can stand close to a road and go unseen by those who aren't looking.
I sat under his boughs for a while and opened my flash, sat on his mossy roots amongst his fallen leaves and he lovingly shared his strength and wisdom as I asked permission to lean on his gnarly bark for a while to rest. I was embroiled into his magic as I also seemed to go unnoticed by passers-by while sitting in his company.
I sat and watched squirrels squabble over a sweet chestnut and a blackbird enjoying the very few holly berries. A roe deer wandered through the woodland and across the road while I sipped my warm coffee, but still, I wasn't seen. I stroked the mossy blanket where I was sat, and in this soothing moment, I noticed trees dripping in lichen, fungi pushing through the leaf litter and faces in the timber.
Then, I realised I wasn't alone! A spectacular looking pale tussock moth caterpillar was inching its way through the leaf litter towards the tree. It stopped and raised its head to look to me as if the magical oak had invited it in under his invisible cloak to join us. I passed the time of day with it, and watched its mechanical movement towards the tree before packing up my flask and saying farewell to them both, and back out from the enchanted boughs, where passers-by acknowledged my presence once more.
My route back continued through mixed woodland with that wood fire smell which was mixed with cut pine once again, as I was showered in leaves and when they fell, they broke the silence amongst the stillness on my walk that was filled with flamboyant colours and wild imaginings.
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