Refreshment

I did two really refreshing things today. First of all we went for a long walk in the forest with the dogs. So many of my footsteps have made their imprint here, both with these dogs and my previous two. I know almost every nook and cranny but still see new things on every walk. For the first time in many days the temperature actually rose above zero, but it still was pretty nippy!

This is not a natural forest but a newly planted one (approx. 20 years ago) with mainly ever-greens but also some broad leaved trees. It was planted in the time that these sort of woods were tax deductable although that no longers holds today. It will still be awhile before harvesting time but the forest has changed so much in that time.

When we first moved here, most of the trees were head hight at most and you could see the views from almost every path, while now the trees tower above our heads and the forest is much darker and on days like today, even a bit ghostly and looming. To do the circular walk takes about 3/4 of an hour, depending on how fast Troi, the greyhound, chooses to go. At the start of the walk she feels the need to sniff every blade of grass but towards the end she just wants to get it over with, while her brother still dances and runs around the place!

Then I finally finished another of my Laura McCabe kits, which I bought while she was giving workshops in Scotland last September (when the exchange rate $ - £ was a lot more favourable!). This one is called the Faery Vine Necklace and you can buy a kit yourself at BeadsEast. It was not difficult but a bit fiddly at times. However it looks stunning when finished! I love doing the beading but always feel I'm really sciving as I should be quilting!