Since shielding was paused, we haven’t been far but it does feel so good to be able to go for woodland walks again. We really appreciated having a garden during “lockdown” but I did miss having a long path and clear space ahead of me. When we went on our very first walk outside of our home and garden it was only “around the block” but I had that funny feeling, a bit like when you get new prescription glasses and you can’t quite judge distances properly! My eyes were stimulated as they were treated to a scene far ahead of me and absorbed the brighter light. Here are a few pics from one of our recent walks:
I have happy memories of this woodland. When I was younger I used to walk this way when I went to my friend’s house after school. As a young mum, I pushed my babies here in their prams and carried them in their baby carriers to get some fresh air. As they grew older, it was the scenic walk to the library to change our books and attend the summer events, rather than taking the less picturesque road route.
It’s only been tarmacked in recent years. I know it’s not so good for the environment but it does make the path more accessible for all. It would be a lot easier to push a pram here nowadays! I did love the off-roading though!
We’ve really missed older trees. I love the way they grow. This one looks like it’s curved purposefully to make the perfect resting spot.
We love trees!
Izzy asked about the “seeds” on the ferns so we taught her about spores and explained that ferns belong to an ancient group of plants that developed before flowering plants. There’s always something new to see or learn in the woods.
Sign of the Times
As you can see, people are worried. Where vulnerable and elderly people live, they don’t particularly want people walking past their doorsteps. We had to pass some houses to get into the woodland part we were aiming for. We used sanitiser and didn’t touch anything, just kept walking past to get to our destination. It’s a public pathway so we can’t stop people walking there but we can all do our best to keep everyone safe. Of course, we stop and give way and social distance at all times too (sadly, we’re finding that more and more people don’t).
Signs of Autumn
I feel confused about what time of year it is at the moment. We had barely celebrated Christmas and were looking forward to Spring when we, as a nation, almost a whole world, were put away and our lives put on hold for at least three months. Now as we emerge into a “new normal” kind of life we find ourselves already in Autumn going in Winter. I feel I’ve skipped a season, as encountering it just in your own garden (and for some in their home only), you don’t experience it fully.
I’ve never taken nature and wonderful walks for granted. I’ve always tried to capture the beauty and the memory of these experiences on this blog. You can read more of our days out here and read more popular Pembrokeshire blog posts here. But I never thought a time when we were unable to just pop outdoors for a walk or that the coastal paths would be closed etc, within my lifetime. It’s strange times indeed and so new to us all, we still don’t know what’s to come. Treasure the freedoms we do have. Stay safe everyone.
Beautiful part of the country – we love our local country park too