In a forest, in a wood ...

Do you remember me mentioning a while ago I've been waiting for the bluebells to arrive? I love it when that beautiful blue swathes the woodland floor! So yesterday, when the sun came out briefly, I persuaded Stuart to come walking with me in the woods and of course, I took my camera out to play.

Unfortunately, I was a few days too early for the full canvas of bluebells because they were still a little shy, but once we'd picked our way carefully over tin cans, past rusty supermarket trolleys, burnt out tyres and heaven only knows how many plastic carrier bags, I found all kinds of pretty things to photograph! What a shame some youngsters can't enjoy the woodland without spoiling it.

When my sisters and I were kids, one of our greatest pleasures on a Sunday afternoon was to tramp through the local woods with Dad, eyes peeled for cheeky squirrels, evil witches and of course, all kinds of hungry woodland monsters. We squelched over banks, (the muddier the better) and chased along leafy trails, our pockets full to bursting with pine cones, conkers, acorns ... whatever the season had to share with us. For us, the woods were fantastical storybook settings, feeding young imaginations with colour and excitement.

All these years later, I'm still entranced by the fusty magic of ferns, how they unfurl in dark, damp, secret places and I love the dainty wildflowers taking shelter at the foot of trees, such unpretentious beauty!
 

A child's eye view, courtesy of Photoshop!I don't think there's anything more guaranteed to set life firmly in perspective, than to stand in the heart of woodland, chin lifted to the sky, peering through dense tree trunks and feathery branches, to catch a glimpse of clouds as they skud past way, way, up high.

I came to the conclusion yesterday, that life is about what you want to see; if you choose to look beyond the rubbish, there will always be something beautiful and it's probably right under your nose!