Six Nights Away

Do you have a list in a forgotten notebook somewhere of places you want to visit and things you want to see? Are you ticking them off gradually? I hope so.  Some people call them bucket lists. I prefer to call them wish lists. This last week I got to tick one of mine off. ...A visit to Wistmans Wood.

Wistmans Wood  has been on my list of places to visit since I saw the wonderful documentary 'Earth Pilgrim' several years ago by Satish Kumar. 

Ancient stone and twisted oak trees are clothed in moss. Ferns grow from branches their spores snugly taken root in the deep green.

Lichen adorns the twiggy arms like sleeves on a mottled coat. Some look like hair growing or little nests.

The only noise here is the noise of nature. Water, wind, earth, animal, and us as we move. Snap of twig, scuff of shoe on stone.
Do you see the tree pointing?  I see a crone. Wise old woman of the wood?

There are many tales and legends about the wood to read. Too many to tell here, but here is a good place to visit if you want to know more. 

Just below the wood is the west dart river. Picturesque and tolkienesque. 

And here are my two hobbits or Orcs!  blending in with the landscape, well sort of.  ;)  

A beautiful rowan tree on the edge of the wood. I think this tree will get to be a star in a painting shortly...

I would have liked to have stayed longer and visited more of Dartmoor but this was just a quick passing visit on our way down to Cornwall. We camped for one night in Princetown and as night fell a heavy mist descended and the wind made the tree's leaves sing and rain pounded our tent all through the night. The wild weather had disappeared by the morning and the sun shone on our journey over the border into Cornwall and to the Atlantic.

Was it really a whole year ago that my feet were indulged in sea water foot baths in sparkly rockpools?

We camped right by the sand dunes which were filled with these beautiful day flying burnet moths.

 Every where you looked on the grass stems, were the empty pods/cocoons that they had hatched from.

Sometimes I wandered and found jewels while everyone else rode the waves.

On the night of the blue moon we were back in the woods.

This time Tehidy woods, to see the Rogue Theatre. When we saw them last year we enjoyed it so much, that we just couldn't miss this year's 'King Arthur And The Wild Hunt'

An evening filled with fire, mist and magic. If you get the chance to see them, then do. I think they tour, so keep eyes peeled.
On our last night camping, we saw a gloworm. What a special end to a great six days.

Now back here at home, I'm busy finishing off the illustrations for the book that I'm working on and some new paintings in the pipeline, for an exhibition that I'm participating in. There will be  more on that later....

 In the mean time, enjoy your weekend.

 x

The Dancer And The Devil

All is not as it seems in the woods. There is a doorway... I step through and follow a path lined with candles. The air is still. I breath the faint sweet scent of fallen leaves and woodsmoke. "Mind you don't stray from the path..." the trees whisper...  There are memories, possessions scattered. Abandoned suitcases their contents spilled. dressses, shoes, books, the best silver, and photographs, so many photographs.

What would you include if you had just twelve minutes to pack?

 A man sits writing. He passes a letter. "Find Colette" he pleads desperately..

Another man plays piano, and another banjo, sat on the forest floor surrounded by twig and leaf.
The path goes on and the light is fading. More photographs and suitcases, spectacles and hair.
I shiver.
A lady, angry and heart sore sits in a bath cutting letters up with scissors.

I reach another door and step through to a clearing. The stage is set twinkling with fairylights around lampshades and sparkling with sequins on dresses. The music begins, I sit down and meet The Dancer And The Devil...

I just had to share a little of my wonderful evening in the woods entertained by Rogue Theatre. Truly inspirational. If you get the chance to see them  then you must. I can't recommend them enough.  To see more about Rogue Theatre have a look here....  and below.

I hope everyone had a good summer? Here's to an incense, berried, woodscented, bonfire, appley, baked potato and spiced cider tasting Autumn.  x