Exploring

Today on my walk with my dog we didn't go particularly far, but we enjoyed exploring some bits of local woodland that we hadn't got to know properly yet. The main photo was taken in part of the woodland I'm already partially familiar with, but which this time I ambled around and appreciated more than usual, (phone camera in hand!). I was amazed by the mass of wild garlic growing all over the forest floor there, and the rich green colours of both the garlic and the mosses.

On our way there we had bumped into a friendly neighbour (& his very friendly Labrador) who pointed out places you could reach if you keep going slightly further than I normally do. He made it sound worthwhile, so after a bit of wandering around the area in my main photo I ventured into the bit of wood that I'd always thought looked less inviting and slightly creepy, (a neglected plantation I think). Luckily not much further along it opened out to a much prettier, steep wooded gorge, where another burn runs through - (see my extra).

My dog is in heaven when we explore new places! She was up for crossing the bottom of the gorge and exploring the opposite side, but that's where my adventurous spirit ran out. It was just a little too steep and slippy I judged, as it had been rainy and damp today.

I think I've started exploring the local area around me a lot more than I used to before the pandemic, and I've found it really rewarding to discover new paths, fields and interesting old ruined buildings etc. But today was a bit different....I realised that somewhere I had just never considered venturing before, wasn't what I expected it to be and was worth exploring. Also, that you can sometimes learn a lot from talking to other people!