Eyelashes

It was a bright morning early on, and I went for a wander round Shatterford and Denny Wood in the New Forest. I had left my map back in Cumbria, so I took care not to get myself too lost, though being a little lost is always a way of finding new things.

There do seem to be more cows grazing in the Forest than there used to be, this one was partial to a bit of autumnal bracken, which surprised me. But then I had earlier watched a pony grazing it too. Maybe it becomes a bit more palatable as it dies back? On the way back, I heard the unmistakable melancholy call of a woodlark, something I have not heard for a few years, and only ever in the Forest. The forest floor was full of fungi, one day when there is more time, I will get to know a few more. I'm pretty sure there were chanterelles growing under the pines at Shatterford, but I wouldn't trust my identification if it came to eating some.

Anyway, a few miles walking in the fresh air was what I needed, even though the brief sun disappeared behind its grey blanket again.

The old flyer was cheerful despite having had a bad night (I shall spare anyone reading this the details). We had a good conversation and I learned a few more snippets of the distant past - hotels in Delhi, watching an exhibition match between Fred Perry and another British tennis player (I need to check who) in Ealing, playing table tennis at various London venues. He hasn't reminisced like that for a couple of years, a very encouraging sign.