stopping to hold my breath

I simply love October here in the New Forest; it has so many layers to it. It is unique as a working forest with the thundering hooves of the autumn drifts rounding up the semi-feral New Forest ponies, and pigs snuffling amongst the undergrowth for acorns. But peeling back that layer, you see the colours of the landscape changing from the ground up. Heather flowers are fading, and instead of a purple hue and the sound of bees, we are treading carefully in search of beautiful fungi in weird shapes, colours, and smells, all to attract a hungry beast or hoof to spread their spores accompanied by the distant hum of chainsaws as forest work commences. Dung beetles need turning back onto their feet as they exhaust themselves from their heavy labour, and pale tussock moth caterpillars make their way up trees. The bracken is a patchwork of golds, greens, and browns before the momentum of colour change makes its way to the trees.

Walking the woodland paths, I creep across the crackling dropped mast and tune into the sounds. I stop and hold my breath; is it a clatter of antlers? No, just dropping acorns onto the dry woodland floor. Then I brace myself, hoping not to receive a knock on the head. I walk again, surrounded by calling robins as they fight for territories and see off the chancer.

Standing under the thinning canopy of an ancient tree, I knew this was a chestnut without even looking up as the crunch underfoot turned into a soft bounce from empty conker cases under my boots - although, not so soft without your boots! The sun streams through and lights up the fruiting brackets growing on the trunk. With one touch, the fresh smell of mushroom fills the air, and I hold my breath again. This time it was the roar of rutting deer echoing through the trees. I absorb the moment of utter beauty in the letting go of nature, the 'getting going' of deer, and the expressive life cycle of the fungi.

Nature and wildlife doing what it does in different stages of its natural cycles, but bringing it together in an entwined tapestry of oneness and magical harmony was experienced in my moment of awareness in October.

Photo by Roz Tucker