At the Turn of the Seasons

It’s been another beautiful day at Foxglove in the snow, yet sun glasses wouldn’t have been out of place crossing the scrapes this morning!

The snow also showed us who else has been crossing the scrapes – the deer left behind their footprints!

Today was also our Thursday work party. This week saw a big list of achievements, with lots of jobs of many sorts getting done across the reserve with help from volunteers. Overhanging vegetation was cleared from paths, trees pruned, a hopper repaired, benches maintained, brash burned, punctures repaired, water flows measured, filters cleaned, cameras maintained and upgrades started, new stock (come and see – lovely model birds and animals!) priced, trees pulled, new chairs collected and records updated. Thank you very much to you all!

Julie took this lovely picture of the lake today, capturing the turn of the seasons with a glorious mix of autumn and winter.

Foxglove is beautiful at any time of year and for me it’s a joy to watch the reserve changing with the seasons and weather – the different outfits for different times of year and the moods of weather.

Even with a snowy mantle there’s still plenty to discover: Look big, with views across our moor, or small at a crack in a log or the colours of a leaf. Come and watch our visiting winter birds, come and listen to the Beck flow, come and smell the pine needles on the woodland floor. Come and explore!

Make time, as in the poem ‘Leisure’ by W. H. Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.