Days 1-5

We are joining in with The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild! Read about why I’m taking part here and for details about how to get involved visit http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild.

I spent the eve of 30 Days Wild enjoying this glorious sunset and watching the bats flit about my garden.

Day One began with a dawn cuppa. Glimpsing the sunrise through my hawthorn tree and listening to birdsong. The hawthorn is home to nesting magpies and it is so lovely to hear the chicks. Watching the birds reminds me of my childhood and I seem to have passed on my love of birds to my son as my mother did to me.

Later, my son and I sowed poppy seeds so that his little brother, who we hold in our hearts, is a part of this too. He was born forever sleeping on 11/11/13 so I associate poppies with him.

On Day Two we had great fun at our local woods. It is a community woodland that was planted about 15 years ago. Recently, some trees have been felled and are being sold off as fire wood. We discovered this fantastic den on our last visit so I hope this stays as we plan to come back and play again another day!

I always love being in the woods. There is something so magical about them, whether new or ancient. The change in seasons is so obvious here that you can’t help but feel connected to that life force.

 

Day Three was a beach day. A perfect Summer’s day spent jumping the waves and following little streams. Digging in wet sand and searching the rock pools. We tried to find the lugworms beneath their casts. We watched a periwinkle move slowly across a rock, found limpits and whelks and an enormous ‘sea Emily!’ (anemone). I love my son’s enthusiasm for it all. I think today was one of those days we’ll remember forever…

 Follow a bee! We had a lovely time just sitting together and watching this bee on a patch of little yellow peaflowers. It stayed for quite a while and I felt honoured to get such a close insight into its world. My son excitedly pointed out the pollen sacks we had recently read about! And he had so many more questions.

He was desperate to stroke the bee so on Day Four we made these little bees from alder cones, wool and an old t-shirt. Not quite as fuzzy as the real thing but equally as sweet I think! And they have prompted lots more discussion about bees at the dining table.

On Day Five we brought a posy of wildflowers (from my garden) to my baby’s place of rest, only to discover that he was now surrounded by a whole meadow of wildflowers! The council have stopped cutting the grass which some people are quite upset about. But I think the meadow is so beautiful (and is helping the wildlife)! We had such a lovely time wandering through the tall grasses. We saw a huge thistle, frothy hawthorn blossom and snacked on some gooseberries we discovered! It felt like a storybook and reminded me of Shirley Hughes’ The Grass House.

Oh how I wish my youngest son could have followed his big brother as he made his way giggling through the pink and green and golden grasses, getting completely lost in them.

But I am thankful that he rests in such a special place, forever sleeping amongst the wildflowers. With beautiful birdsong and dancing butterflies as his lullaby.

I love how everything is constantly changing here. That, although I can’t watch my baby boy grow up, the seasons continue to go through their yearly cycle and he is a part of that. I won’t see him accomplish childhood milestones, or watch his personality develop, but there is always a new flower to discover or a butterfly to delight us in the magical light that is always present here. Each time we visit, new memories are made.

I am connected to nature in so many way. Taking the time to think about this each day for these first five days has really made me slow down and feel that connection again. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life, that even when we are in or observing nature, it is easy forget that we are a part of this natural world too.