A short walk in the country...

Every Thursday, I deliver desserts to a local pub...it's located in a small, picturesque village a few miles from our town, full of thatched cottages and beautiful gardens. I usually take Alice with me, and after the delivery we go for a walk in the fields behind the village church. Yesterday, it was a little drizzly...but I think it was all the more beautiful for that. I stood at the edge of the meadow above...dark clouds rolled overhead...a different kind of very English summer beauty....


the hedgerows are already heavy with apples...

Alice loved it...she felt invigorated by the cooler air, I think. At one point she was leaping and bounding over the long grass like a (very) small deer!
But then it was time to stop for a snack...

I love our Thursday walks together...there's never anyone else around and it feels a million miles away from the cars and noise and busyness of the real world.

Just a little melancholy story to finish. A week ago, I left the house on my normal delivery run to The Coffee Tree at 7.30am to find a little crowd of people in the churchyard by the wall. There is a huge, very ancient, twisted beech tree there...one of my very favourite things. In the night, one of the massive branches had broken off and crashed to the ground...

Such a terrible sight. There is disputed ownership of the churchyard trees - some think they belong to the church, others to the local council. This means that they aren't really maintained properly...as appears to be the case here. The branch isn't diseased...it seems to have been the sheer weight of the wood that has caused it to pull away from the main trunk. It now lies there...slowly dying and drying up...because again no one is taking responsibility for it's removal. A sad day for the churchyard and the ancient, silent beauty.
The only good thing is that the tree is so very huge that it hasn't (amazingly) been diminished by the loss. And the little children and baby squirrels are adoring the low branches to play amongst...


Have a wonderful weekend...the chill and rain are due to leave us and we're set for warmth and sunshine again! We'll make the most of it....enjoy! xoxo

Comments

  1. I know I'm completely biased, but I think there is nothing more beautiful than British landscape in the rain. The flowers look so pretty covered in raindrops. And the smell of the earth as it gets drenched is always one of my favourites.

    Shame about the tree. They're lucky no one was squished underneath it, someone would work hard to find out who to blame then.
    Actually, just that has happened in East Anglia recently. A girl was killed when a branch fell, and now there's all that 'who should have known the branch needed cutting'. Who cares? A girl died when she shouldn't have, and that was the important thing. Just a shame people didn't think to check the trees before something like that happened.

    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for sharing your walks with us! I always love seeing photos of the English countryside! Alice looked adorable, as usual, munching on some grass. It's always a treat when you post little videos for us to see. I'm sorry to hear about the tree :( Sad that everyone wants to own the trees, but no one will take responsibility to care for them, isn't it?? Hopefully, something can be done soon, to keep that tree and the others thriving. Sending my love...Happy Friday Rachel! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a beautiful walk in the countryside, and how nice to hear your voice and see Alice in action! :)

    Some trees become like friends, and I remember how sad I was when the cherry tree on the hilltop I used to visit every morning was destroyed in a ferocious summer storm. It really was devastating, so I can absolutely relate. Luckily it sounds like your Beech is going to survive. Maybe it just needed to shed some extra weight!

    Sending love,
    Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  4. I ♥ England's beautiful landscape, thank you for sharing it with us. Too bad the old Beech tree lost one of it's branches but it still looks pretty. Funny how they can't decide who should clean up the debris, money issue probably. Alice must have had a great time romping through the grass, and eating some too! Those red flowers look like Icelandic Poppies and really pop against the green grass. Hope you weekend is restful and fun. Sending you a big Hug. xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh so sorry when a tree breaks its arm. Happens here often--they have the huge coral trees with giant bursts of orange flowers and huge, above ground gnarly roots. We have windstorms, and even sometimes without them, a limb will grow so heavy on these ancient trees that it just cracks off. Glad nobody was under yours when it happened. Love the video! All looks so beautiful there. Wasnt' that a poppy? It's the CA state flower.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is really sad about the tree. I remember when the crabapple tree in our back garden got taken down by the wind, It had been there for something like fifteen years, I felt devastated. That said, it is an impressive sight.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the lovely walk, Rachel. That beautiful tree, such a shame. Don't you love the beurocracy and red tape? xxxxxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you so much for the lovely walk Rachel! That is so sad about that beautiful tree..

    Blessings...
    xoxo Gert

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a lovely walk, thanks for sharing it. So sad about the tree. Beech trees are my favourite and I hate to see trees neglected when they do need a bit of attention. Here's hoping this will make someone take responsibility xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Rachel,

    I've learned that trees that loose a large branch like this, its a bit like self preservation, new growth will come, it will almost rejuvinate the tree's life.
    The poppies! and the new apples, what an amazing place you live in.
    xx
    julie

    ReplyDelete
  11. oh i see julie here :-)

    i LOVED hearing your voice and watching Alice...

    loved seeing all the beautiful countryside....

    so happy to stop by today, my friend

    and happy to see you at farmhouse kitchen

    we have plenty of food for all
    wish you were here !!!

    sending love,
    kary and teddy
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. oh, so sad about the tree but I'm going to choose to dwell on the delightful walk and your lovely sweet voice on the video---I want an Alice to walk with!!!! "Good Girl".....I hear it in my head right now.....
    Love you!!
    xoxo
    Joann

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, I am sorry that lovely old tree lost such a large branch!! I love the trees up in the forest that surrounds the little cabin! We had to remove 2 diseased apple trees last month and I felt so bad. Thank you for the glimpses into England and the beautiful landscape, Rachel!! Sending love and hugs, Sherry xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. I wish I'd been with you on that walk!!! Really really do! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dearest Rachel,
    What a lovely post this is, I so enjoyed seeing the beautiful linseed, poppies, apples, Alice and hearing your darling voice!
    Such a shame about the beech tree, I am so very fond of trees. When I was little I used to write all of the species I saw in my little nature book! I know it sounds rather peculiar, but trees always seem so wise and noble. At least the fallen branch is providing joy for wildlife and children and the tree will survive minus the branch.
    Love Morwenna
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love to read your thoughts....

You may also enjoy...