Roots

My favourite route up Arnside Knott takes me past two impressive beech trees. I have blipped one several times before, but not this second one. If I carry on beyond the grassland where the woolly thistles and the deadly nightshade are, not far from where I blipped the stoat on my 365th, I come to the second tree.

The ramifying, shallow roots from this one bring to mind the creature that lived in the mere at the entrance to the Mines of Moria in Lord of the Rings. If you turn your head, you may just out of the corner of your eye see the tentacle roots begin to writhe. The landscape is in its incipient autumn colours and the mizzle gives it a slightly fantastical quality.

I had a day off today. Apart from my walk, it was a bit of a lazy day. I planted up some Cyclamens and winter pansies this afternoon. In the early evening we went out for a meal with Simon and Jean, Little M and Simon's folks Tim and Jeanne - and how good it was to see them again. In between the results from my OU module were finally published, and I passed!

Tomorrow we head south for a few days to see my Dad. I know from past experience that this effectively puts me out of blipping range so I won't be posting till I get back. Thank you to all of you who have asked after my Dad and sent your best wishes. Blippers are so kind.