Pressmennan Peek-Boo

Katie-boo at the Holey Post, Pressmennan. After having to bundle the children out of the door I couldn't keep up with them! We walked right round the forest and visited the only one of the Glingbobs and Tootflits houses which we hadn't seen before. This wooden marker is one of a collection scattered around the forest, marking the way to the shy and elusive creatures - Odon Poolittle, Bombi Noffnuff and Jenfrey Hoolups.

I thought it was a bit silly and contrived at first, but over the years these little guys have added real mystery and excitement to the forest for my own little people. We met several families also on the lookout for their doors and windows set high into the tree trunks. If we're very lucky, we might see some little doors and windows appear in our garden this spring... Shhhhh, don't tell ;)

I took pictures from and in the forest - including a curiously clean but very dead roe deer - see them on Flickr. The dead deer gave me the opportunity to explain to Katie that the sad loss of the deer meant life for the (real) little forest inhabitants. "And there's lots of deer anyway, isn't there Daddy?" Yes dear, there are - and Pressmennan is a great place to find them.

It reminded me of a dying fawn I found in the Lammermuirs several years ago. The poor thing's front leg was wrapped around its head and I thought it was dead at first. As I lifted my bike over the gate which the fawn had clearly caught its leg in, it suddenly jerked and tried to get away. It couldn't - its eyes were glazed dry and huge green flies I've never seen before or since were boring into its coat. Horrible to see and I couldn't leave it. I sat with it for a while, wondering what to do and clearly distressing the suffering creature. After considering ways to kill it, I carried it to the nearby stream and drowned it. I'll never forget that, it was over very quickly, and I'm sure I did the right thing.

Ooh, that got a bit serious. Sorry.