Christmas season nature reserve walk

November - waiting for rain..and what we saw and did in the meantime

We went on a game walk with a very knowledgeable game warden around a game park. No carnivores there apart from crocodiles in a well fenced off pool!  The walk took around 2 hours and we learnt so much about the animals and plants in the area.   We walked amongst eland, impala, wildebeest, zebra and best of all giraffe.  Such incredible creatures those giraffes. 

Eland

Beautiful male giraffe

Cotton trees - imagine spinning this fluff!

Chameleons in our garden!! Such excitement for all!

And another one - a smaller brown one!

Bouganvilleas in flower in bright colours amongst the dryness.

Leo horseriding

Noah hanging out with goats

Incredible acacia trees

Sol fishing

Jediah and his new guinea pig he named 'Don't Worry'. He loves to tell her, 'Don't worry, Don't Worry'

Lots of locusts about.  Big brown ones with serious barbs on the legs and beautiful green ones!

Sol has been adventuring in the compost heap again and discovered Blind Snakes!

Peaks and dales

Exploring the incredibly beautiful landscape we live near on a warm spring March day.  The beautiful Peak District.  Peaks and dales and water..and blue skies..just perfect.  We climbed up so high and could see for miles and miles all around us.  So exhilerating!

Moments to hold close..

Jediah crawling around the garden having a grand explore. 

It won't be long before he's walking about!

 

 Chalk drawing on the paving stones.

 

 Sitting in the spring sun immersed in play.

 

 Snuggling babe close on lovely long explores.

Special things we want to show you

Soon after Jediah was born each of his brothers were excited to show him something which was special to each of them along our regular daily route..

Sol wanted to show him the white flower 'snow' of the blackthorn blossom falling softly around us as we walked along the hedgerow.



Leo wanted to show him King Alfred cakes growing abundantly along the trunk of a particular tree in the woods.



Noah wanted to show him dandelions and their fairies.



Mostly little Jediah was blissfully asleep in his sling, but oh, his brothers' excitement to share their special somethings!

Outside - Good Friday

What we loved outside over Easter.
Good Friday.
An invigorating long three hour ramble about.


These two were travelling to Babylon.


The woods are so wild and no-one goes there but us. The wild as the woods boys.


Bracket fungi.


First bumblebee we have spotted. We greeted and chatted to that bumblebee like meeting up with an old friend.


Not so easy to spot - white wild violets.

Our days

I have been quiet! We have been walking and walking this wintry landscape, collecting treasures along the way - evergreen, holly, sticks, rosehips. It is grey and misty and muddy and invigorating out there.

We've been making simple wreaths with what we collect - simple, no frills, made lovingly by lots of hands.

We've decorated our Christmas tree and keep adding other bits we make.

We've made five pointed star ginger cookies since we are all heavenly stars and since we have been exploring Number 5.

And we have been keeping well away from the frantic seasonal pulse out there and staying here wrapped within the peace of wintry nature and warm home. I haven't bought or made any Christmas gifts yet, not even for the children, and I haven't planned Christmas day even though we will have ten family guests here, but I have loved every slow, gentle flowing days, living the season, loving my children and delighting in the joy of an active babe's movements in my baby tummy which is growing and growing beautifully round. Happy, slow days.

Slow worms

When we were in Dorset we spotted a slow worm.  It was the biggest we have seen yet and was about 30cm long.  It's been over a year since we last saw one of these fascinating little characters.  They hibernate from October to March and this slow worm was basking by a stone wall enjoying some final sun joy before heading off for his sleep.

Slow worms are often thought to be snakes but are in fact legless lizards.  They are quite common in this part of the world but are not often seen as they are very reclusive.  It lives on banks or under stones, feeding on slugs and earthworms.  It differs from a snake in having movable eyelids, but also has a flickering tongue.  Sometimes they can be found in garden compost heaps.

Fossil hunting along the Jurassic Coast

It was Sol's seventh birthday this week.  

As he has a keen interest in fossil hunting, we made a trip to West Dorset's Jurassic Coast as a birthday celebration.  The Jurassic Coast is England's first natural World Heritage Site. Stretches of rocks here date from the Triassic, Jarassic and Cretaceous periods.  A fascinating wonder of the natural world.  There is a variety of beaches, landslides, bays and cliffs at this everchanging coastline.  Just imagine dinosaurs roaming along this stretch of shore....

Parts of the coast are world famous for fossil hunting and new dinosaurs are often uncovered. Whilst we didn't unearth the next greatest dinosaur find, each of us had a memorable time and Sol collected various rocks, ammonites, bones, belemites and other treasures. 

Sol fossil hunting.

Some of the beautiful treasures from another time here for us to marvel at.

Such beauty.