back to norfolk
after another early morning walk on West Sands
although it would be warm later in St Andrews
the mist was only just burning off, and there were only one or two runners and not many dog walkers
I thought it would be a kindness to Bims to let her have a run before the long journey home
and a paddle. but it turned out that her adrenalin levels were quite raised, and she was not happy in the car, it took her at least a couple of hours to settle. stress equals adrenalin even when it seems like she’s having a nice time. we of course had air conditioning to insulate us from the 33 degree heat on the drive, but the heat of the following two days has got us in a rhythm of very early walks – straight out of bed on waking and off before seven, even six fifteen yesterday.
our norfolk fields are very beautiful then
the stubbles full of frolicking hares
pink horizons
and sea-wards a lingering mist
those hares got B’s stress levels up again – in fact it takes days for the levels to go right down, and she seems quite over-alert even three days later.
sun on my back and a bit warm already by six forty-five ..
not a creature to be seen along by Bale wood, where the huge field (named the prairie by the neighbour) has had its oilseed rape harvested – however much B hoped to see another hare
the silver-washed fritillaries long gone
and the thistles now beneficial to birds rather than insects.
this morning we are cooler, and slightly damp – what a relief!
but at Bullfer Grove there is devastation
all the non-National Trust part of the wood is being cut for selected timber removal
and a right mess the machines make getting in and out
I would guess that Albanwise are harvesting mature oak trees all round here
there are I’d estimate at least a hundred trees piled up here where there’s access from the main road
each side of the NT gate
really it’s a shock to find this many trees felled
and they have been in to all of it and taken the large oaks
leaving smashed up branches
and stumps. so the question is, are they going to replant? and does this have anything to do with a 2013 statement
that they were then thinking of more intensively managing their 300 hectares of woodland, possibly using the product for woodchip fuel
whatever the intention, it’s horrifying to see trees cut down that would have been viable for at least another two hundred years, and helped to keep our carbon dioxide emissions just a little lower, at the same time as we are seeing apocalyptic film of the Amazon forest burning, and fires in the Arctic boreal forests out of control in Siberia, canada and Alaska.