Distance: 13.2km
Accessibility: Level if you stick to the path. Off road requires clambering over turnstiles.
Landscape: Woodland and fields.
With the weather going strong, I headed for Deórfald. Amazing how the name is still relevant to the animals living there.
There is something magical about seeing deer in the wild. Sometimes British wildlife can seem pedestrian compared to the exoctic scales and manes you you find in other countries. But the creatures on show on this walk remain exciting.
You have to trek down the path until the fields meet the forest. Bring a water bottle, the shops are far away. And remember, this is not a safari. You cannot pat them on the head, and feed them acorns from your hand. However, the amount of people travelling through ensures they will not scamper on sight. Even if no-one else chose the route today.
It is comforting to think the deer are always watching.
Protecting.
I leaned on a mossy fence, and stared at a field that glistened with golden sunshine. Perhaps they needed time to acclimatise, but after a few minutes a furry head emerged from the tree line. Two brown dots for eyes. Not like the teeth of before, and the impossible number of le
A few more decorated the middle, close enough to show the twists in their horns. Bowing their heads, or posing for a photograph. How nice to visit a place, and actually see the nature. It made me wish for a warm hand to hold. A frame for my own enjoyment and marvel.
Then I noticed that some of the trees on the far buckling. Their fruitless branches bowing, and shedding leaves.
The deer looked over, and a shadow emerged, growing into a Great Wall of dark
::Sorry Barbara, I need to take a break before I go on to the next bit.
I know I was full of stirring speeches in my last note. I even thought about switching the tone of the book to a serious piece of journalism. A piece of objective biological study.
But the end of this walk was a turning point. This is turning into the seconds before a car accident.
If I stayed in a hotel for a week, and found a place to rent in that seven day window, I can be out of here without too much impact. I’ll need to sell up, but my savings will cover costs until then. Hopefully.
Perhaps we could bash out another Butter Mouse Christmas book? I don’t want any reindeer.
Perhaps I should stop altogether. ::
