10 - 11th April 2008

Spent a night out with several friends a colleagues, near Blackingstone Rock, Dartmoor. We were visiting a private woodland that we teach in during the summer and autumn months, with a view to making sure it is safe, suitable for public visitors and generally checking out what has happened over the winter.

A very large beech tree has snapped off in the recent high winds and needed clearing from the main vehicular access. It also took the top half of an ash tree with it in it's fall. We can certainly put the wood to good use and so part of the day is spent sawing this up and sorting the good timber from the firewood

The evening after dinner was for walking: exploring an area I know so well and seeing the changes in the trees, foliage and regular paths of familiar animals. Circumnavigating the wood, walking inside its boudaries as well as crossing into land owned by other people. Returned well after dark, being guided through the thickets and overgrown areas by where the deer trails lead. If a deer can get through then it must be passible for humans too.

Awoke early to a frosty earth and a deep orange red sunrise. I grab my camera and head out. It rains almost immediately, taking the frost with it and changing what seemed to be so positive in to another drab day. Once you're walking the rain doesn't seem to matter and th canopy of the trees protect you from the worst.

Crossing a marshy area by jumping on to reed root clumps and following the trails that the deer take. Animals generally seek the easiest routes and can teach us where it is safest to tread.

Back inside 'our' wood we notice a couple of fallow deer. Keeping bolt still to watch them, it turned out to be a groupd of seven, feeding and slowly walking. We stood and watched them for 10 minutes or more without causing alarm. Eventually they moved off out of sight and we headed back to camp and the relative dry of the fireside.