November Uplift
How can nature help?
How can nature help us through these short, cold days? I’ve been struggling with this.
A bright sky helps. The scarlet hawthorn berries gleam cheerfully. Flocks of fieldfare rise up and fly as one on the gusting winds. Golden foliage turns amber as life fades out.
An early November frost brought many leaves down overnight. It was just too cold to hang on any longer and they yielded to the onslaught of winter. Day by day, it’s colder, darker.
Frosty leaves
The weight of November
November feels heavy - the weight of water pushing its way downstream, the heavy shrouds of mist, cloaking the hills. Those brave flowers which have kept going since late summer now droop with cold. November 11th brings with it the weight of remembrance, of loss and suffering. For some, the thought of Christmas looming also feels like a heavy weight on our shoulders!
The well-used cheerful phrase, ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,’ rings in my ears but there are days when it’s just too much. Relentless grey, wet, misty days can be hard work.
Parker (after Peter Parker) on his morning walk
Getting out
Luckily, we’ve got a puppy who needs 3 short walks each day. I always find that once I’m out, whatever the weather, I feel better for it. I’ll battle against the wind and laugh at the ridiculousness of the rain battering my face. Sitting indoors and looking out at the miserable weather is the worst thing I can do. Getting in from a walk in the rain, I feel virtuous. The house feels warmer and cosier than when I went out. Walking and training an excitable puppy changes my focus and over the last couple of months I have found it difficult to connect to nature, to find some kind of healing through it. I’ve realised now I must also get out on my own, take a moment to breathe, look up, listen and absorb, even if it’s just for 15 minutes, it can be powerfully positive.
Looking up on a morning walk
Looking up is uplifting in itself. It’s too easy to walk with your head down, hunched against the cold. Looking up, you get to see the shifting clouds, watch the birds battle the weather and catch the last of the golden leaves on the trees. Feel the rain splashing your face. Late afternoon walks now offer a sky full of stars, planets, satellites. There is still so much to see.
Cold wintry swims, good for the soul
Looking up
A cold swim in a lake brings nature right into focus like a smack in the face. It’s a great way for me to lift myself out of November gloom. There are still geese flying overhead and the late afternoon skies glow. Thankfully I have friends who love it too! On a breezy day, it’s wild and exhilarating. On a still day it’s so calming.
Across to Kinder
Planting trees
November 27th – December 5th is the Tree Council’s National Tree Week. It’s a celebration of trees and marks the start of winter tree planting season- the best time to get your trees planted. If you have been thinking about planting a small tree in your garden, this is the time to do it. The Woodland Trust sells a wide range of trees, suitable for all sorts of spaces.
I’ll be busy with friends and family on 4th December, planting 250 Woodland Trust trees in Kev’s memory. These were all paid for by people who loved Kev and wanted to donate to the National Trust High Peak in his memory. The trees will be planted into the slopes of Kinder, his spiritual home, a place he worked for many years and loved dearly. It’ll be a wonderful day whatever the weather and a fitting woodland tribute to a much-loved man who is hugely missed.
Kev and Katy walking through the heather, Park Hall Moor