A very long, short walk

When we left Manor Farm we were still at the start of our four, or so, mile walk to plot marshal points for the upcoming race. The sky was bright blue, the sun was out, so it was a nice day for a stroll, but with all the stops and starts, I was beginning to think it would be dark before we got to the end. As it was Halloween, I wondered if we’d see any ghosts and ghouls if that happened.

We strolled very slowly along a lane lined by tall teasels, Queen Anne’s lace, and trees that were rapidly losing their leaves. In the shade of the hedgerow it felt a bit chilly, but in the sun it was pleasantly warm. Beyond the hedges were beautiful fields of gold. The Hampshire countryside is beautiful all year round, but those golden autumnal fields are especially lovely. Of course, it is doubtful that any of the runners on race day would even notice them as they sped past.

The route we were taking was one Commando knew from some of his Sunday Rundays, but it was new to me. I didn’t really have a clue where I was, or where we were heading, but at least there was no chance of getting lost. There did look to be a chance of getting wet, though. The fluffy clouds were gathering in the distance and the hint of a rainbow told us it was raining somewhere beyond the trees.

I might not have known where I was, but when we got into the trees everything began to look very familiar. At first I thought it was just a case of one bit of broad-leafed woodland looking very much like another. Then I saw the river between the trees and realised we were at the spot where Commando and I had ended our River Hamble walk back in May. I wondered if we would see the bench that I’d thought had my name on it.

One of the things I like best about autumnal woodland, is all the fungi, and this particular area had an abundance. If I’d been alone I could have spent hours wandering around snapping photographs. As it was, I captured what I could on the fly.

One tree stump was shaped like a seat, whether by chance or design I couldn’t tell. It was a veritable fungus garden, with growth of every shade and hue sprouting out everywhere. Fungi like these are the recyclers of the natural world. They break down all the decaying organic matter in dead wood and return the nutrients to the soil to help feed the living trees. They truly are some of the wonders of nature and I’m always happy to see them in all their diversity.

Another tree was a mass of shelf fungi. A closer look told me they were turkey tails, some of my favourites. I’m told they have medicinal properties and are full of antioxidants, but it’s the wonderful variety of colour I like. These ones were in shades of brown, but I’ve seen them in blue, green and even purplish hues. They seem like the flowers of the fungus world.

We never did get to see the bench with my name on. Before long we were heading back to the beginning. The trail was glorious and the rain had held off, but I have to admit, my stomach was beginning to rumble. We’d been walking for a very long time, even if we hadn’t covered much ground. There was one final stop before we got back to the car park where our car was waiting. Kate spotted two interesting looking trees. They looked as if they were dancing. Perhaps they were.

Our adventure came to and end where it had started, with another long round of chatting. Still, at least it wasn’t dark and we didn’t have to contend with all the Halloween ghosts and ghouls.

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