short stories
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galleries and umtitumps
In the early summer, when the hedgerows are white with May (the blossom of the hawthorn), the scent of which is heavy upon the breeze, and the birds singing lustily above, the spirit of the times is felt even underground by the mole—the blind miner whose senses are so keen it triggers him to start breeding in earnest.
the ant: the mighty atom
Ants, friend or foe, love them or hate them. Did you know that there are over 40 species of ants? To most people they are just pests; they know nothing of their complex lives.
little boy blue
On many of our adventures whether on pathless woods or where the waves break on a low sandy shore, Blue and I would settle a while. Blue is my trusty Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel. He would sit on his haunches with a morose appearance watching his master. A watchful sleepy eye would appear and analyse the footsteps, creaks and sounds around him. Blue stood slack but ready, his smooth narrow head flickered as he shifted his gaze, his growls grew more menacing, his eyes becoming fixed in their stare.
the presence of wonder
Studying lichens in a local cemetery a purely natural habitat represents a mutual life giving partnership between an algae and a fungus, each depending on and co-existing with each other.
nature’s recyling agent — the snail
The April rain would whisper down soft and gentle and as the trembling rain droplets fall beneath the hedgerows it would then awaken the sleeping snails beneath who come to revel in the welcome moisture.
space & liberty
To travel with my wonderful companion Rocky has enabled me to become very close to wildlife and has helped me to gather precious data over many years. Rocky is magnificent, rough coated in winter, smooth and silky in summer with kind and intelligent eyes, a truly gentle giant of a horse.
against all odds
When we enter a beautiful woodland setting, we are then caught in a moment of admiration; one that is capable of lifting our spirits, touching emotions that lie deeper and are more meaningful to us than almost anything else in life.