I know the title is perhaps a little bit suggestive ðŸ¤. But don’t worry, this is all entirely clean. Read on to find out about our wonderful woodland experience on Saturday.
The weather was crisp and sunny, with blue skies and a fair bit of snow left. We cycled out to Inchmarlo on our roadbikes with the mission to identify a tree I had seen up along a forest track several years ago.
As we walked into the embrace of trees, the sounds of the road faded. Soon, the only things audible were our crunchy footsteps and our souls singing at the delight of being amongst friends. At the junction of paths we found our tree.
John and a Noble Fir
Time stood still. We touched branches, sniffed them, turned them over, crawled under the lower branches to inspect the bark, took photos. We squirrelled through the undergrowth looking for cones. We sat on the forest floor with our identification guide. We kissed. We were still and in awe of the wonder all around us.
We identified the tree as a Noble Fir, with edible needles and seeds. I’ve taken some seeds home to see if they will sprout.
Back at the bikes we heated up soup and I sat on the gravel watching John stir the pot. I will not forget the image. To be with my person, who shares my deep connection with the land, and to feel the sun on my face. As I’m writing this, I realise that this week’s blog is a love letter to John.
The healthy forager 