Winter is approaching

 I can quite assure you that had you been out this morning scouting you'd of been jolly grateful for lovely pot of hot tea being brought to you as I was out in my blue cord short trousers, grey socks with garters and a dufflecoat with temperatures here of some three degrees c out exploring.

I could use a hot snack too I might add!

That feeling of immersion

 

When you're out, well away from concrete pavements and tarmac you find yourself becoming more immersed in our surroundings noticing more what is going on, alert to the smallest of things unfolding before you.

Often there is much activity in the trees, at this time of year from various birds and the local squirrels way up in the branches having stoof still within a hands span of them.

It's where being scout and all that goes with comes over the strongest.

I'm reliably informed one S. Claus has a copy of this book for delivery on December 25th but given who Bear Grylls is is much looked forward to be read.

In the meantime Dyb dyb dyb.

Cubbing Autumn 2023 style

Around this time of year we have ever since 2018 or there abouts done a autumn special just because Autumn, the smell of leaves as we go through this part of the year always take me back to the days as a junior wanna be cub.

While being outdoors is a great part of it, learning takes place indoors by either formal instruction in the den or at home using tools such as books or today a tablet or laptop.

Sometimes it may be before you go out to do something or may be afterwards in which instance you make make a note or take a photo first to use while doing that research.

Make the most of that time taking it all in when you're out as it's not just what you learn it's the memories you're making and that between the showers is what I've been doing this year.

Fall is not just about the richness of the leaf colours as they turn it's about when trees lose their leaves or as here the thin branches break off aided by the strong winds from last week.

Here you can see how we go from a lime green to copper colour all on one set.

Fall is here!

Yes, it's finally come here even if the wind was making focusing a proverbal nightmare as I was over at one of our green spots where I spotted this contrast between different sets of leaves on the same tree.

It was surprisingly warm this weekend so I was out in ankle socks, t shirt and shorts taking in the best of this weather before we get to colder period with less sunlight.
 

Filling the larder...

 Autumn is making itself known much to the delight of the local grey squirrels with an abundance of acorns ready for being buried if only they can remember where!

I find it interesting that on the whole they tend to land in fairly neat bundles rather than being scattered around.

Trip essentials

 The check list for when you're doing a outdoor trail is a bit different than for camp in as much you're living off what's around supplemented by rations and extra clothing to cater for any rapid changes in weather.

These days I'd add a mobile phone for contact in case of emergency and organizers would have a system in place should you need assistance urgently.

The majestic trees

One the one hand we've been told temperatures are several degrees warmer than the seasonal norm and yet as I type this it is raining hard!

Autumn is very much in air - I can surprisingly enough smell it when I'm about - and no doubt seasonal fungi will be in evidence too when it's fit enough to resume taking photograghs rather than getting ones camera soaked.

This is more like what I'm expecting shot very much against the light rendering the foilage translucent in one of our green lungs in all its glory.