Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 10th August, 2024)

This is an absolutely beautiful shot,I can almost smell the woodland and hear the birds..what more does anyone want from nature…Thank you Colin.

One or two gargoyles on that trunk .

They do look like Gargoyles Poet.
I could imagine by that trunk a swirling damp mist and an old crone bent over a steaming cauldron preparing Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog ready to turn green any unfortunate child that dare approach and taste it.
But that’s enough of school dinners in the 1950’s!

That really is a lovely scene, Colin, and yet the tree also reminds me of the illustrations in those big thick story-books we had as children, The Bothers Grimm stories, where the drawings in some of the creepier stories always showed old, gnarled trees. Imagining the same scene at midnight on a windy, rainy night conjures up those illustrations so well. Does anyone recall those books which were usually one of our Christmas presents? They had stories such as The Tinder Box, The Little Match-girl and The Snow Queen.

“Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”

Yes , it would make a good cover picture for the play .
'Where the place ? Upon the heath . There to meet with Macbeth .'
Colin , is that a gorilla I see before me peeping out the bushes a few yards ahead ?

Todays photo brings back some sad memories for me and my colleagues who attended an incident that happened at this tree, a gentleman who loved climbing trees had fell to his death from it.
The newspapers wrote this about what and why it happened.
He was like a monkey - he never grew out of it' An 'adventurous spirit' climbed a tree without shoes at a country park before falling to his death, an inquest heard. Grandfather Stephen Hitchen had been warned against continuing up the tree in Haigh Hall Country Park, in Wigan, by his two nephews.8 Feb 2023
A toxicology report heard how Mr Hitchen had cannabis and a high level of alcohol in his system - at 220mg, compared to the drink drive limit of 80mg.

Mr Wooton said his uncle did not seem drunk, he said: "He was walking straight and that. If he was that drunk he would not have been able to get up the tree. It didn't seem like he was staggering or anything like that.

Thanks Paramedic, that really cheered me up.

The tree is so diseased it’s not surprising how the weight of a man on those branches would make them snap. You can see on the right how the trunk has disintegrated. It’s definitely not safe.
It does remind me of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales books.

I don't think the Paramedic was trying to be nasty WN, just saying what happened that's all.

The illusion of a peaceful walk is well and truly shattered.
I don’t think I will walk past again without a body guard, a crucifix and a large bottle of holy water.

Paramedic - Thank you for sharing the sad story about the man out of his tree.

RIP.

Irene / Maureen, thanks for your kind comments today and Maureen I was too late to see the posting regarding the sad loss of your little friend.
I did send a picture to PAD some weeks back entitled Gremlins on Tour but I think my Leigh Leopards on Tour took preference.
It was of a clutch of Chihuahuas taking a bus ride to Mesnes Park for a little exercise after a day out shopping in Chorley, very cute.
If you are in contact by email with Irene or Veronica let me know and I will send the picture to them. I think you'll like it.

Looking at the ground at the front of the tree it is well worn probably from people going to climb the tree

Absolutely no need to bring up such a tragic accident.

It would be quite easy to find within such a tree a long lost parchment , left long long ago .
What could the strange writing mean? , asks Potts
If it is writing , suggests Peddle
Let’s decipher it , says Plimp . Who knows where it might lead .
Maybe we should just leave it , thinks Potts . It could have been left for somebody else , someone who knows what the writing means . Maybe we should put it back where we found it …
Maybe somebody left it and wanted somebody else to find it , wonders Peddle
You mean somebody like us asks Potts
Yes , like a message in a bottle , ponders Peddle
It might leads us on a great adventure to who knows where , enthuses Plimp
Here we go again ,moans Potts . Every summer holidays your ears prick up and every bike ride becomes a Quest to the beyond !
But what if it is , says Peddle
Is what , asks Potts
A Quest , a puzzle , a story , who knows says Peddle . Those symbols look very odd to me , they must mean something . What are they letters , symbols ?
Potts pauses and ponders, looking at Plimp and Peddle
She sighs
Okay then , but we need to apologise first
Apologise ? Apologise to who , questions Plimp
The tree of course , who else ?
Are you serious , asked Plimp , it’s finders keepers
It belongs to the tree , snaps Potts
I agree with Potts , says Peddle . Whoever left it gave to the tree to protect
So if I gave you my bike to look after it then belongs to you .
Maybe somebody didn’t leave it at all , maybe it was made by the tree , ponders Potts deep in thought ! anyway
Two , one , wins Plimp, says Potts
Ok , I agree , but how do you apologise to a tree and what do you mean made by the tree?
Sincerely, I would suggest , says Peddle . It will know if we are not
It will know if we are not ? Questions Plimp
Yes , they have lived longer than us so I’m sure they can recognise a falsehood when spoken. If we say it like we mean it will know we are genuine
Genuine then steal , argues Plimp , adjusting his dark rims . How does that work ?
What if it’s a bad tree , wonders Potts
Bad tree ? queries Plimp
Maybe the parchment is curse , says Peddle , we would be taking it with us ! Maybe we should just put it back and ride away like we never found it . We won’t need to apologise either .
I want to know what it means , says Potts
So do I , says Plimp
Three P’s in a Pod Peddle , says Potts
Ok , says Peddle reluctantly
Let’s say sorry and leave , says Potts . Say it together
What do we says , asks Peddle
Just sorry , asks Plimp . Not sorry tree ?
Ok . Sorry tree !
One , two , three , counts Potts
Sorry tree !
Let’s go , says Potts
The three mount their bikes with Plimp holding the parchment
They look at each other , then at the tree
then ride away .
With the three some way in the distance but still visible a ghostly hooded figure comes from the wood beside the tree ,dressed in the robe of a monk . The monk figure gazes in only one direction , at the three until they disappear !
Within the tree a large door appears and opens , the monk enters , then the door , closes behind him and then disappears…

Peddle , Potts and Plimp ride away with Plimp holding the parchment unaware

No offence meant to Paramedic but sometimes when you have a bad day certain things don’t need reminders.
Focus on the good things.

The Anne posting at 12-26 is not me.

The Anne posting at 06:42 is not me either. Certainly not at that time in the morning.