Baba Yaga's Hut

Our little Hirst Wood Nature Reserve has become the home of Baba Yaga's Hut. Baba Yaga and her enchanted hut on chicken legs are an established part of Slavic folklore. She is a mysterious witch, an old crone who roams the woods in her hut on chicken legs, looking for 'bad children'. She's rather fearsome and unpredictable but also a teacher, protector and wise guardian of the forest, offering refuge and answers to those who show wit and respect. There's a helpful analysis of the tale's origins and meanings HERE.

Our Baba Yaga hut has been crafted by the workers in Baildon, Shipley and Saltaire Men's Shed, supported by Bradford 2025's Our Patch programme. It's then been decorated by the Women's Sphere group, which works to support and empower women in our local communities who originate from Eastern and Central Europe. The wonderful elves were crafted by Homey Elves.

I just happened to be passing as they were setting up for the 'grand opening', so I took the opportunity to have a chat and take a few photos. It's so lovely when people come together to create a little magic. 

Tiptoe through the bluebells

Our bluebells this year have flowered quite early, by at least a couple of weeks I would estimate. Always beautiful, I think our local Hirst Wood is as good a place as any to see them. They are most prolific in the woodland along the edge of the canal. It was a bit too sunny really! The colour gets bleached out in the sunshine on photos so hazy conditions tend to be better, but you get what you get when you go for a walk. My mind and body welcomed the sunshine, even if my camera lens was a bit choosy. These pictures were taken last week and I suspect the flowers there will be even more abundant now. 

Play Misty for Me

Does anyone else remember the film 'Play Misty for Me'? A psychological thriller, it was made in 1971, starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. It was the scariest film I've ever seen! For some reason it came to my mind as I walked in Hirst Wood just before Christmas. It was misty, and everything does look spookier in those conditions but thankfully no ill befell me on my walk! 

The marcescent beech leaves brought a welcome touch of warmth, as did the 'wishing tree' at the entrance to the wood. 

Christmas on the reserve

The trees and shrubs may have lost their leaves but, on the small nature reserve managed by Hirst Wood Regeneration Group, they have gained a sprinkling of festive baubles instead.

There were some volunteers diligently barrrowing loads of bark chippings from where they'd been delivered at the gate across to the far side of the reserve, so there weren't as many birds around as there often are. One of the resilient woodpigeons was, however, keeping guard. They're not afraid of anything, it seems! 

To the woods

More autumn trees! These from a wander through Hirst Woods in the sunshine. The entire wood is carpeted thickly with leaves and beech mast, though there are still plenty of leaves yet to fall. 

I enjoy tramping the ancient, hollowed out trackways, strong links to our ancestors who also used these woods. Some worked in the long abandoned mill by the river, some even lived here, in cottages whose broken walls can still be traced. Iron Age Britons may have had a small settlement in the wood, which sits on a glacial moraine; traces of a circular structure have been identified. Charcoal burners had their kilns here. Nowadays, people walk their dogs, children build dens, all manner of wildlife lives in the undergrowth and the trees breathe for us. 

A linear walk #1

Saltaire to Bingley Five-Rise Locks

You'll perhaps remember me mentioning a project I'm involved in with my camera club, to document the entire length of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, in black and white photos. As part of my 'patch', I've been intending to do the linear walk from Saltaire to the Bingley Five-Rise Locks for a while, and finally managed it. Some of these photos have converted quite nicely into mono for the project but I'm choosing the colour versions for my blog. 

The first leg is a familiar one, from Hirst Lock to Dowley Gap, and I've shown lots of photos of this stretch before on my blog. The walk through Hirst Woods (above) is the greenest part of the whole route, the reflections in the canal doubling the effect so it's like a green tunnel. It's a popular bit of the towpath but always feels quite peaceful. 

Then you come to the aqueduct that carries the canal over the River Aire. The towpath here has been resurfaced in concrete at some point in its 250 year history, so it's not very attractive as you walk over it. 

At the end of the aqueduct lies Dowley Gap Mill, a former worsted mill and now a residential complex. I wrote more about this a few weeks ago HERE . 

The old mill sits beside the changeline bridge, where the towpath moves from one side of the canal to the other and horses towing barges could pass over.

Looking back from the bridge to the mill complex is, I think, quite an attractive view. (This is the photo I should have had for my previous post about the mill, haha! But not a lot has changed really. ) 

Woodland whispers

When it's as hot as it has been, if I go for a walk I have to choose shade, so a wander through Hirst Woods is very welcome. The big beech trees on the main avenue let little sunshine through, whereas the birch and scrub along the boundaries let the sun penetrate further. I like the effect that gives, shadow giving way to brightness beyond. 

I have some new hearing aids, which I'm trying to get used to. There are a few more things I can hear (the car indicators clicking, for one) but much sounds quite 'clattery' at the moment so I wouldn't yet say I'm hearing any better. I shall persevere. They have more functions and more fine tuning is possible. 

I can never hear birds (apart from the annoying wood pigeons, who keep piping: 'My toe hurts, Betty!' over and over again!) I have recently downloaded an app to my phone that listens for birds and tells you what it can hear, so that's quite interesting.  This was the selection it said it heard at various times on my woodland walk: 

 

Cool green on hot days

Hours of wonderful tennis to enjoy from Wimbledon, some rather warm weather and some very windy days too, have conspired to keep me indoors (rather guiltily!) When I have been out, it's been refreshing to walk by water and among trees. The fresh greens of spring are giving way to that darker, rather dull and dusty, uniform green that summer adopts but, even so, the effect of all that green is cooling and soothing.  

Various scientific studies have confirmed the cooling effect of trees but you don't need a research study to notice the difference between a hot urban pavement and a shady woodland walk. We need more trees everywhere, for all sorts of reasons. 

I'm grateful for plenty of local options - woodland, parks, riverside and canalside... even if the walk home, uphill on hard pavements, often feels like a slog. Once home, I can cool off with an iced drink. I can hardly keep up with the necessary production of ice cubes (though I refuse the option of actually buying a bag of them from the supermarket!). 

Given the dry weather since early spring, Yorkshire Water has just announced a hosepipe ban. That in itself isn't an issue for me as I have no need of hosepipe for anything, but it will perhaps mean that the local hand car wash has to close, so I'll be driving around with a dusty car.  (A bucket wash, from a first floor flat, isn't really feasible.)  

The heron had the right idea, standing with his feet in cool water. I wonder if the low water level in the river impacts their feeding?  Maybe it makes it easier to find the fish? 

Halloween #1

The shops are full of Halloween tat: masks, ghosts, skeletons, witches' hats, fake spider webs and so on - not to forget, of course, pumpkins (which we never normally see in our stores). When I was a child it was not 'a thing' but over the years we seem to have borrowed from the US and imported a lot of the drama. I'm not sure it's a good thing, given the amount of evil there is in the world as it is, but most people would argue it's 'just a bit of fun'. 

I didn't need to buy any props. I found enough to scare me out on my walk!  ;)

And here's the same photo that I showed earlier, taken in Hirst Woods, but given a radically different colour palette. Spooky or what? 

Magic in the woods

Returning through Hirst Woods was a magical experience. The lingering mist among the trees gave rise to spectacular rays of light, very beautiful even if quite difficult to capture in a camera. 

By the time I had reached the path out of the wood, the sun had burned off all the mist but the early autumn colour was attractive in the diffused sunshine. 

Bluebells (again)

It's not yet 'peak bluebell' time in Hirst Woods; I'd say another ten days or so for them to fully mature. Nevertheless, that 'haze of blue' effect is underway and as pretty as always. 

It hardly seems credible that a whole year has gone by since I last photographed them. The passage of time really does start to speed up, the older I get! It also hardly seemed credible that I was wandering round wearing a thick coat and a woolly hat, as it's still so cold. I think that must be the first time I've ever photographed bluebells in my full winter wardrobe! 

Daffy-down-dilly

'Daffy-down-dilly has now come to town
With a petticoat green and a bright yellow gown.'

Indeed, there were numerous varieties of daffodils in bloom in the little Hirst Wood Nature Reserve, making it all look very cheerful. 

We've had so much rain for months, so to be able to take a walk in the dry and with late afternoon sunshine brightening the scene was very pleasant. The newly-laid canal towpath is open again, at least temporarily. The black tarmac surface is apparently only the undercoat and, when the weather is drier, they will lay a buff-coloured topping of gravel chippings.

It may be that people haven't realised the path is open again, as there were many fewer people walking that way than there would usually be. In fact, for a few moments, as I gazed down the canal from the top of the lock, I could not see another soul.