After three months looking through the window at the world I finally got back to work this week. To celebrate I had a quick hammock overnighter in some Woods local to me. Thanks to my wife for driving me to the woods, and understanding my need to sleep out, I planned to call her in the morning if the walk back was too much. As I left the house one of our friend's daughters asked me where I was going and didn't believe my answer that I was going to sleep in the woods.
It was nearly Full Moon and bright enough to do most things without the head torch. The silver beams of moonlight streaming through the half bare canopy of the woods lit up the woodland floor like a frozen black and white disco dance floor. The trees looking like motionless dancers caught mid move. The sounds of birds disturbed by my twig snapping footsteps, fluttering up from the canopy above mixed with the mournful bark of a fox distant across the woods. I was grinning from ear to ear as I wandered about trying to stick at a bearing by holding the moon at my shoulder. All too soon I found the small spring fed brook that I planned to camp at, and started pacing out the distance between trees to hang my Hammock and Tarp.
An Owl came to check me out, it perched in the tree above me for half an hour or so, staring at me intently as I strung out my Tarp and Hammock. Once ensconced in Down and Pertex , with a hot chocolate in hand, I tried to engage the Owl in conversation. He or She was unimpressed with my hooting and glided silently away through the trees.
I added too much hot water to my Fuizion Thai Green Curry in the silver light of the moon but it was tasty all the same as a thick soup and I finished off with an Adventure Food's chocolate mouse. I then settled back in the hammock enjoying Rum and hot chocolate whilst reading on the Kindle App on my phone.
I was asleep by 10 and woke up at exactly 8 am to the sound of a chainsaw in the distance somewhere.
After a few coffees and a Peanut Butter Pop Tart I packed away slowly enjoying the woodland in daylight, with the autumnal colours interspersed with the vibrant green of the Moss..Once packed I slowly followed the brook to the edge of the woodland collecting a carrier bag of litter from someone's camp and then toddled along a few bridleways and footpaths back to the house.
All in all a great little bit of relaxation just a few miles across the fields from home, that has taken the edge of my cabin fever after three months of Tramadol and boredom.
With no wind I set the Tarp high so I could look out of the sides at the surrounding woodland.
Organised chaos beneath the Hammock
Thumb in front of flash - Doh!
Time to call it a night.
Last shot past my feet.
Morning and everything looks different. No trace of my camp.
The brook that trickled away all night having me up for a pee just as I was dropping off.
Last chin picture.
