tie a yellow ribbon

I was keen to make something outdoors when I went for a walk at the weekend. My son and husband decided they were cold and wanted to go home so I was left to get on with it myself. There were still a lot of autumn leaves on the ground; sycamore, horse chestnut, oak and a small yellow leaf that I can't identify. You can see it in the second and third photos. It has a sort of fruit on it in late summer. Does anyone know? The sycamore leaves were an amazing bright yellow. I tucked some into some ivy that was curling around the trunk of a tree. There is a custom of tying a yellow ribbon around a tree to symbolize waiting love that goes back to Roman times. This tree is at the bottom of a flight of stairs frequently used by dog walkers. In fact I bumped into a friend walking her spaniel and felt a little odd to be standing there, on my own, with a handful of leaves. I also made a little forest sunflower with the sycamore leaves and a horse chestnut shell. Doing an activity like this definitely made me look at my surroundings more closely and notice the different colours, textures and shapes much more than if I was just walking through.

Feel better outside, feel better inside

Sweet chestnut owl Summerfield woods 2010

Chemin de St Jacques France 2009

In October I blogged about the leaf pictures my family and I made while out for a walk in Summerfield woods. You can see the owl I made in my banner above. I made an owl in the same woods exactly one year before this one. Now that my son is four I'm finding it easier to do fun activities like this. Before, he wasn't really able to join in and hated it when my attention was on anything other than him. I couldn't take photographs either. He was two when we went on holiday to France. We came across the Way of St. James and cycled along the medieval route for a short while. We arrived at a lookout point with a standing stone in a huge field of grapevines.  I had the notion to make a heart with some of the stones piled at the base of it. I thought it would be fun for someone to come along and find it. The day was still, hot and hazy. I arranged the stones carefully while my son pulled on my leg and complained.

Land art by Richard Shilling

Land art by Richard Shilling

I have just come across an amazing, inspiring land artist called Richard Shilling. His hanging leaf sculptures look like exquisite stained glass. Lots more beautiful pictures on his website. I'm also really excited by his site Land Art for Kids which has lots of great information and ideas on there. His book he created with Julia Brooklyn, 'Land Art for Kids in the Woods' is all I want for Christmas.

Kids Go Nuts in Summerfield Woods

In 1966 the Council declared that the 14th October would be 'HASTINGS DAY' to mark the Battle of Hastings 1066. By the 1980s it had become a week long celebration of community based events culminating in a spectacular Torchlight Procession, bonfire and fireworks display. Hasting's 'Green areas' are open to all during the week. The Rangers and Hastings Museum organised a family event in Summerfields Woods; making environmental art and learning about the wildlife and history of the woods. I made the owl, Chris made the Green Man and Brendan age 4 made The Creature. Woodland sculpture by Joc Hare.