All Hallows Eve

Happy Celtic New Year everyone! Another chance to let go of unwanted habits and start a fresh with your dreams :-). We did a Halloween 'Trick or Treat' party at the cabins where I told everyone where all the little traditions of Halloween originate from and we played both new and old games, including; wrap the mummy, apple bobbing and fortune telling - great fun.

Here is Will and I dressed as Druids, well, Will is more of a Celtic warrior (although they fought naked, oh er), but traditionally they wore animal masks to confuse mischievous faeries or non ancestral spirits on their festival of Samhain. They then feasted with and remembered their ancestors and practised divination, being easier to achieve on this night. I tried to do some, not sure if it works yet, I'll have to wait and see.....

I've never seen a frog here before until today, only toads. Here he or she is, fat and full up for the long winter hibernation ahead, barely flopping itself across the slate path.

The weather is definitely changing, lots of mist in the mornings on the loch now - lovely :-)

Crannog Centre

At last, we have managed to get to the Crannog Centre on Loch Tay. It was really interesting and gave us lots of inspiration for our own ranger activities. They even helped me to pronounce Samhain properly (the Celtic end of year festival), ready for our Halloween 'old and new' party at the cabin site.

What is this?

What on earth is this fungi??? It looks like small Bertie Bassett sweets. I can't find it in any books, even a specialist at the Crannog Centre, Loch Tay didn't know. It was only there a little while on Norway Spruce stumps, gone without trace after a few days, sizewise - note the pine needles on the forest floor with moss. Stupidly, I didn't look to see if there were gills! Anyone help???

Back to the Trossachs

Back home to the Trossachs, and back up to Doon Hill as we haven't been there in ages. I left the faeries a different gift this time - an earth mandala, inspired from some reading on holiday and a visit to the Findhorn community village. Will, on the other hand, ever the sceptic decided to call 'Frank-opeadia' for some fishing lessons instead. It was nice to see him finally doing something that he's always wanted to do. Shame the fishing season ends this month. Frank said Will did very well trying to master all the techniques, and he did catch a wee little fish (that he let go).

Here's a wise old Scots pine Dryad showing his belly button off! They even look amazing when the tree starts to decompose, the insects and fungi love it too :-)

This picture looks a bit dull, but the grass here was a really vibrant orange - not quite as bright as this Fly Agaric toadstool that has lost its spots, but bright!

We had a lovely walk amongst the Pine and around Loch an Eilein. On the way around we came across a snapped tree, but looking closer I found an amorous harvestman and harvestwoman!

Back to the Cairngorms and the Lairig Ghru - nearly got to the Pools of Dee, yeah! This Scots Pine looked really unwordly, vivid and precise in real life, it really is a unique place here :-)