Wildwood

"Wildwood, a journey through trees " by Roger Deakin is on my Christmas wish list .It is one of the most profound , informative and entertaining books on the natural world that I have ever read and the author is not only extremely knowlegable but had a passion for his subject . He travelled this country and many others collecting information first hand on a variety of trees , my own passion and inspiration for my current body of work.The chapter titles such as the bluebell picnic and the sacred groves of Devon give an inkling of the content but have to be read to gain the true beuty of the writing. My favorite is the chapter on the walnut forests of Kyrgyzstan where life is simple and by our standards very basic but also romantically idyllic . I have no doubt that the everyday reality is somehow different .
"Everything on the farm down to the plank built drop latrine at the far corner of the land ..wqs turned to the economy of nature in an entirely unselfconscious way. .....Bees foraged in the wild fruit forests. The people went out and harvested walnuts apples and allsorts of other wildfruits and funghi from the forest.(p 512)

Deakin wanted people to appreciate the simple pleasure of being in nature :
"Why do I sleep outdoors ?Because of the random dripping of rain off the maples or ash trees over the roof of the railway wagon, or the hopping of a bird on the wet felt of the roof or the percussion of a twig against the steel stove chimney . Out there I hear the yawn of the wind in the trees along Cowpasture Lane . I feel in touch with the elements in a way I never do indoors."
(Deakin R, Wildwood , 2007 Hamish Hamilton P.12)
Unfortunately Deakin died in 2006 just after he completed the manuscripts for Wildwood but he lived an amazing life and has left a great legacy in his writings on the great outdoors . I have anther 6 pages to read and am trying my best not to finish it but it has to be back at the library for the 21st so that someone else can enjoy it !Thankyou Roger Deakin.