26th September 2026
A weekly journal with Trees , Flora and Fungi , Photography , Mindful Wanderings and My Life Journey in Kielder Forest.
Today is September Full Moon , we get told the traditional name is Harvest Full Moon so i went on a wee rabbit run. Harvest Moon is given name by the Anglo Saxons who migrated to this country after the Romans left in the 5th Century and pretty much has stuck ever since. I expect thats because it has been canonised by writing. The Vikings who came to our shores late 8th Century named the moons after its seasons or natural milestones : Tvimanour is “second month moon” of late summer/early autumn but dependent on the lunar calendar it maybe called Haustmanuour “ late autumn moon” . Not surprisingly the Normans not being so poetical just named the moons according to either agriculture or religion but during the medieval times “Harvest Moon “ in some format was used.
Before the Romans people may of used “Song Moon” or “Singing Moon” where the present information just states “They sang because of the harvest” which maybe true , who would ever know !. I have a feeling that it has more poetry than that. The thing about the Moon it was here before humans and calendars and doesn’t know what September is , it just knows the earth and its cycles of life.
I feel that we need find our own relationships with the moon and how it reflects upon our yearly cycles of life.
I like “Singing Moon” it has more depth to my poetical soul and came up with :
“When the birds stop singing the first Autumns full moon starts singing a magical song which the trees respond to the sweetess melody by changing colours creating beautiful harmonies”
I know in a small way the trees have begun already but i am going to see how it manifests after September late full moon and perhaps see which moon is the nearest to when most of the leaves have fallen.
I am beginning to think differently than Month and Moon names in relationship to what is actually happening in nature at that moment from year to year. The full moons timing changes in the given month and may not represent its given name , the seasons do not fit into a human calendar that neatly. I am still working through along my wanderings being curious and noticing with the different qualities of a season and how it fits with the moon. It may not be a month name anymore but a moment which creates a relationship.
It would of been my Dads 86 birthday tomorrow so “Happy Birthday Dad , I miss you and mum”
I will be going out after the “Singing Moon” to begin collecting for my Gallery “The Hidden Colours of Autumn” and also as i am continuously collecting wonderful trees , this time i am going to Donkley woods which i hope will be a feauture for nexts years Journal and other work , i expect the photographs will show the trees turning colours as well.
Within this journal my writing is in flow , almost automatic, mostly i am unsure how i got there and i have to consistently edit into English. I do not experience life through words , they do not contain meaning for me and quite often i struggle to translate whats within me into something coherent in which people connect to. This more so when trying to structure something especially as i know instinctively but in a non word way, i have got to point that i have been unfairly blaming my neuro-divergency , past events and want to make tangible changes and have sought some guidance. However it quite often feels over-whelming trying to contain information which does not naturally align to me.
This week began feeling overwhelmed , so i opted on Monday when i felt flat just to spend time preparing paper for my larger paintings rather than working out how learn how to and then build a structure for this website and methods to connect in a more coherent way.
There is a inner un-settling urgency which distorts my reality and although to me it sounds counter intuitive due to my up-bringing and commercial life that sitting in stillness is the actual antidote to this.
As i have now mainly completed my structures with the rest to organically evolve i have decided upon a proper time off where i can spend days sat in stillness and meditate , wander into the wild just for myself and not look at a computer for a few weeks. It would be a good beginning to start on what would of been my Mums birthday on the 13th October which is also Stella (the cats) birthday too. I am sure the world can wait until the 17th October for my next Journal.
Bull Crag Peninsular
Autumn is not about impermanence , what we witness is a celebration of re-emergence.
The decay produces its own quality of illuminance of nature which is for itself , not in remembering its former self as only humans lament the past as they are fearful of the future , but its presence of celebrating itself as itself without judgement. People look past them as it does not hold any intrinsic beauty for them as thats a conditioning of the mind. Look closely and there is wonder , beautiful colours and markings and they hold themselves with dignity.
A story of what should now of disappeared but still exists in tiny little pockets still pop up reminding that nothing is rigid and regimented but queer and surprising is Septembers story.. Then lies a story of presuming that all has gone now and out of nowhere beautiful yellow flowers appear which help you realise that anything can come along into your life when you least expect it and that thing can be glorious.
Septembers story of not quite going when we expect something to be completed which shows you that it is your timeline and you have not missed something because society says so. Just like the Foxglove or a seed head you a ready when you are ready !
I have often found the most plump and sweet blackberries in October and i will be looking forward to next months visits to see whether i can find some more. On my visits i will also be looking forward to see how the Conkers are doing.
I just adore the crimson of these little baubles which pop up along the paths close to Kielder Waterside paths leading out into the Peninsular. Another reminder to begin looking up what these flowers are !
Although a shy little guy hiding in the undergrowth its colour tells another story with its stunning orange. I am a Orange colour lover which probably helped me find it .
I expect that my flower clocks would be bare of petals next week when i go for a wander but i am hopeful that maybe it has its last few remaining on the top. lets see !
Bakethin Nature Reserve
There is a flowing procession of plants , colours and senses , moving in a natural rhythm of coming and going converges with the beating heart of the woodland and Heather is one of those moments of pure natures expression. These moments are our moments and when we begin to connect to this we begin to part of the magic rather than separated from.
It is said that Heather have hidden fairy pathways and also places where fairies come to rest and i can only but think seeing heather residing next to Trees that each year the fairies return to commune with the trees.
Within my “ The Wood Remembers” which will be a daily blog of whats happening , observations , relationships and the flow of life than my personal journal i have in my mind tying into emerging early autumn flowers and the old flowers slowly departing with the moon and how the energy and seasons interact.
I want to share the magic which i sense into the world !
We are definitely onto a good start for the Fungi and i am looking forward to going out and seeing more , we have had some rain and i am hoping that the forest delivers me abundance.
In the Quiet of the Wild
You gifted me
an Autumns sorrow
so i may find joy
Small Encounters | Small Responses
I had the night before decided upon going for my Friday coffee at the local cafe which lucky for me is a few moments walk and then go along the North Tyne from there due to the weather forecast. Waking up , a grumpy sky but it was not raining and i was “umming and ermming” what to do as my original plan was to go to Hareshaw Linn before the wild verges disappear. I took the plunge and went , it was a little drizzly , i was gawked at and barked at but i am so happy i did it.
Pencil , Crayon & Watercolour on A4/A3 paper
Larger Traces | Essence of Nature
I think i have one more week of Wild Verges before i re-enter the Forest and begin “Forest Forms “ : I am looking forward as i have found a few more processes and wish to explore those along with my usual to see what comes from them.
Watercolour , Pencil , Crayon & Charcoal Mono Print on A2 Paper
Hareshaw Linn
I look upon the vast greenery of the late summer pathways through the woodland and i think this will be changing soon , next time it will look and feel different. But , every-time i went, i thought the same. Sometimes the differences are very subtle and thats about intimacy of knowing something with love and then sometimes it surprises you like June so i am in full of curiosity and wonder what this view would be like next week.
There are already signs that it shall offer a sprinkling of colour through the canopy and even as the Chlorophyll diminishes from reduced light and cooler nights the green leaves becomes more translucent illuminating the woodland as the sunlight filters through. That small magical moment will turn into wonder as they turn into yellows and golds.
Since i have coming here i have not seen the Burn so low , it has always been quite ferocious. The low levels have shown up its old industrial past with its iron stone quarrying and whilst not in this picture the reddy ore colours the water.
I am a little apprehensive with my decision to come here to paint as its quite popular with walkers and the community. In my tiny village there maybe one or two dog walkers in the morning . However, i had in my thoughts before it goes to sit by the wild verges as above images and see what comes and here is the only place i know like this.
Thank You
