Day 119 - Veni, Vidi, Verde

hole lotta diggin'

I could tell you where I took this photo, but then I'd have to kill you.

Or something...actually I'm really not sure on the specifics of that...my knowledge in this area is fuzzy and second hand.  But as I understand it, you're not allowed to publish the location of a badger's sett - which is what this is an entrance to. 

We used to walk up in the woods over the road all the time.  There is a seasonal pond up there, which the dogs traditionally loved to splash about in, and the woods are quiet and atmospheric.   A small herd of roe deer live up there, and we would often see them on our walks. 

Now we just have Jazz, and he's (quite literally) on his last good leg.  He loves it over there, and is clearly stimulated and engaged by it...but the ground underfoot is soft and uneven, and he does struggle now.  

It's an ongoing challenge to balance the need to encourage him to remain active, to provide the sensory and psychological stimulation, against his obvious discomfort walking any distance (or sometimes just walking at all).

We want him to be happy and have fun, but of course we don't him to suffer for it. 

As the day was still and dry (if not warm), we decided to have a wander up there and see how Jazz got on.

Whilst up there, we went to check on this badger sett tucked away in a corner of the wood.  There was clear sign of very recent activity, everywhere.  This particular hole was being excavated, or at least improved last night...or more likely early this morning.  You can see scratch marks in the soil where the badgers have dug away with their front claws.  

It's a lovely setting, and the light was gorgeous when the sun came out for us.

green green grass of (badgers) home

Recent photo's are making me realise how green my world is at the moment!  And it's all that lovely bright green that shouts "new growth!", that we'll only see for the next month or two before it fades into summer.

Back to the plot (there actually is one, sort of)...we are planning to take the wildlife trailcam up there, hopefully tomorrow, and strap it to a tree overlooking this scene.   With so much current activity here, and this being the main sett for this family of badgers (we believe), it's almost guaranteed that we'll get some good badgery action. 

To further demonstrate current green-ness, here's Jazz and I, fully immersed in it...

verdant vista

I think it has a soothing effect on the human psyche.

It signifies that Winter is passed for another year, that the days are getting warmer, that new life is bursting out of hibernation and enthusiastically embracing the brighter times to come.

Optimism is the strongest undertone of this shade of green, I think. 

Try this experiment:

Make your browser as big as it will go, and then click on the last two pictures to get them more or less full screen.  

Then spend a moment gazing with soft eyes at the colour-scape, basking in the lovely light for a minute or two...seriously, do it - it'll make you feel a bit better...

If you're on a mobile phone, there won't be enough light for this to work - in this case I recommend abandoning the digital and going out in The Real World to find some Real Woods.

Whichever you choose - enjoy!

:-)