Years, nay decades, nay centuries have breathed life into these ancient giants. They stand, one beneath the cliff of a quarry long neglected, the other above an abyss that’s the space left by an even more ancient quarry. Their location is known and enjoyed only by the adventurous few who travel boar trails, weave through shoulder high bracken, or scramble the steep rise leading to the base of the older stone pit. A steep rock climb then leads to the site itself.
We found the place by accident when exploring the latter route from one of our favourite walks. And we travelled back using a boar track taking us through wild country populated by trees from many different families. The route through the bracken we avoid, as there are ticks there and their gift of disease is something we prefer to leave with them.
This shot was taken on our second visit, on a bright day in April about five years ago, when such climbs were still relatively easy for us.
Close to the base of the tree on the right is a circle of flat stones formed into a seating area around a hearth. Our first sight of it conjured memories of Tolkien’s Hobbits. We’ve yet to meet other walkers up here, but it’s clearly visited by some, as the fire pit is obviously used. But our visits have been on quiet days, alone, when it’s possible to imagine fantasies as well as the labour of the early stone workers who hewed the rocks and moved their great rocks on wooden carts drawn by horses along a way long disguised by forest growth.

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Much of humanity lives among natural wonders, though many millions also dwell in ugly, overcrowded, unsanitary slum cities, of course. Some people ignore and others actively dislike natural beauty, even working to destroy the only world we can inhabit.
These daily posts are to encourage joy in nature, respect for the natural world, in hope of inspiring love of a planet that’s a marvel of unlikely coincidences.
We may be alone in the universe as a living species with sentience. But we may never know. Vast distances in time and space mean we’re unlikely to meet, or even effectively connect with, other sentient lifeforms.
So, we must live as if we’re the only life form conscious of existence and able to modify our environment. We can benefit all life forms, or act entirely selfishly in the mistaken and self-destructive belief we’re apart from nature. History, science, and common sense show us daily how intricately we’re part of nature. Is it wise to ignore this simple fact?
If you’d like to spread joy in our wonderful planet and encourage respect and responsibility for it, will you share these posts on social media (‘share’ buttons below make it easy), comment with your thoughts, and help sustain our environment for the future? After all, Earth is our only home. Thank you.

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