Red Welcome

Bramble is both loved and hated. Hated because of its thorns, its tendency to set traps for the unobservant walker and the way it invades and takes over open land. None of this is so bad it can outweigh its gift of the best tasting free soft fruit, still to be found in the woods.

Another characteristic of bramble that some of us love is the way it occasionally produces vibrant coloured leaves in the middle of dull vegetation in autumn and winter.

In fact there's a lot of variability in bramble leaves now. The healthy glossy green is easily found. Leaf edges can produce some startling effects in purples oranges and reds.

Now that berries are disappearing these reds are welcome.

Perhaps the best sight though is the fly agaric, still quite small as it pushes its way through the tangled grasses.

There are many specimens of fungi in the woods coloured with wondefully subtle shades of browns and greys but red is, well, red.

One day later, pushing higher and larger but slugs and/or small mammals have been tasting it. Can they still walk in a straight line?

A day later still and there's no sign of it. Has it been picked or kicked over? Cows are nearby.