we are so lucky as to live in a beautiful rural part of north west england; owning a small piece of land has created patterns of life for us. we grow vegetables, cut hedges, do fencing, planting; rewilding; looking after our handful of animals is grounding.
around here the sheep know where they come from, know their land, how to find their way home; this is known as being ‘hefted’. we too have become hefted to where we live, to the seasons, to nature’s ways.
in early spring my husband cuts the willow in his patch, it brings a harvest of beauty and practicality... willow rods for weaving and when dried, gives us fuel for our stoves.
as humans we too need to be connected to the land and to nature, in order to thrive, to know who we are, to know our place in things... even in a city we can find spaces to grow plants, to touch wildness, to connect with each other and with nature.
a walk in a park will show us the buds on trees, and we can see the flowers that grow in neglected places, in cracks in the walls... if we just stop to look.
spring is opening up the year for us... let’s take a moment just to look and to connect, wherever we are.
with love
