How Planes Fly

How do planes fly? he asked

And she smiled knowingly

Pregnant with a secret of the universe

The angels carry them, she whispered

On lean, strong wings outstretched

The angels carry them

Autumn

As the calendar turned from August to September, the season switched.  As suddenly as that.  One day we were basking in the loveliest summer for years, the next it was a memory.

Now the mist is sitting on the hilltops, occasionally falling down into the valley, shrouding the fields.  I'm gorging on blackberries as we walk the hedgerows - the best kind of breakfast-on-the-go.

The first leaves are dropping lazily whilst the rowan berries sing brightly.  There's a back-to-school feeling in the air - even for those of us who left school aeons ago.

This is my favourite time of year….the season in which I feel most comfortable.  Here's hoping it's as beautiful as the summer now fled.

My Mooching Kit

Our meanderings about the moors are rarely protracted affairs.  Which means I don't need a backpack stuffed with supplies.  

There are, however, a few useful basics I almost always have with me.

iPhone.  Best invention ever!  Camera, tape recorder and notebook rolled into one.  All my favourite camera apps are on there.  I use Voice Memos to record ideas for blog posts or poems as I walk.  And if there's too much wind noise to use Voice Memos, I scribble down my thoughts in Notes instead.

Florist's Scissors.  Useful for snipping sprigs of heather or other foliage.

Gathering Bag.  A plastic bag has lots of uses.  I like the ones sold as poop bags for dogs.  They're incredibly light and fold to next to nothing.  They have integral handles which make carrying your loot really easy.  And they're great for found and foraged treasure of all kinds - blackberries, bilberries, wild garlic and dandelion leaves, feathers and pine cones, etc. etc.  Can even be used for their intended purpose if necessary!

Insect Repellent.  An absolute essential round here at certain times of year.  Midges are pesky beasts!