Pines pointing to the stars

At dusk the pines around our camp became burnished in sunsetty shimmers.

From the crackly glow of the campfire we were looking up through the high heads of the pines

Into a voluminous darkness of sparkly glitters.

Being up on Dartmoor gives you that deep sensual awareness of night being properly distinct from day.

So many stars. You forget just how many stars there are up there.

Millions of millions.

Stars just about everywhere you can see.

Spreading out as far and as deep as your imagination can reach.

These pines seemed to be guiding our way in, giving us privileged access.

Paintings: Hazel Brown; Words; Ian Nisbet

Pine Tree Camp Sketches

Drawing & Words: Hazel Brown

Thingy-Peeple No 1

The seeing of faces in ordinary, inanimate objects.
– a condition known as facial pareidolia.

Read this article in The Guardian to find out more.

So here is our Thingy-Face No 1.

(Seen up on Dartmoor last weekend)

You seeing a horses head?

Wild Campfire

Miss H Brown also gets an extra Grade A merit and commendation as part of her Level 2 Wild Campfire module.

The requirements for which included

The making of,
The starting of,
The tending of,
The poking of,
The resuscitation of,
The killing off of,

And also,
Most importantly of all

– The marveling about –

A bona fide fiercely flaming
Wildcampfire.

However no sausages were killed or sizzled
In the making of said fire.

(Which unfortunately incurs the loss of one chocolate finger)

Vid & Words: Ian Nisbet; Campfire: Hazel Brown

Camping with the Tall Pines

As part of Miss H Browns Wild Camping Certificate she needs to complete 3 camps in wildly different locations.

Wild Camping Location No 1 was achieved last year (August 2016) on the Teign Estuary.

This was Wild Camping Location No 2. On Dartmoor.

To be undertaken within the vicinity of poisonous snakes (adders) finger-eating ponies, bum-bumping cows, a flock of piss-taking sheep, a medley of hooting owls, and a knock knock knocking woodpecker.

This was all fearlessly accomplished.

The Wild Camping Invigilator from the Nizzwaz Institute of Outlandish Pursuits, a Mr Bitz-Nizz – is satisfied therefore to certify that

Miss H Brown has now successfully completed Level 2 of her Wild Camping Certificate. Hurrah!

The Selkie Selfie Trio

Down on Watcombe beach was yet another strange sight.

A most peculiar phenomenon.

Involving selfies on sticks.

The Selfie Selkie Trio.

The Watcombe Sea Troll

Down on Watcombe beach  is a rather peculiar sight – and sound.

A strange creature gurgle gurgling inside a ruined pipe.

Sucking up the sea. Then sucking it out again.

Drawing: Hazel Brown; Vid: Ian Nisbet

River Dart Enchantment

A few pictures from yesterdays ‘enchantment’ on the Dart river.

I was too intent on looking for Beautiful Demoiselles to have much time or attention for anything else.

I noticed the Red Devons in the river but only got to them as they were coming out. But one obliging chap stayed in

He stood in the water for well over 10 minutes obviously enjoying the river cooling him down (not that it was a particularly sweltering day)

And now he’s having another drink of river Dart sparkling champagne.

I was seeing quite a few butterflies flitting about but felt I had to keep my attention focused on finding those Demoiselles

Here’s a fairly common butterfly (but new, and therefore uncommon, to me)

That’s called a ‘Gatekeeper’. He seemed to be guarding those flowers there (help! what are they called Haze?!)

I could hear a buzzards high pitched keening call from above but he was too high and too far away for me to get a clear image of.

But I could get decent (or indecently) close pics of these Demoiselles. This is the male (far more beautiful than the plainer female)

These Beautiful Demoiselles have made my summer they have.

Well, so far. Until some other marvel magics the moment I happen to be sauntering into next.

Beautiful Demoiselles (on the river Dart)

Out for a walk down the river Dart yesterday afternoon. Shock! Horror! It actually felt like a summer day for a change (we’re not seeing enough sun, feeling enough heat this year down in Devon)

I wasn’t expected much.

But then I got everything I wanted.

Beautiful Demoiselles!

That’s the actual name of these damselflies: “Beautiful Demoiselles”

How lucky am I?! The afternoon was transformed.

I got into my zone of intent absorption looking for these ‘beauties’ with my camera.

First there was a bronze green female. Then a bigger blue black male fluttered up.
I was having to be patient, use stealth, to get close enough up to them to get good vid.

And meanwhile the steam train was tootle tootling back and forth.

And the buzzard was up there above hunting and swooping.

And a little herd of Red Devon cows descended into the water to drink a refreshing bellyful of river.

My mood moved out of neutral into slightly enthralled.

A bit of Thursday afternoon enchantment on the Dart river with the Beautiful Demoiselles.

Boodiful! (as they say down here)

Vid & Words: Ian Nisbet

Jackdaws of Wind & Rain

A bit of something ‘nasty’ going on out there tonight.

But it wasn’t bothering the jackdaws at all.

They seemed to be reveling in the rain, playing with/in the wind.

Bird-logic isn’t human-logic, I should know that by now.

And especially so jackdaws. They’re a total law unto themselves.

Vid & Words: Ian Nisbet