Peace frog

Those trees don't "spring up" by themselves.

Poet laureate Simon Armitage had an article in the Guardian today, in which he said:

"The moors themselves are greener and trees have sprung up even beyond the recognised "tree line" - a consequence of climate change and reductions in chimney smoke and soot".

That sentence appeared in the online version, but was mysteriously absent from the print version of the article.

In any case, while this was being read with the morning croissants, the good folk of Colne Valley Tree Society were out planting 105 hawthorn and 70 oak, aspen and rowan in a shelter belt a the top end of Marsen golf course. Given that he is a Marsden lad, and attended Colne Valley High School, where a number of teachers were members of the Society, and pupils were often roped in to do tree planting, it is a bit of a stretch to believe that the doesn't know we exist, or that he doesn't know that the Society has planted more than 350,000 trees and shrubs in the valley since 1964. Maybe we just don't fit with his mythology.

So the not at all mythological volunteers were: myself, Philip, Dave, Geoff, Adrian, Hap, Richard, Ian, Alison, Paul, Steve, Stephen, Remy, Jon, Bob, Ben, Dianne, Jess and Lee.

Dianne found a plastic frog while digging, so this week's tune is....

https://youtu.be/z7pCD827wB4

Still life with cat skull and plastic frog, and Hap in the middle.

Band à parte

Left leaning photographers, Tanya and Geoff

Circumstances saw us flung to far corners of the valley this week.

Myself, Tanya, Geoff, Alison, Paul, Jess and Dianne went to Scammonden and scavenged 80 stakes and 50 guards, plus did some tidying up as preparation for planting 500 oaks with the Green Building Store people in a couple of weeks.

Dave, Richard, Bob, Steve, Simon, Elliot, Hannah, Polly, Alastair and Jared went to Green Edge and planted 245 Hawthorn. Then they went to Parkwood, planted 2 memorial yew and straightened a load of storm tossed tree guards. It looked very muddy.

Philip, Susan, Stephen and Adrian were at Marsden Golf course, thinning trees and preparing for interplanting with some new oaks.

Cake was carrot.

Not so much a song, as a musical clip this week.

https://youtu.be/O4TYQkkAvk8

Black and white world

This morning Dave, Hap, John and I were at the far end of Marsden Golf course, consolidating some brash piles, and clearing the way for the chainsaw operators to come in and take out some of the larch, which were used as a nurse species in this (previously) exposed spot.

Finally some nice Winter weather, snow and sun, instead of rain and wind.

https://youtu.be/RRDl6YvXhiw

Us

"The Tree Planter"

To quote Regina Spektor "They made a statue of us".

This charming little fella has appeared at Scammonden Reservoir, and according to Yorkshire Water he is there in recognition of Colne Valley Tree Society's work on site (though they also mention some other people might have planted some trees there as well).

And fittingly, its a damn fine tune too.

https://youtu.be/fczPlmz-Vug