Moss forest

We discovered a mossy fairyland forest behind our house! We scrambled up the rocks into the trees and it’s like a whole different world back there. I’m not sure we’re supposed to be there but we’re feeling so restless being stuck in quarantine, and it seems like the sort of forest where nobody would notice or mind if you go wandering around a bit. The pine trees are so small and tightly squeezed together that it seemed impossible to walk in there, but the kids were excited to find a way for us and we were able to walk pretty deep into the woods. The ground is soft and spongy with deep moss and the trees are all lichen covered. On the damp days, everything is foggy and dewy and quiet and intensely green. Or on a late sunny evening, there’s a fiery alpine glow that filters in through the bare lower branches and everything is golden. One day we found a muddy spot that’s deep enough to sink in up to the top of your rain boots, and of course I said “oh don’t go in the mud” without really thinking (I don’t even know why) so they leapt straight into the mud and spent half an hour mucking about gleefully, stomping and yelling getting all covered in thick black mud. They named it the fairy forest and there’s a special “fairy hill” with lots of tiny pine cones and soldier lichen, where the fairies like to go hiking and slide down the rocks. It’s a delight to find something new when we’re feeling pent up at home, and the whole landscape is new and different from home. Only 4 days left in quarantine!