down in the woods

You may not believe this but I will tell you anyway because, as you will know,
 "if you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise!"

There are many woods in Dorset, like this, often well provided with good walking to help explorers.

This is the Castleman Trailway, 16 miles long and well-named as it follows the route of an old railway.




Apart from walkers it caters for cyclists and wheelchair users and dogs.












As you can see the cyclists do not necessarily arrive in ones and twos!









They can be a bit dangerous if you are busy watching the golfers on Broadstone Golf Course which is overlooked from the Trailway..



You can see what sort of hole this is and sets you wondering if these two really did pitch their next shots to where you see them in the close-up?

I thought I spotted one of them with a big rake on the far side if the water!







But I was probably mistaken and they are as honest as all golfers, particularly when one called out;
"watch out for the bears!"










Anyway, on with our walk through the woods in the hope that you will be as surpised as we were at the sights we saw!



















And we had not yet been to the sort of refuge we usually find when we are out walking.


This haven of rest is the Olive Branch at Wimborne, one of many delightful oases in Dorset.
They are easily spotted by the palm trees.

Flower Power

When I was small they said:
"if you can't fight wear a big hat";

as you can see from this picture of me with my Mum and a lead balloon!













Now it seems to be:
"if you can't fight wear big trousers and make sure your scooter's ready for a quick getaway".

All good parks have places for children to play. This is an exceptionally good park because it has something for children of all ages up to 90!"

This is Upton Park in Poole in Dorset.

There are sunlit paths where there is so much to talk about you can easily leave a couple behind.

And there are the quiet backwaters for more leisurely strolling,











where you can glance to the side and see where the sea ends and snake-like monsters appear from the trees above your head.
.

You may prefer monster flowers such as these

or something with more colour.







But even intrepid explorers need to sit down and just take it all in and just gaze upon a great garden  -

                             



                         


                             oh! she's gone.



                                   


It all reminds me of Bernard Miles' story of the new vicar leaning over the garden fence and saying to old villager Len:

"wonderful what you can do with a little help from God".

" 'tis so", Len remarked, " but t'was in a bit of a mess when he had to hisself".