Summer so far

Reflections on the season of light, micro moments of connection and a short film to share...

Summer.

We wait all winter for it to come, making plans for big adventures, longing for longer days, river swims and balmy evenings.

Then suddenly it is here and some of the things you hoped would happen do and others don’t and it brings along things you’d forgotten about like biting bugs, and still having to work, and heatwaves and tourists doing ridiculous things in the places you love.

Before you know it, berries are ripening in the hedgerows, the school holidays are about to start and there’s really only a few weeks left before we descend into autumn.

So that’s where we are now, trying to make the most of all the good things summer brings whilst we can, chasing moments of connection and trying not to get swept up in the frantic energy. This post is a short reflection on our summer so far, with a few updates on work and life happenings.

The first Summer

This is the first summer in our new home. It takes time to learn how each season feels in a new place, to establish new rituals and things to look forward to. This time last year we were still living on a noisy, smelly livestock farm and its safe to say summer is much nicer in our little stone barn nestled in a quiet wooded valley. We’re enjoying being able to walk to the river to swim or into the cool shade of the woods right from our front door, watching the first rays of sun filter into the valley early in the mornings and the mountains turn golden in the evenings as the day wanes. Eating outside in the summer months is a big thing for us, so this year we decided to invest in an upgrade to our outdoor cooking experience with a wood fired pizza oven - it’s hands down one of the best things we’ve ever done.

Pizza with a view

Summer Swims

Most of the UK has been sweltering in back-to-back heatwaves. It’s thankfully a little cooler here in the north but there’s still been some pretty hot days. The river has been our go to spot for cooling off and hanging out; every day after school we head out with Benji for a swim and me and Emma have been sneaking swims into our work days whenever we can. Water defines our plans in the summer months, our hikes typically centred around the idea of finding new places to swim or waterfalls to sit by or ghylls to explore; these are the places where connection and clarity come easily, the sound of rushing water over rock washing all our troubles away with its ancient unceasing song.

Summer Swims

Studies in Light and shade

It’s the season of light. A blessing and a curse for the photographer. I’ve been trying to get out with my camera in the evenings to avoid the full glare of the midday sun and seeking pockets of shade to keep things interesting.

Light and Shade

Working out work

Changes are afoot with the way we work (again) - for the last couple of years me and Emma have been working together on a small estate in the neighbouring valley, looking after woodland, making firewood, fixing fences, building bridges and planting trees amongst other land work related things. Sadly, but also with some relief, that work comes to an end this month. That leaves us short financially, and bereft of a connection to a single piece of land (there’s a whole post coming on that soon), but it also frees up some time. We’re choosing to see it as an opportunity to dive headfirst into the creative work that we often get diverted away from like teaching workshops and creating content. Stay tuned as we get ready to launch our latest offerings, all focused around helping people to reconnect with Nature on a deeper level via creativity and slow adventure.

The Hike That Changed Everything

We’ve already been busy working on a couple of projects, like this one in collaboration with Fjällräven which sees us reminisce on our experience of joining the Swedish Classic 15 years ago. This was the hike that set us on the path to making spending time in Nature central to everything we do; it was nice to take the opportunity to look back over our old photos and see how far we’ve come.

Micro Moments of Connection

It’s the small moments that give us so much. The things that so many of us overlook or undervalue: the simple act of being still, of watching grasses sway in the breeze, noticing a tiny previously overlooked detail in the way something grows or lives. Brief moments of clarity amidst the noise of daily life.

This is how a deeper connection to Nature begins; with a reclaiming of attention and awareness of the world around us.

Moments like this are there for the taking all year round, but there’s no doubt that summer offers the easiest way in…here are a few recent micro moments of connection:

Moments of Connection

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Well, that’s all for now. I hope you didn’t mind the fragmented nature of this post - there are some longer form articles coming soon but we like to share insights into our way of living and working. We hope you’re enjoying the summer so far and that it brings you plenty of your own micro moments of connection!

Andrew, Emma and Benji

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