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The Foot and Mouth Disease restrictions had kept us all off
the hill for eight weeks and this was the first opportunity
to go out since some of the areas became accessible again.
Unfortunately many of the explorers were away for Easter and
others had special arrangements made for the day. It was also
one of the wettest days for two months so not really attractive
for exploring the hills. We had four explorers: David John,
Iain, Katy and Sally with Mike and Sylvia to help.
We all met at the Strontian Bridge and walked over the disinfectant
mat to get into the forest walk. Climbing up the hill through
the daffodils and young trees, John explained how small oaks
and beeches keep a lot of their leaves over winter for protection.
We reached an old stone dyke which had been raised by the
addition of a fence on the top and passed through this to
move along the hillside where we found the remains of two
old buildings and a spring with two frogs in it. The explorers
examined one of the hydro poles to see if they could find
a date on it - it seemed to be 1967.
Then we moved up the woods, stopping at an oak tree where
John had seen a tawny owl a few days before. The owl wasn't
there but we found an owl pellet which was collected. Then
we climbed to the top of the wood and found the big grand
fir trees from which it was only a short push through the
small trees to reach the path again. On the way down we examined
a recessed platform and some wood wasp holes.
There was then a short detour to Strontian School where the
explorers examined a very wide Grand Fir, a big Douglas Fir
and a Western Red Cedar as well as some Lenten Lilies by an
old house.
On the way to the centre we all went into the church yard
and saw some interesting stones, one had an address on it
and one was for a Strontian man who was 100 years old.
John
Dye
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