The last four days in a row I've been out for a couple of hours' roaming on Big Moor, above Curbar Edge in Derbyshire's Peak District National Park. Because...RED DEER!!! Quite honestly, I could stay out there all day if I didn't have other stuff that needed attending to. What a find! Not only the beauty of the moorland and the sky, but actual, real life, wild RED DEER! I am super, crazy, head over heels madly in love with them - they are absolutely magical!
A little group of Red Deer doe and fawns, watching me intently
I feel like a child at the moment the magician pulls a rabbit out of the tophat - completely blown away and utterly delighted! I had no idea we had wild Reds roaming freely across the moorland. I first spotted this beautiful lady right by the side of the road, whilst I was driving past on my way to Curbar Edge:
Needless to say, I headed straight for the nearest parking spot and got out to investigate further:
As usual, I've been doing the wandering in question barefoot. It's getting COLD in the Peak as autumn progresses, but my feet are handling it remarkably well this year. It's made a HUGE difference having finally figured out (in my 11th year at it!) that the key is remaining bare but getting them somewhere warm and/or sitting down and massaging them warm again instead of putting on footwear when they start getting unbearably cold. And the moors are one of my favourite barefooting surfaces anyway - everything out there feels SO GOOD: even the scratchy things are energetically super-charged.
Despite the fact that the skies in the Peak District have been overwhelmed with pollution spreading out across them from behind aeroplanes (again) these past few days, the moors are always gorgeous. And we had very heavy rain two nights in a row so when I took this next shot at least I could see something other than grey hazy smog. So, here's the view across to White Edge from the edge of Big Moor as we set off deer 'hunting' yesterday:
So we pottered about a bit, attracting odd stares from the (thankfully few!) other walkers we encountered. They looked like they thought I was some developmentally challenged woman whom my carer (Raven) wasn't doing a very good job of looking after, lol. I couldn't help but notice that my feet were much better equipped to deal with the terrain than their walking boots though. When it gets deeply muddy or boggy, all I have to do is roll me trousers up a bit further - no seepage into boots, no yucky wet soggy socks...! I think they look pretty uncomfortable with boggy mud running over the tops of their shoes and into their socks, but hey - whatever floats your boat, seriously! Whilst I, of course, am in sensory heaven - so many different surfaces out there on Big Moor, and from heather to deep bog mud to gritstone and bilberry roots, I've padded over everything with great enjoyment. It's a sensory delight!! And the deer, of course, are more trusting of me than the booted people. Ha!
You know you're on the right 'track' when...
And then, over the brow of a hillock, Raven spotted those RED DEER I mentioned! I can't recall, did I mention that I'm besotted? ;)
And there he is - one of what I assume will be several Lords of the Moor, looking out for his Ladies and Babies. I 'met' this chap the first evening we spotted the deer, from the car, and promised him I'd be back to say hello on foot. He looked quite pleased that I'd honoured my promise. I think he likes a human who is true to their word. And I was utterly delighted to see him again! He is THE most magnificent being. Magical. Majestic. Handsome beyond words. And he looks right into your soul, let me tell you. What a guy!
Sadly at this point the deer spotted a woman with a dog off the leash (despite signs telling people to keep them under control) and headed off out of harm's way... They had been actively coming towards us up until this point, not seeming to feel threatened by us at all. Well, after all, we'd already met and considered each other friends now!
As it was starting to drop dark, we headed off towards the setting sun, Curbar Edge and home.
Since 'chemtrails' and 'geo-engineering' are 'tinfoil hat' subjects for some, on this occasion I'll just say that the sunset in question was fairly ruined by the release and spreading of pollutant metallic particulates into the atmosphere from aeroplanes. Whether people think the notion of 'chemtrails' is nuts or not, it's UNDENIABLE that our skies are being swamped with metallic particulates, and that the resulting 'trails' spread out until it's a white-out mess; and that these particulates then linger in the lower atmosphere as a grey smog until heavy rain (partially at least) clears them by washing them down to the ground. Anyone who doesn't see, feel, smell and taste that is living either way off the flight paths or in denial, or both. I actually care less whether 'they're spraying us on purpose' or it's 'air traffic pollution' than I do about the FACT that it's there, whatever the reason, and that many people resolutely refuse to see that. This aerial pollution been happening here in the UK since 2006 that I know of in my personal experience, documented time after time after time...
Encounters like this, with beautiful, innocent creatures who mean no harm and do no ill make me very, VERY happy. They keep me sane amid the madness of the world; despite the 'aerial pollution' and the plastic oceans and the torture and rape and slavery and hatred and all the myriad other indignities humanity visits upon my beloved earth. It's the simple things that work for me. People can keep their luxuries and their ownership. It's moments of connection and the wonders of nature that bring me the most joy. Knowing that he's out there, taking care of his family, that they're wandering the moor together day and night. My bare feet on the earth, feeling its heartbeat. Mud squishing through my toes. With Raven by my side. And the steady gaze - the acknowledgement of kinship - of a handsome, wild stag and his beautiful, wild loved ones still shining in my eyes.
So I'll leave you with the blocked out 'sunset'. And the deer who made my heart swell. Be good to yourself until next time.
With love,
Jay
Chemtrail-covered sunset over Big Moor
Note: All images in this post are my own original works
Great post! I love the bellowing bull at the end... he looks so majestic!
Oh, he IS, @skypilot! I'm completely enchanted by him. I've seen him all four days. We're like soul mates now ;o) (In my imagination - I'm pretty sure he's just minding his own business, doing his thing! lol)
Wow, incredible photos! I need to get out there and see some deer myself soon, Jay!
~ Kevin
...and I 'need' to get a better zoom lens...! ;0) Thank you, Kevin x
This post recieved an upvote from minnowpond. If you would like to recieve upvotes from minnowpond on all your posts, simply FOLLOW @minnowpond
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Wonderful content. Wildlife is so amazing! New Follower!
Thank you, Joe! I'm following you, too :o)
Thanks for the great pics ;)
Thank you for taking the time to look at them and leave me a comment :D
Beautiful Creatures. Lovely photography and truly the moor is gorgeous. I hope I can do some wildlife photography someday. I wouldn't mind having you as a mentor.
Thank you for this lovely, uplifting comment! I've sometimes thought about taking people out with me, as I'd love to be able to communicate my love of nature to other people as an advocate of the preciousness of our wild places and creatures. I'm happy that some of that spirit came across in my post! Nothing makes me happier than inspiring people to reconnect with nature and their own natural being... xx
@jaytaylor awww this is absolutely amazing! Barefeet and red deer!!!!so lovely☺
The innocence and purity of your intention being out there give healing. Connection over ownership as you say is definitely a Yes to me. Were not your feet hurt at all? Cheers!
Hi @lemonchum! Thank you for this uplifting comment :o) It makes me happy knowing that it resonated with you <3
And no, no feet were harmed in the making of this post ;o) I'm in my 11th year of almost-always barefooting so my soles are almost like those of an animal now - very strong and protected by leathery pads underneath. xx
@jaytaylor haha! You get all the good energy from the ground with those bare feet. I hope I could explore the upland with you one day. Cheers!
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