The almost lost art of Turnupstuffing: Thoreau, Emerson and Pippi Longstocking.

I was feeling a little down this afternoon, so I decided there was only one thing for it, to go out and do a bit of turnupstuffing. For those of you not familiar with this activity let me enlighten you..... In the very own words of Pippi Longstocking herself,

'I dont know what you're thinking of doing, but as for me, I'm not one who can take things easy. I happen to be a turnupstuffer, so of course I never have a free moment.'

'What did you say you were?' asked Annika

'A turnupstuffer.'

'Whats that?' asked Tommy.

Somebody who finds the stuff that turns up if only you look,of course. What else would it be? The whole world is filled with things that are just waiting for someone to come along and find them,and thats what a turnupstuffer does.'

'What sort of things?' asked Annika

'Oh,all sorts,' said Pippi. 'Gold nuggets and ostrich feathers and dead mice and rubber bands and tiny little grouse, and that kind of thing'.

............'I remember a time when I was looking for things in the jungles of Borneo. Right in the middle of the wild jungle, where no man had ever put his foot, what do you suppose i found? A lovely wooden leg! I gave it away later on to an old man who was one-legged, and he told me that money couldn't buy a wooden leg like that!'

So as i live on Dartmoor, the stuff that turns up is of the nature variety....and as you know I have a thing for bones and the first thing to turn up, buried in the marshy grass was a sheeps pelvic bone...I couldn't find it's other half....and not far away this skull!

A bit later on a sleek black feather, and some beautiful moss, I love the soft green of the moss that drips from the branches of the moorland Hawthorn trees. And then all of a sudden this bright orange glow caught my attention, especially vibrant against the cold greys of the wintry landscape, I'm not sure what type of fungus this, but it is luminescent in the light.

One of my favourite parts of the landscape here is this line of Beech trees,especially in winter, so sculptural!

And then a pile of sorted wood turned up, they looked like creatures to me...lying so still..such beautiful forms...

Here's one close up......

I share the thoughts of Thoreau.....

'There is nothing so sanative, so poetic, as a walk in the woods and fields even now, when I meet none abroad for pleasure. Nothing so inspires me and excites such serene and profitable thought. The objects are elevating.'

The shapes of these trunks and roots and soft grey blue of the sky....

And Emerson..' We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are the shining parts, is the soul.'

And here is Opal, standing still, although previously to this picture had been galloping wildly and spiritedly bucking and whineying through the fields.

Quite a lot of treasure I think in this turnupstuffing expedition.