How much do you really notice when you are out walking? Do you ever let your imagination take you by the hand and lead you into a world where all is not what it appears to be … 

There are many things in the natural world that fire my imagination and inspire me to write, from ‘dens’ and ‘doorways’ amongst tangled tree roots, to toadstools growing on a rotting stump down a farm lane. Here are just a few of my favourites:

I love the unusual shapes on these tree trunks: they look like alien beings. I especially enjoy the way that the one on the left seems to be peering cautiously into the hole: I can’t help but smile at its inquisitive stance. Both of these trees feature in my book, ‘The Wicked Wood: Part One of The Journey‘:

“You must, before the break of day,
Cross through the wood and make your way
Past dens where nymphs and spirits hide,
To freedom on the other side.”

 From tree trunks to tree roots: how amazing are these! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could shrink yourself down and sneak into the hidden world beneath the roots, or put tiny doors and windows between the exposed roots to make a little house, just like Winnie the Pooh’s:

Toadstools provide even more food for the imagination with their myriad shapes, sizes and colours. I found these beautiful ‘scalloped shells’ on a dead tree trunk, whilst the delicate, nodding pixie bells appeared magically overnight on a pile of manure:

I particularly enjoy imagining that this strange-looking toadstool is a faerie house, with its deep thatched roof and little white door:

Of course, the true faerie toadstools are the ones that most people are familiar with from children’s story books, yet their beauty disguises a poisonous heart. The strikingly beautiful (but deadly poisonous) red fly agaric: look but don’t touch ….. or better still, just let your imagination take you on the journey.