A Birthday Walk....

took us to the Slad Valley - made famous by Laurie Lee in his books "As I Walked out one Midsummer Morming" the sequel to his "Cider with Rosie".

Views of the Woolpack pub - his favourite haunt, his home, and the church where he now lies kept popping into view as we walked high above the valley.

The gardens and hillsides were heavily laden with flowers and fruit, and Quince trees rested their laden branches along the tops of Cotswold stone walls.

 Eventually I came across exactly what I was hoping to find - lots of juicy ripe Elderberries sparkling like jewels in the sunlight - the birds have already started devouring them but there were plenty for us all to share - their destination some homemade ice cream

The ground beneath the Hazelnut tree was thick with open shells and unripe nuts - it must have been a busy squirrel, but why did he throw them down before the're ripe? We debated are they hazel, cob, or filbert nuts? the quesion was unresolved.

turning on to the footpath that leads to Laurie's Wood we noticed that the wild Crab-apple branches were struggling with their heavy burden

We entered Laurie's wood and

stumbled across a secret place where the wee folk appear to live

back home a beautiful bouquet was waiting from the little family in Paris♡ and once the ice cream was made

we ate a slice of homemade Tarte aux Pignons (Pinenut Tart) served with the Elderberry ice cream