Fairy Bells of Blue by Sylva Fae A blue sky is always a good excuse to escape to the woods for some fresh air therapy. I always have a surge of happiness as we turn onto the lane to the woods. That short drive, carefully dodging baby rabbits, signifies escape from the real world. I can’t explain the joy that this random bunch of trees holds, but they’re ours and they hold happy memories and promises of adventures to come. Our magical little woodland is special. The children eagerly pull on wellies and disappear into the trees long before we arrive at the camp. They seek out the familiar, climbing their favourite tree or racing to the rope swings. My husband also has his routines, checking the wildlife camera and making a fire are always his first priorities. I however, seek out the changes; I potter, camera in hand, to discover what each season has brought.
For the last few weeks, I’ve watched the progress of the bluebells. With each woodland wander, I’ve eagerly headed to the bank on the edge of the secret field in the hope I’ll be greeted by a sea of blue. This visit was the one. I could smell the heady scent long before I arrived. It’s a unique smell. I’ve always associated colours with smells and this is the scent of violet; rich, sweet and exotic. I surged downhill, wading through ferns and brambles, in anticipation of the scene beyond. The children charged on to run through the long grass in the field, leaving me for a little moment of calm with my bluebells. Just as well if folklore is to be believed, for the bluebells are fairy flowers. It is told that an unsuspecting child wandering into a bluebell ring, will fall under a fairy enchantment. Other tales claim that the wearer of a bluebell
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