The woodland Autumnal light show

There are times in our lives when we want to be on our own to rebalance our inner selves and emotions. I had a stressful personal time recently and needed some space.

To destress I decided to head for the peace and calm of Courtown beach and woods. The drive down was uneventful. I parked up, changed into walking boots and began my unwinding stroll. As I started, I heard a familiar voice asking if he could join me.  Being an ex-neighbour and friend, I agreed and off we went at a lively pace. As we walked, he bombarded me about Trump vandalising the East Wing of the White House and his misuse of government money to add to his own personal wealth. He was in full flow about Trumpism, corruption, crooks and gobshites. He was worn out by his level of horror for Trump. Then he informed me that he was going over to the USA for a couple of months holiday as two members of his family resided there. At that stage he had done enough walking and decided to head home.

Having bid him farewell, I crossed the little wooden footbridge and turned right along the forest path and on to the beach following the yellow trail back to Dodd’s Rocks leaving all talk of the East Wing behind me.

The Autumn air was crisp and cool as I walked along the sandy shore with golden, brown and orange leaves scattered along the sand from the forest overhead. Some of the shoreline here was protected by massive boulders. Further ahead there was an inviting stretch of open sandy beach.

I experienced a great feeling of peace here, except for the occasional sound of waves crashing against the boulders. Some of them hit with such force that they drove a white spray into the air before retreating out to sea dragging pebbles and stones as they ebbed making a grating sound.

Now I was nearing the end of the boulder protected foreshore with a sandy beach ahead. There was a lovely solitude pervading this place but no eyrie feeling of isolation or loneliness. There was an odd plaintive screech from the occasional swooping seagull. An inner calm invaded my being in this splendid mindfulness setting.

Now I walk across some damp beach where the sea has made some inroads into the fore shore. There was a different atmosphere and energy here as I left the foreshore and headed up the sandy path to the higher ground to follow the woodland trail overlooking the beach.

It was an eyrie experience walking in this isolated place which had a magical quality about it as I strolled through the woods with a clear view of the Irish Sea. The sun was glinting off the blades of the wind turbines situated off the Arklow Bank some twenty-three Kilometres northwards. There were also many skeletal remains of fallen trees left scattered along the shore and in the forest since the last storm.

The air up here was different, and the sun was playing tricks as it shone erratically through the branches of the trees. It created a mosaic like dappled landscape on the ground while underfoot the leaves crunched under my feet. It was truly a rare autumnal magic show. I sat down on a tree trunk to have a rest and view this extraordinary panoramic scene enveloping me. It was reminiscent of a great rustic painting or photograph of an autumnal woodland scene, at its best.

I continued to sit in this beautiful serene, soothing, relaxing setting inhaling pure carbon free woodland /sea air. Ahead of me was a scenic waterfall which was created by all the extra water from the recent heavy rains which augmented the stream, as it flowed down from higher ground.

The silence was pervasive, save for a few birds chirping, the sound of the sea ebbing and flowing, the waterfall and the gentle stream making its way out to the Irish Sea.

I took out my I phone to capture the scene. As I clicked the sun began to shine through the trees and illuminated this beautiful autumnal arboreal setting.

It lit up the mini waterfall and created a mirror in the pools underneath with light changes every second. It was my Newgrange moment. I was lucky to be there observing this magical scene and to capture the changing landscape on my camera.

It was a beautiful peaceful calm scene where life and time stood still. I could pitch a tent up here and remain on in this total mindfulness territory forever.

I dallied a while longer before starting my journey home while continuing to observe the transformative light show the sun was projecting on to this dark corner of Courtown Woods.