I spent much of this afternoon in the forest today. It was a boiling hot day so a trip out seemed in order.

The trees and leafy ferns provided ideal protection against the harsh heat of the sun, though unfortunately, they didn’t provide much protection from the midgies that seemed to have taken over one spot.

Whilst I did have much of the place to myself, it didn’t have the tranquility of an early morning. There was plenty of activity and noise form the birds and as usual I had to take evasive action from the odd mountain-biker or two who were zooming along the forest trails.

It wasn’t too long before I found a nice little spot, next to a stream to sit and watch the nature surrounding me and the water flow by. It was a lovely little sun-trap right next to a small waterfall.

Finding a comfortable mound of moss helped to provide a comfy seat whilst I decided to take some footage with my camera. One of the cameras I had with me, I hadn’t used before, hence the footage is in 4:3 aspect ratio, rather than my preferred 16:9. Overall I’m happy with the quality of this tiny little camera and since returning home, I reset the camera to deliver 16:9 aspect footage instead. You live and learn don’t you and what better classroom to have than a forest to yourself?

The short video below is a collection of clips where I’ve tried to capture the tranquil nature of the forest which really allows me to unwind and relax. If you haven’t been to a woodland or forest in a long time, I would highly recommend that you should give it a go. I think you will find the restorative powers of nature to be quite an empowering experience for the stresses and strains of the world.