Faerie forest...

I think my extreme tiredness yesterday may have partly been a result of a low-level virus. Very unusually for me I had a vivid nightmare last night, the sort that grips you with fear, and which involved the undead, parallel worlds and a lot of snow - possibly too much time spent browsing on blip? And every part of me ached.

Today I have had a strange feeling of detachment from reality, together with an annoying headache and a slightly snuffly nose. And even simple tasks seem to have become enormously complicated... So I think it'll have to be an early night, particularly as tomorrow we have the college run to look forward to!

Despite feeling under the weather, Pete and I took the dogs out this afternoon to Old Sulehay. There had been a little gentle sunshine when we set out, but it promptly disappeared behind a thick bank of cloud. I didn't take many photographs but I liked this one of the young birch woodland that has developed on parts of the disused limestone quarry.

Although the grove is less than forty years old, it somehow has a timeless feel and could be a suitable home for little people. I was hoping that last week's rain would have encouraged a flush of fungi, including the dramatic fly agaric, the classic fairytale toadstool, which is associated with birch. But the preceding drought seems to have been too severe, and fungi are still notably absent.

Best viewed large!