Copper and gold

Alex was supposed to be volunteering at Dogsthorpe Pit today, and we set off in good time. When we'd been driving for about five minutes he turned to me and said "Should I have checked my e-mails?" This would have been useful, as when we arrived the site was deserted. He couldn't get to his e-mail account from the mobile so we came home to find that there'd been a change of plan and the team were coppicing at Old Sulehay Forest. So we jumped in the car and headed off in the opposite direction.

It was a glorious day and much milder than recently so I had a walk round the wood before returning home. The colours are just stunning at the moment - particularly the clear yellow of the field maple and the rich russet of the beech - this is one of the very few large specimens growing in woodland and was almost certainly planted, probably in the 18th century. I was sad to see that one of my favourite crab apples has succumbed to the recent high winds, with the top of the tree balanced precariously across the main path.

I forgot to say that Chris phoned me yesterday - he was so happy because he and Lizzy had been lucky enough to have a close and intimate encounter with one of the tigers in Ranthambore.Their jeep driver extended the tour based on a tip-off from another driver, which certainly paid off. They spent five minutes in the company of Sultan, a two year-old male, and at their closest were only about 3m from him. You can see his photos here. I am so jealous!