Sphagnum

Sphagnum

We went to Tomintoul. 
Just outside the village, which is past the snow gates o
up the Mountain from Mums.  There is a small quarry and I thought maybe I could do a print there and maybe a recording, It was halloween and it felt like a good time to do it. 

It was sunny and super cold.
But worse it was windy and the wind hit the quarry straight on. It felt too observed and a kind of wind tunnel too. too cold


We had a cup of tea in a cafe.
It was dressed in old  fireman equipment and smelt of fry ups. 

After we decided on a wee walk across some woodland towards the river.  We abandoned our walk in favour of exploring a kind of old birch wood plantation, covering a bed of spagnum moss. 

Lukas is excited and makes me cover my eyes.

He leads me to a fallen tree that has allowed a pool of black peat water to gather.

Here is the right place!

So we all go back to the car, I get my suitcase .
and my wool skirt, ( its super warm and Mary made it)

I go back to the tree. Its getting dark. and cold. and I'm losing light . I realise the headphones are shit. But I have a go with them anyway... because we are high up, and the family are waiting for me in the car, patient... ( I pretend they are patient but I suspect they are annoyed 

Not sure about the recording. I enjoy it but its wrong.. the headphones ... I cant hear properly.. finishing I look again in my bag and there are another set. 

my kness are sinking a little into the moss, I like the sinking...

                                                Spagnum/ S P A G N U M /  NUM Hands Are NUM 


                        I start again. no-one is about I think and I use my hands to kind of play out the sounds and rhythms i do it for pitching /pitching/ , but with no pitch... a movement to move the improvisation... 

Pitch black
Pitch side
Pitch
find pitch
sway and pitch


I open my eyes in the end..... a small spaniel is running off through the woods.
A man is walking at pace/ he is not looking my way/ I have been loud/ and building sounds in my headphones.. He cant hear the loops/ just the crys and breaths and grunts/ he is walking very fast.   

The twilight is sinking in fast now, damp sinking, frost rising/ time to go before I cant see to leave! ... I have been longer than I thought... Maz has come back to the woods... maybe the man had a look.... .. maybe it said go fetch her... maybe .. he is just getting cold. 

My hands are NUm.