Ancient woodlands, Acupuncture and my first attempt at thrown pots

I love visiting Ancient woodlands and have a couple of favourite local places I try to visit regularly.

This will be revisited during sloe picking season - Sloe Gin is something I try to make every year. This walk is peaceful and I try to stop and watch, listen and absorb the life all around me. A greyhound makes an ideal slow walk companion, mine is quite content to stand and look at the horizon for ages. My energy is refilled visiting places like this.

Nettles are a really useful plant. I am taking them as tea every day right now to help minimise my itching eyes and sneezing as the tree pollen count rises.

Bit early for the bluebells, though there were a few early ones by the track in flower

Clivers, Cleavers, Goosegrass, Sticky Willies - so many names for this little plant

Clivers are self-selected by lots of dogs, they help with painful and inflammatory conditions. Let your dog eat as much as they want to .

The more I learn about self -selection of plants by our pets and other animals, the more I am in awe of their innate knowledge.

Applied Zoopharmacognosy is an emerging field and one I am totally immersed in at the moment.

This little dog visited me for the second time this week. She trusted me quickly, curling up close to me and presenting her back for her needles.

And for fun, I recently visited a local potter for a lesson, with Helen, one of my wonderful PAs.

Without the support of Helen and Lorraine in the background, I wouldn't be able to perform my roles as holistic vet and in-home euthanasia vet.