David and I arrived at the unmanned visitors center with waves of rain coming in off the sea after a 3/4 mile walk in moisture. It is like the chalk hills are being doused with just enough water medicine to keep the thin veneer of life here vibrant. This is like a convergence of life here for me. The leaves freshly fallen in the rain on this plaque are from Hawthorn, the fruits that are a heart tonic. The haws bring a sense of joy to me, despite the rain. Some of the species running wild in North America are seemingly Native here. The nap weed , hosting the marbled white butterfly. Later on I discoverd buckthorn in its natural habitat! The nature trail began to lead us to some of the grandfather and grandmother yew trees, like I saw in my dream. The trail, marked as 3.5 km, goes in and out of the big yew trees and then into the open land leading to Bow Hill and some barrow where solitary haws, yews and yes even the native buckthorn are seen and photographed. David was a good sport to “carry on” here, as the slope on the chalk downs become quite slippery.
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