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fionadean.bsky.social
Fiona
@fionadean.bsky.social
1.9K followers 910 following 21K posts
Always busy doing something

parkrun ED, crochet, Archie the springer spaniel, nature, word games, church & choir, gardening, Mum of teen, drinking wine, let me know if I missed anything!
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fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s #parkrun pics from Forest of Dean. Despite yesterday’s rain the course was only slightly muddy in a few places, nothing like the puddles we’d been expecting. But it was foggy, a very atmospheric November event. Thank you to @chris8238.bsky.social for the photos
A middle aged white woman running along a leafy forest trail, wearing vest, shorts and trail shoes. It’s foggy. Runners setting off through the fog on a carpet of fallen leaves. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel in an action shot, leaping across the frame. He’s got a stick in his mouth and is giving the photographer some side eye.
November 15, 2025 at 5:03 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
That’s not a wet dog! This is (came through the door bang on cue 😂)
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel, looking soggy after his walk. He shook himself free of his towel when I went to take the photo.
November 14, 2025 at 5:31 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
We set off for a short walk then discovered how full the stream is and a certain springy spaniel went swimming
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel swimming in a pool formed by a local stream.
November 12, 2025 at 10:08 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
Part 2
White tubes of fungi growing from leaf litter. A bit like coral. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel sniffing behind a felled tree trunk, which has a long stripe of the frilly orange fungus. A mushroom that looks like the parasol bit is folded up on itself. A white fungus that looks like it has lots of cavities within itself and has also been munched!
November 11, 2025 at 5:43 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s fungi part 1
Layers of frilly fungi up a stick. It’s been sunk into the ground vertically as part of a dead hedge. Candle snuff fungi, little strands of black turning to white at the tip, growing out of the end of a stick. Some parasol shaped mushrooms growing from leaf litter. Lots of frilly orange fungus on a dead log.
November 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
This morning’s walk took in a local heathland nature reserve, ancient woodland, forestry plantation and fields. Archie loved it and is now recovering 😴
A tree stump which is about 1m tall with layers of frilly fungus growing all up one side. The fungus is brown on top and white below. There’s also some ivy growing up the stump. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel stood still briefly to allow me to take a photo. He’s a bit damp and has his mouth open, panting. Beautiful shiny beech leaves in a mix of shades from green through yellow to brown. They really contrast with the dark green foliage behind. Archie again, this time on a footpath between birch trees which has been covered in golden leaves.
November 10, 2025 at 10:51 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s #parkrun pics. A very busy event, with 134 participants including a group of Coleford Army Cadets, the last post for #Remembrance and a course diversion.
Hugely grateful to all those who gave their lives so we have the freedom to parkrun in the beautiful Forest of Dean
Me, in green vest and navy shorts, walking alongside a lady in a pink shirt and patterned leggings. A group of 17 army cadets with their adult leaders, stood by the Forest of Dean parkrun pop up sign. They are wearing army green T-shirts with poppies on the sleeve. A man in a navy fleece, running shorts and trail shoes playing the last post on a brass cornet. He’s stood in the woods and in the background are golden autumn leaves. The start, going in the opposite direction to normal due to the course diversion. Runners, cadets and dogs setting off across a carpet of beech leaves through the woods. In the background the sun is catching golden autumn leaves.
November 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Archie says goodnight 😴
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel curled up asleep. His nose is tucked away behind his paws, a sure sign that he’s really tired and doesn’t want to be disturbed.
November 4, 2025 at 10:53 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
It’s been a beautiful morning, here’s the view over the gate.
The view over gate. It’s a perfect autumn day, lots of sunshine and some fluffy white clouds. Some of the trees in the distance are starting to turn.
November 2, 2025 at 1:59 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Gorgeous! This is mine
An acer (tree) with rusty red leaves against a vibrant clear blue sky.
November 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Oh no! Posted without photos 🤦‍♀️ #parkrun
The offending hanging branch, suspended in golden beech leaves, high above the parkrun course. No way anyone was running under this today! And they’re off! Runners setting off the wrong way from the start line at Forest of Dean, framed by orange chestnut leaves. One of our volunteers looking incredibly scary (and unrecognisable!) dressed all in black as a witch. Me and a friend walking through the forest in our orange tail walker jackets, flanking a lady dressed as a witch and pulled along by Archie the brown and white springer spaniel.
November 1, 2025 at 8:53 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
It is finished. I think he’s pleased as he’s been wearing it around the house 😂
A fluorescent yellow crochet beanie with two black stripes near the brim.
October 31, 2025 at 10:52 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Making a new beanie for D. So far it’s insisting on curling inside out and looking like a frisbee 🧶
A half-made fluorescent yellow crochet beanie.
October 30, 2025 at 11:26 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s walk was the happy spaniel in the rain and in the stream kind 🥰
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel, soaking wet and with one ear inside out, stood by the stream waiting to play stick. A blur of dog and stick running along the stream. The trees over the stream are starting to change colour and there’s a branch with bright gold leaves catching the light. A group of wet fly agaric toadstools. The classic scarlet ones with white flecks and stems.
October 29, 2025 at 5:37 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Off work for half term and the weather was good, so we introduced Archie to the Sugarloaf. He had an excellent time, and is now fast asleep 💤
Archie the brown and white springer spaniel surveying the view from the car park. He’s looking across the valley to the patchwork of fields leading up to the hills around the Blorenge. Archie in full scamper, legs akimbo, part way up the Sugarloaf. He’s on a grassy path, behind him is rust coloured bracken, the peak of the hill and bright blue sky. Archie at the top of the Sugarloaf, looking roughly NE towards moorland, more hills and fields. Me, in a silly woolly hat, taking a selfie with Archie sat by the trig point marking the top of the Sugarloaf.
October 27, 2025 at 8:08 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Yes, I remember similar trees when I was growing up in Kent. If they’d been coppiced there would be lots of trunks coming up from one spot, you need the hedge laying to get the horizontal trunks like that. These photos are from where my son was working last winter, in an old chestnut coppice.
Stumps from recently felled trees. They were origin coppiced but have been left too long but you can still see several cut trunks per stump. Towards the far LHS of the photo are coppiced trees that haven’t been cut down yet, with several trunks per stump. More previously coppiced chestnut trees, with several trunks growing from the same point.
October 26, 2025 at 9:00 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
I think I’ve finished this crochet jumper… I ran out of yarn and used a multicolour yarn for the cuffs and neck trim 🧶
The collar of a grey granny stitch crochet jumper. The jumper has progressed to collar, shoulders and first few rows of body. The same jumper, now with one sleeve. The finished jumper with multi coloured cuffs and neck trim.
October 25, 2025 at 10:41 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today I learnt that the little girl who comes to parkrun really loves the amigurumi Archie I made for her birthday 🥰
A little girl in pink top and purple patterned leggings smiling while she plays with Archie, my brown and white springer spaniel. A small amigurumi crochet dog with an orange lead. Archie the real life brown and white springer spaniel with the amigurumi toy.
October 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Just the most gorgeous autumn colours at Forest of Dean #parkrun today. And at a temperature of 8C I was finally comfortably cool running in vest and shorts
The start. Runners heading off under a canopy of brightly coloured autumn leaves. Me, a middle aged white woman, running along a forest track. I’m wearing a green milestone vest and navy running shorts. Archie the brown and white springer spaniel lying on the ground, head up and clearly about to chase a stick. The tranquility of the woods after we’ve packed away. The ground is strewn with fallen leaves and above the leaves are a mixture of green and gold. There’s a row of four posts receding into the distance, part of our finish funnel and the only clue that parkrun happens here twice a week.
October 25, 2025 at 5:45 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
What sort did you buy? I have my favourite hooks but also a wide selection of spares and just occasionally find a different design is the only way to get the tension right
My set of milward crochet hooks, each size has a different coloured rubber handle.
October 25, 2025 at 4:17 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Opened the curtains. It’s still thinking about it.
Bright sunrise pinks and apricots through a rain speckled window.
October 25, 2025 at 6:53 AM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s fungi
Wow what a difference 48 hours makes. One shaggy ink cap has got very umbrella like, the other has keeled over! A frilly apricot mushroom growing out of the wall of a tractor rut in the woods. Tiny orange fungi fingers reaching up in another tractor rut. Some quite regular looking white mushrooms, one a blob and the other a saucer. Background of leaf litter.
October 23, 2025 at 6:53 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
One of the things I love about a regular walking route is watching things change. This is the same group of fungi, from Friday and again today, Tuesday.
The little blob fungi have grown! And opened out in a frilly delight of shiny pale brown mushrooms. New mushrooms, a big group of little blobs on long stems.
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s fungi photos
The shaggy ink caps are maturing. One now has black petticoats showing. A flat mushroom, dark brown at the center and pale at the edges. Very frilly beige fungi growing on a stump.
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
fionadean.bsky.social
Today’s fungi pics 🍄
New today, an amazing pair of shaggy white mushrooms. Like two white busby hats. A beautiful scarlet red fly agaric. A group of small brown mushrooms with a group of similar but much bigger ones behind. This stretch of path is carpeted with oak leaves, mostly brown but with the odd greens yellow one.
October 20, 2025 at 7:04 PM