An Irish Wood - Gougane Barra Forest Park

Gougane Barra Forest Park in County Cork Ireland is one of my favorite woodlands. It is pillowed with moss. A small stream wends its way down to Gouganebarra Lough where St. Finbar's Oratory sits reflecting onto the dark pool of water. The can drive a ways back into the woodland and then hike easy trails into the green wood, all the sunlight to enter this forest is green. There was a wedding taking place in St. Finbar's Oratory while were there but the woods, we had those all to ourselves. Also worth mentioning that this place hosts about the coolest restrooms in Ireland.

A previous hiker (or woodland creature) had left a mushroom collection on a table here. 

St. Finbar's Oratory

Charming thatched loo (toilets)

August in a Sun-Dappled Wood

I went into a hazel wood, 

Because a fire was in my head

- William Butler Yeats

Contents: 5x7 Print of Beech Tree, 4x6 Print of Torc Waterfall, Hazel Botanical Card, Fern Bookmark, Decorated Yeats' Poem "Song of Wandering Aengus," sorry leaves not included. 

The August Issue of Emerald Post is inspired by the wild woods of Celtic Lands, the reverence that ancient people held for trees, and the liminal, mystical magic of woodland and an enchanting poem by Ireland's own William Butler Yeats. A walk through a sun dappled wood delivered right to your mailbox. Cool your feet at the base of Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park, Ireland. Marvel up at a towering beech tree in Tollymore Forest Park, Northern Ireland. Stoop to trace the details of a fern on the forest floor and learn of the lore of the Hazel Tree. Hear the verses of W.B. Yeats on the wind and as the forest canopy sways above you.  Send a woodland walk to a friend of take one for yourself HERE.

Into the Woods

Summer's long days are waning and I can sense the approach of Autumn. Days have been mercifully cool lately and fill me with anticipation of crisp leaves and brazen trees. I'm currently getting the August Emerald Post ready to dispatch. It is inspired by the wild woods of Ireland, the  reverence that ancient people held for trees, and the liminal, mystical magic of woodlands all tied together by a Yeats' poem. The August issue will contain a 5x7 print, a 4x6 print, a skinny bookmark, a botanical card, and a little poetry. You can still get yours HERE.  A sneak peak below... and remember you can still use the coupon code FORTRESS15 for 15% off the shop till the end of the month! Also, if you were unable to leave a comment for the castle giveaway due to a blogger glitch please email me at emeraldpostoffice@gmail.com so that I can try to fix it and send you freebie. 

Mushroom Magic

If you don't know, I keep another blog at www.travelingchariot.blogspot.com where I chronicle other creative pursuits as well as natural life in the Midwest. (I also keep another shop at www.travelingchariot.etsy.com where I specialize in hand crafted journals and old-fashioned quills). Over at Traveling Chariot, when the weather is right, I post Mushroom Mondays where I share my photos of the many unique, magical, and sometimes edible mushrooms. And since it's been raining again there are lots of fungi to be found. So if you'd like to meander through a woodland of toadstools, faerie caps, and magic hop on over HERE.