A hike to the ironforge and cleaning up a mess - Ahlhauser Hammer

 On the Friday of the week before last week I made for Ahlhauser Hammer ironforge and decided to take the bus and walk the final miles. The weather was not exactly all it could be, so to say, but I revelled in the solitude and silence which lately has become a bit scarce in my life again.

The sky was filled with feathery clouds, like spectres they sifted and changed, shifted in shape, constantly moving. I paused for a moment to watch a buzzard fly and listened to its eerie song that floated over the hills and far away...

Onwards I went with my heavy pack, into the denser woods. All was silent, and the feeling and scent of November was being strong, this demure feeling of something passing, flowing underneath, back into a shell of winter.

This is a trail, narrow, and seldom trodden. It felt as if it was a metaphor for my life. A hard trail, but a beautiful one. Like life.

At the ironforge I met with Michael, Nele and Nick, and we did our best to clean up the mess that the snow breakage in 2011 had left. Especially Michael was working hard. He has severe health problems with his back and joints, but my deep-felt respect goes to him for never complaining.

We looked with awe at the plants that had taken root on the ancient machines. There was moss everywhere, and algae on the floor making it unbearably slippery.

It was a bit weird, for we actually liked the message that these little trees tell; but alas they had to go...:-) to make us a smithy, that is.

There actually were even mushrooms growing in this wheelbarrow...

...like this, see?*ggg*

Just kidding, of course. It is hard work cleaning up, but we think it is well worth it. We will have a place, not only for forging, but to let some visions come true, and even as a respite for SHTF. Might even be a mead hall in the future, who knows?

When we were done, Nele and Michael had me hitch their drive and drove me home, and I left with a feeling of hope for the future.