I googled ‘leaf skeletons’ and found links to blogs and videos on how to make leaf skeletons, and advertisements for various websites selling skeletons, from locations as distant as Thailand, to be used in art projects and journals.

I found this depressing! Where are the expressions of joy at finding a skeleton when you’re out for a walk, a skeleton that has been produced by natural methods, a combination of weather, perhaps a muddy surface, insect feeding, the natural process of rotting and deterioration? I liken leaf skeletons to feathers, small natural gifts that brighten a walk in dull grey winter weather and always bring a smile.