Seeing this debris left by a giant poplar, I thought of sheep’s wool. I like the idea of sheep… They pop up on TikTok being gathered by dogs, or being shorn by Katie McRose while she chats about her job… I think I like the idea of sheep because there are so few here, much like I like the idea of living in a rainy place (is it London still?) while the grass on our front lawn looks more like hay.

But back to the poplars… Step on this white fluff and it crunches. Hidden under its soft-looking exterior are the shelf of dried out seed heads.