One handed woodland activity

[oldclaypaws]

Polite suggestions welcomed please for what I can do that gives some gratification and fulfillment in the wood over the next 3 months with one able hand. Can't carry much, can't use a chainsaw, can't use a spade, drive the tractor, pick or easily saw things, all a bit frustrating. Can't easily use a kelly kettle either. Sitting under a tree, taking pictures, writing a formal management plan are OK, but there is a possibility I'll go (more) insane if I pass day after day without doing much. Driving any distance is also a no-no as if involved in a crunch or getting pulled, I could be done for dangerous driving / not being in full control. I can use the car gears and partly steer, but its uncomfortable, so I'm ponderously going the three miles once a day to the wood via the backroads in 2nd and 3rd gear.

[Dexter's Shed]

Polite suggestions welcomed please for what I can do that gives some gratification and fulfillment in the wood over the next 3 months with one able hand..

that'll be a no then, as it's not polite

[Binz]

attack brambles with billhook or machete. Learn to draw/paint. Become expert in nature photography (OK, admittedly easier with 2 hands but possible with 1, maybe get a monopod). Become an 'enthusiast' and record a survey of every single species of plant, animal, fungi in your woods; organisations like Butterfly Conservation, Pteridological [fern] Society and your local Wildlife Trust may be interested in your data.

[Andy M]

I presume that it is your non-dominant hand that is having a holiday. If it was me, I would be trying to learn line drawing, and recording the variety of species in my woods. I am planning some thinnng and glade construction, so marking trees "to go" is feasible. Learn how to concentrate cider without a water supply?

I think I still would go mad!

[oldclaypaws]

Thankyou for the constructive and helpful comments Binz. My machete days are at an end for a while, thats what caused this situation, but as its the harness that takes the weight I should be able to use the brushcutter on the brambles and follow up by spot squirting any regrowth with SBK. (Got to consider nesting birdies though). That would be very useful. Your photography, painting and nature survey suggestions are very positive. May also be able to ferret for more ex-gypsy rubbish round the edge of their old camp, we could fill a skip. I do paint, but haven't for a while. In the summer wood you'd only need 4 colours, green and black for the wood, plus white and brown for the dogs ! I might do one of my 'Van Goghs' with some acrylics. I had official ecology species surveys done from when the council owned the wood, but haven't as yet seen all of them. Might leave some seed out and wait to watch birds come to it, maybe resurrect the trail camera too (although it has a software hiccup). I'm already involved with Somerset Wildlife, but could be more active and considered registering as a Private Nature Reserve. Learning birdsongs to recognise them all would be nice. I've threatened for a while to sit under a tree for 24 hours fasting and doing a Buddha experience, this might be the right time! (Don't think Buddha had his dogs or mobile with him?) Thanks, more +ve ideas welcomed please, that was inspiringly useful and cheered me up.

[Dexter's Shed]

get a metal detector and search your woods for old coinage

[DuncanB]

Lost an argument with an extremely sharp hand axe in January and found myself in a similar predicament - left hand / thumb in a cast for ages. Got increasingly frustrated until I got my pair of opposable thumbs back! One problem was keeping the cast clean whilst grubbing around in various piles of dirt. Was advised to try the bandage that horsey people use for horsey legs - it's weird stuff, sticks to itself but not to anything else. It was great for keeping the cast clean as I could apply, remove and re-apply very easily. on Cheesybay it's:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-ROLLS-KM-E ... 41628a2bc7

[oldclaypaws]

More good ideas.

I actually have a very good £400 metal detector which I've not used much, a Tesoro Cebola (Laser Trident 1), that was on my 'one day I must...' list. It can pick up a 1p at about 16" depth and has a discrimination function to hone in on different metals. I predict a fine haul of brass shotgun cartridges and car parts from the travellers, but I can use a trowel with one hand to dig. In the old pond at a depth of 2m we probably have 20 tons+ of scrap metal, courtesy of when the council used that bit as a tip. It now is my parking / proposed shed area.

I also have some orange vet wrap, which ironically you can see on the handle of the tool that did the damage ! I got it to provide grip on the otherwise slippy handle, but it would serve tp protect the cast from muck.

Its going to be long haul, a consultant this morning explained I'll be given a removable cast and as of next week will need to occasionally use it very lightly for physio and prescribed exercises, but no more, or it'll snap and not be repairable. Tendon injuries are apparently far worse than a break, especially on someone active who is impatient to use it. NHS have so far been brilliant, can't fault the care I've had.

[SimonFisher]

I also have some orange vet wrap, which ironically you can see on the handle of the tool that did the damage ! I got it to provide grip on the otherwise slippy handle...

Could you wrap the blade to prevent similar injury in the future?

[smudge]

I have put seats around the nicest parts of my woods its amazing what animal movement goes on if you keep still for a few minuets especially now with birds nesting,