Back in the woods

[John H]

I must admit I was not too keen on leaving the comfort of the woodburner and a fast internet connection, but I drove down to the woods today for a short visit to check things out..

My drinking water bottle is still frozen solid, but I managed to get the boiler fired up and it is now nice and warm but a bit humid !! Fish pie in the oven. The touring caravan is great but it will be better when I can stay in the static with it's newly fitted woodburner. No light or water yet.

Tomorrow I plan to fell a few large spruce using the snatch block I bought on ebay, I coul not get the tractor and winch far enough away before.

Still plenty of mud , shame I missed all the frozen ground, apparently the temp dropped to -18.

John

[tracy]

Brrr. John, keep safe there in the mud!!

[lesthetreenut]

I hope you have an emergency pack! This can be entrusted to a buddy at best but, if not, just spare glasses can save you slapping the ground for 2 hours as the light fades when a branch sweeps your eyes to the ground. Water should always be in a dark container with a gap to allow for freezing and floating and fresh taken with you too. A small first aid kit is good to fix you, tent, clothes, dog, car or whatever. In a wild environment a paper cut on the thumb can seem really debilitating and a strip of tape as far as Mars. Oh yes, iron rations are handy too along with something to cover yourself with against the cold if ever necesary. If you take medication, keep spare handy. These apparent ties and encumberments set you free and enhance safety.

lesthetreenut

[John H]

I felled 4 large spruce yesterday morning, I had to winch them over as they were leaning backwards over a small stream. They all fell where they were supposed to, only problem was on the last I did not bang the wedge in hard enough and the tree sat back and pinched the saw. I soon pulled it over with the winch but my saw fell back into the stream!

Today I tried to burn some of the brash but after initially burning well the bonfire decided to go out, so I decided to cut up some logs. I love cutting logs,so satyisfying seeing the pile get larger and larger.

Weather forecast is for snow tonight.

John

[James M]

I keep a disposable nappy inside the straps in the top of my chainsaw helmet as an emergency wound dressing.

[John H]

Trying to snow now , so time for a cup of tea.

I keep two phones with me in case one does not work when I need it, also very useful for finding the one thats dropped out of my pocket.

[wood troll]

So tell me John.... what is this white thing you call snow....? ;-)

Just brought in a cord of seasoned elm from across the valley and tomorrow I am pollarding and felling a friend's oak trees on a 50/50 share basis. We already have 2 cords each from 3 days of work (and that is not counting that still waiting to be collected of the field. The felling is slowed because most of the trees are leaning into a lane with a telephone line on the other side.... I have to be careful... honest... only one twicht of the line so far and that was with a very small twig high up in the 8" thick bough I was cutting 30' up!!!

It's good to be out again though after all that white stuff.

good felling .

wood troll

[John H]

Late afternoon I went to see an oak butt a farmer had for sale. An incredably isolated farm down the smallest of Welsh country lanes and the a further couple of miles down a farm track, we eventually reached the farmyard. Apart from a modern tractor it looked like nothing had changed here for years. It was a scene staight from All Creatures Great and Small. The oak was massive,about 5ft diam, far too big for me to handle.